Below is the PFF draft profile for Florida's Alex McCalister, which incorporates PFF’s college grades and scouting intel from our team of analysts. To see all of PFF’s 2016 scouting reports, click here.
Position fit:
Edge defender. Spent 290 of his 365 snaps on the defensive line, but also rushed off the edge from a two-point stance.
Stats to know:
Registered 27 total pressures on 187 pass-rushing snaps in 2015.
What he does best:
• Quick off the edge. Often had the offensive tackle beaten to the outside before he had time to set his feet. Registered a pressure once every 11.4 snaps when trying to win outside.
• Limited snaps in college, but continued to bring pressure late in games. Had the 19th-best pass-rushing productivity rating in the fourth quarter in this class (15.2).
• Had a lot of success as a pass-rusher both from a two- and three-point stance. Ranked inside the top-20 in pass-rushing productivity from both positions.
• Good at finishing pressure. 27 total pressures on 187 pass-rushing snaps is solid, but with seven sacks and seven hits, more than half of his pressures resulted in a quarterback knockdown.
• Continued to fill out and progress physically throughout his career at Florida
Biggest concerns:
• Is he strong enough for the NFL? Really struggled to dominate with power at the college level. None of his pressures, and just one of his positive grades against the run, came on bull-rushes in 2015.
• Pass-rusher-only in the pros? Played just 168 snaps against the run in 2015, with a grade of just +0.5 (0.0 is considered average). Looked over-powered by stronger offensive tackles at times.
• Was injured this past season, but played just 612 snaps over the past two seasons. Hasn't shown anything, pass-rush or otherwise, with enough consistency at this point.
• Beat the offensive tackle inside to register a pressure just twice all season. If he wasn't getting pressure outside, or it was coming in pursuit or of the clean-up variety, he simply wasn't getting pressure.
Bottom line:
McCalister didn't play a lot of snaps over the past two seasons in college, but he did have a decent amount of success beating offensive lineman to the outside as a pass-rusher. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he has the length but lacks the bulk and strength at this point; however, he has shown enough potential that NFL teams will be interested in harnessing that raw ability and getting the most out of him. McCalister’s best bet may be to “redshirt” early in his career as he continues to fill out his long frame.
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