STRENGTHS - Tough and highly competitive, Madsen consistently plays to the limits of his ability. A true leader, he takes command of the offensive line and makes all the protection calls. Quick out of stance and set to block, this enables him to "get a good fit" on DT, which helps him to consistently play strong at the POA. Although he looks thin on film, he consistently is able to anchor and hold ground versus aggressive power rushers. His smarts and awareness help him to see DL stunts/games/blitzes coming and he is able to switch off with the guards well. Quick getting through the LOS to the second level, Madsen can deliver a good initial blow to LB. While he does not show ability to drive DL and get movement on in-line run blocks, he does show the strength to tie up and torque DL off feet.
WEAKNESSES - Stiff and limited athletically, Madsen struggles when he has to move his feet a lot. In pass protection he cannot bend knees and sink hips to block with leverage and this limits his ability to slide well side to side to adjust to quick pass rush moves. While he can get to the second level easily and delivers a good initial blow to defender, he is upright and lacks the agility to adjust and block a moving target well out in space. He lacks the foot speed to pull and get outside to lead block effectively on outside runs. Although he plays strong at the POA at West Virginia, I think his inability to block with leverage will hinder his ability to play as strong in the NFL. Madsen has very short arms and will not be able to jolt or lock-out consistently vs NFL DT's.
SUMMARY - A highly decorated college center, Madsen is a much better college player than athlete, but will not be able to carry over his production to the NFL. Although he has good height/weight, he looks smaller "on the hoof" and will struggle with playing strength in the NFL if he doe snot improve his ability to block with good leverage. Additionally, his short arms will be a great hinderance to his ability to tie up and control DL. What disappointed me most was how poorly Madsen played during the three padded practices at the Senior Bowl - Not only did his limited athleticism show up, but he ended up on the ground way too often. Overall, I would not draft Madsen because centers with limited athleticism, that struggle to block with leverage and have very short arms rarely make it in the NFL. His best chance to make it in the NFL is to stick as a backup center/guard.