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The safety partner of Johnathan Abram, Mark McLaurin was a bit overshadowed in his own defensive backfield, but if he had flip-flopped his junior and senior seasons he might be more highly-regarded. Had six interceptions as a junior and 1.5 sacks as a junior before zeroing out in both categories last season. Also led the Bulldogs in tackles two years ago.
McLaurin's lack of speed and strength at the combine may be a concern, but pair him up with the right safety partner and he could thrive as a center-field ball-hawk.
Size
6-1, 212 pounds
Combine notables
40-yard dash: 4.77 seconds (3rd worst at position)
Bench: 12 reps (4th worst at position)
Vertical: 36 inches
20-yard shuttle: 4.46 seconds (T-worst at position)
What the analysts say
"Steps on the field looking like an NFL safety with good height, weight and length, but doesn't play physical enough for the box and is missing functional speed and ball skills for the back-end. McLaurin has decent instincts and feel for route progressions and quarterback intentions, but he will still be a step slow to the ball. His physical traits give him a chance of finding the back end of a roster or a practice squad as teams often look to develop safety skills around the physical traits." -- Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
"Size and length are pluses. Aggressive run defender who processes his keys quickly and won’t hesitate to come downhill. Plays fast and energetic. Good hands. Flashes of being able to challenge at the catch point. ... Angles to the ball in run defense are frequently poor. Goes low and ankle-nips at times. Bouts of being out of control as a tackler in his run fills. Way too many missed tackles. Doesn’t pack much punch for a big safety when he did make stops. Stiff in the hips which results in labored change of direction. Struggles to adjust his angle on the fly." -- Jon Ledyard, The Draft Network
What PFF says
-63rd in run-stop percentage
-46th in tackling efficiency
-100th in cover snaps/reception
[caption id=attachment_48233" align="alignnone" width="678]
Chart via Pro Football Focus Draft Guide[/caption]
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