McRae looks to continue his career in the NFL
By Britton Dove, Staff Writer
March 11, 2008 | 6 a.m.
At the NFL Combine the 5-foot 11-inch McRae ran the 40-yard dash in 4.66 seconds and posted a vertical jump of 25 inches. Those were the only two events that McRae participated in and those two events alone raised many questions for scouts.
“These events [40-yard dash and the vertical jump] just reinforce what you see on the tapes,” said a Detroit Lions scout at Ohio University’s NFL Pro Day.
According to the scouts from seven different teams (San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans) that attended the Pro Day, each player eligible for the draft is evaluated differently at the Combine. If a running back is bigger in size, the 40-yard dash is less relevant, and his physical strength becomes more important.
With the NFL Draft quickly approaching (April 26-27), McRae has compiled an impressive resume in the Mid-American Conference (4,597 total yards rushing and three-time first-team All-MAC honors), but there is still some doubt in the minds of many professional scouts and draft analysts who are contemplating whether McRae has an adequate quickness and size to play in the physical NFL.
Some of the strengths of McRae’s game include his ability to plant and drive down the field, find a seam in the offensive line and accelerate through it, view the field and rarely give up on first contact from the defense. His weaknesses include his inability to possess breakaway speed once in the open field, his inability to take on professional linebackers due to his size and his poor pass protection.
Analysis from NFLDraftScout.com projects McRae to be drafted in the sixth or seventh round, but McRae does not care, he just wants to play ball.
“Honestly I don’t care [what team I play for], I don’t care at all,” McRae said. “You just put me on a team, and I’ll be happy.”
According to some analysts around the country, the NFL Combine is viewed more as a media day than as an event that really matters, but to McRae it was viewed as a last opportunity to show off his talent.
“That [the Combine] is just one of the things you have to deal with when you are in the position of playing sports, but you have to just fight through it and give it your best,” McRae said. “As far as the Combine goes, I think it’s a great opportunity for players to go out and display their talent for the entire NFL.”
Kalvin McRae’s year-by-year rushing statistics
2007 Statistics – Played 12 games, averaged 24.5 carries per game, averaged 119.5 yards per game, 4.9 avg. yards per carry, 19 TD, 1,507 total yards.
2006 Statistics – Played all 14 games, averaged 89.4 yards per game, 4.9 avg. yards per carry, 15 TD, 1,329 total yards.
2005 Statistics – Played 11 games, averaged 104.8 yards per game, 5.5 avg. yards per carry, 7 TD, 1,202 total yards.
2004 Statistics – Led the team in rushing as a freshman with 559 total yards.
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