Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: Marquan McCall, Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcat Marquan McCall can be a great developmental prospect for the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL Draft.

Kentucky Wildcat Marquan McCall has the size to attract attention in the interior of the defensive line.

McCall might not be your average size defensive tackle, at 6-3 and 354 pounds, he’s a big-bodied prospect who can develop into a great player in the NFL.

“Traditional nose tackle who will eat blocks and beat up interior lineman off the ball but lacks consistency and conditioning nor provides pass rush help,” NFL Draft Bible noted.

McCall committed to Kentucky as a four-star recruit and top-five offensive guard prospect nationally out of Detroit but was put on the defensive line right from the beginning.

In his college career, he totaled 57 tackles, 10 tackles for losses, three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.

“Heavy nose tackle who is more space-eater than dominant player in the middle of the defense. McCall's size and strength are positive factors in challenging single blocks and double teams but he doesn't play with enough leverage, body control or hand command to require game planning by the offense. He doesn't help as a pass rusher and has limited range as a run defender, so sticking with a team as a rotational nose could be challenging,” NFL Network Analyst Lance Zierlein said.

McCall was a rotational defensive tackle at Kentucky, who could have played more if it wasn’t for his speed and stamina.

He showed a vast improvement during Kentucky’s Pro Day, first with his weight. He registered weighing about 30 pounds lighter, performed well on drills, and displayed quicker footwork.

Marquan McCall put in the work leading up to Pro Day. Today, he saw it pay off AND got to be his team's hype man again. Plus, his message for #BBN ⤵

Loved getting to talk with @MccallMarquan one more time inside the @UKFootball facility! Big things coming for Bully pic.twitter.com/em67povWZj

— Maggie Davis (@MaggieDavisTV) April 2, 2022

McCall is a smart player who recognizes and understands the kinds of blocks he is getting and is considered purely a run defender at the next level.

The downside of his game is the pass rush, it just isn’t there and once he develops that part of the game, then we will see more of him on Sundays.

McCall will be drafted as a developmental prospect late on Day Three of the draft, mostly for his size.

While he is considered a work in progress, the Raiders can draft a prospect who has the massive size to plug in the middle of the defense, eat space all day long, and could potentially develop into something special.

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