Hoosiers Now

Micah McFadden Selected in Fifth Round by the New York Giants

Micah McFadden comes off the board in the fifth round as the New York Giants select the Indiana linebacker with the 146th overall pick. McFadden led Indiana in tackles in each of the last three seasons.

Jack Ankony

Micah McFadden Selected in Fifth Round by the New York Giants
Micah McFadden Selected in Fifth Round by the New York Giants /

Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden is the first Hoosier selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he's headed to the Big Apple. The New York Giants use the first of their three fifth-round picks on McFadden, who is the 146th overall pick.

McFadden was the heart and soul of the Indiana defense dating back to his sophomore season in 2019, as he led all Hoosiers in tackles for three consecutive seasons. As a sophomore, McFadden was named IU's Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year, and during his junior and senior seasons he took home Indiana’s Anthony Thompson Most Valuable Player Award.

McFadden was selected to the third-team All-American by the Associated press as a junior. In his final season of college, McFadden was named to the watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award.

"There's so many players who have made money in the league, won Super Bowls and been starters," McFadden said in an interview before the draft with the Bloomington Herald-Times. "They're not the most athletic or talented dude, but they know the game, They understand where they fit in the scheme and how to find the ball. That's what I'm going to bring to whatever team I end up on. Teams know that I understand ball." 

McFadden stands at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds and ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at Indiana's Pro Day. NFL Draft analysts have commented that McFadden might not have the ideal height or speed for a middle linebacker that anchors a defense, but they love his football instincts, toughness and leadership.

After breaking his thumb during the 2021 season, McFadden played with a cast on his hand, but his production never dropped. His career came to an end with 216 tackles, 149 solo, 14 sacks, 37 for loss, four interceptions, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and four pass breakups. 

McFadden was a two-year captain for the Hoosiers, and Indiana head coach Tom Allen often noted how McFadden became a vocal leader during his senior season. He was always strong in the run game, but McFadden developed as a pass-rushing threat, too, posting 12.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss during is junior and senior seasons.

NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected McFadden as a sixth or seventh round pick, so the Indiana linebacker comes off the board a bit earlier than some expected. Mc Fadden received a 5.81 prospect grade by NFL's Next Gen Stats, which projects McFadden as "an average backup or special-teamer."

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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