STRENGTHS - Mcfadden is a quick and explosive athlete who plays a physical brand of football. He has fluid hips and can flip them to run with the receiver he is pressing without losing a step. He does not deliver a great punch at the LOS in press as his hands stay low, but he keeps his body on the WR's hip in coverage. He consistently displays good hand use in coverage and the ability to break up passes when he is in position. He does a good job of closing on the ball because of his quickness out of his backpedal. Mcfadden is a willing tackler who uses his hands to shed blockers and delivers a jolt to a ball carrier. He consistently closes up the field against the bubble screen and in the running game. Mcfadden is a very good special teams player and has the speed and instincts to be a reliable special teams player in the NFL.
WEAKNESSES - Mcfadden does not show the elite speed that teams really want at the cornerback position. He does not have great size and is not overly physical at the LOS. He doesn't punch well and allows the wide receiver to release too easily. He will need to use better technique against the bigger and faster wide receivers he will line up against in the NFL. He is short and could be a red zone problem in the NFL. Mcfadden likes to cut tackle running backs and that won't always work against the more elusive players he will see in the NFL. He needs to wrap up when tackling better then he shows on tape.
SUMMARY - Mcfadden is a physical football player who can contribute to a team in a few ways. He looks to be more of a zone-type corner showing really good awareness. He has very good ability to close on the football with good footwork and fluid hips. He breaks up his share of passes simply because of how well he diagnoses plays and his ability to close on the ball. He isn't great in press coverage with his hands but hangs in there to run with his man in a physical way. He stays close to his man's hip and looks very natural at reading and reacting to plays developing in front of him. He is a feisty football player who can deliver a jolt, but he needs to be a more disciplined tackler instead of a hitter. He has very good overall athleticism and strong natural football instincts. It helps his cause that he plays effectively on special teams and it will help him stay on a roster. He warrants third round consideration because of his solid overall football instincts and competitiveness, along with his ability to locate, and make plays on the ball. Overall, despite lacking elite playing speed, McFadden has all the tools to be a solid, productive starting cornerback in the NFL.