Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA
[EXT. 100 Miles Northeast of Oshkosh, WI, there is a scattering of mills and wind turbines, which also happen to denote the Canadian border. The frozen soil does not yield a harvest, so this land remains mostly untouched by humans, save for the researchers and technicians who snowmobile out to check on the turbines and collect wind data. By day, the only signs of life on the ground are deer, hares, and the occasional black bear. However, after the sun sets over the daily smooth sheet of Wisconsin snow, a faint light can be seen from the top window of the oldest, most dilapidated, abandoned mill.]
[INT. Nighttime. In a room lit by two candles on opposite ends of the room, a man sits at his desk, eyes closed, with impeccable stillness. The desk is meticulously organized; five stacks of paper of even height take up the space in front of the man, while a single golf pencil, a pink eraser, and a large golden ring make up the rest of its decorations. The ring rests squarely upon the middle stack and faces outward, towards a door with a flap labelled FOOD, and several old, rusty locks that have clearly not been unlatched in weeks. Behind the man are three filing cabinets, labelled OUR GUYS, DRAFT, and OTHER. The first two are teeming over with papers, files, and envelopes, their hinges barely remaining intact under the immense weight of literary data. The latter cabinet, is nearly empty, and looks brand-new. Above the cabinets is an ancient, mounted clock, whose unrelenting ticks would be torturous over the span of months to a conventional man. This man is anything but. He opens his eyes and his lips crumble into a grin.]
It’s been weeks since his skin has tasted sunlight. What was once a rosy complexion is now replaced by a sallow, gaunt face, the permanence of which has recently seemed more assured by the day. As his eyes readjust to the candlelit room, he allows himself to spare a moment’s thought on his past. What were the sequential events that led him here? Memories of lost love and friendship dance across his mind, and his grin slips as his face begins to contort further. Quickly, he jerks himself out of a dangerous train of thought, and his dark eyes flit towards his ring. Its simple beauty quells any notions of unfulfillment, save that of the need for another of its kind. And beneath it, within the strongest of his five proposals, lies the key to attaining his next piece of jewelry. The grin returns to his face. Ted Thompson has made his decision.
The Pick.
A freaky, relentless monster on the edge, Takkarist McKinley is one of the most volatile first round prospects in this year’s draft. His game tape screams, both pass rusher and leader, as he bounces off blocks, viciously attacks quarterbacks and ball carriers alike behind the line of scrimmage, and plays through the whistle on every down. His combine numbers confirmed his athleticism, as he posted a >10’ broad jump and a sub-4.6 40 yard dash. While his height and weight are far below average, his bench press quelled any fears over his upper body strength at 258 pounds. He tested far below average in agility drills, however his game tape reflects a highly instinctive player who can make up for it. If he has a major weakness, it is that his pass rushing technique has left a lot to be desired. Aside from a gnarly spin, he has shown no plus-moves against offensive tackles. While his effort often makes up for it, his swim, cut, and power moves will need to be refined at the next level. Still, this did not hamper his production in college. In his senior year at UCLA, McKinley racked up ten sacks, eighteen tackles for loss, and six pass breakups en route to All PAC-12 honors. He was generally positioned on either edge (both standing up and hand-in-dirt), but at times would be asked to rush through the A gap. He is a candidate to be selected by a team that runs a 3-4 anywhere between picks 10-30.
The Packers’ fluid 3-4 is a dream come true for an edge defender like Takk, as is he for their franchise. Julius Peppers and Datone Jones are both gone, leaving Nick Perry, Kyler Fackrell, and Clay Matthews as Dom Capers’s options at OLB. The prevailing opinion in Green Bay is that Matthews will eventually end up at ILB as his athleticism wanes, and I believe that this is the year to do so. If the Packers want to win the NFC North again, they will have to be able to get in Matthew Stafford’s grill, while also preying on the Bears’ and Vikings’ tackles. Investing in Perry was a shrewd move, but adding a versatile torpedo to complement him and Matthews. After addressing the front seven, Green Bay will then be free to take advantage of the depth of this year’s CB and RB class in the later rounds.
Highlights:
Spider Graph:
Player Comparison:
There are many lazy comparisons flying around, ranging from DeMarcus Ware (not at all) to Marcus Smith (scarily similar physique-wise, but these two are wired oppositely). If McKinley can add around ten pounds to his frame, he could be a Whitney Mercilus-type presence within the Packers defense, playing all over the front seven.
The Four Other Options:
TreDavious White CB LSU; Charles Harris DE MIZZOU; TJ Watt OLB WISC; Marlon Humphrey RB BAMA
Wu-Tang is for the children!
2017 BGN Mock Draft Order
1) Browns (JALupowitz): Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2) 49ers (sports00fan00): Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
3) Bears (gubby): Jonathan Allen, DT, Alabama
4) Jaguars (TheWhalwing): Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
5) Titans (drc242): Jamal Adams, S, LSU
6) Jets (boomorbust): Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
7) Chargers (NowWhat?): Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
8) Panthers (B-Potts): Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
9) Bengals (Kiko’s Delivery Service): Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
10) Bills (jimmyrustler): O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
11) Saints (NotSoSlick): Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
12) Browns (Straight Edge Sid): Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
13) Cardinals (Paulie97): Haason Reddick, LB, Temple
14) Eagles (ablesser88): Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
15) Colts (mconner96): Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
16) Ravens (The Man, The Myth, the Matthews!): Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
17) Washington (kbruneault): John Ross, WR, Washington
18) Titans (mchiodo): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR USC
19) Buccaneers (ei78): Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
20) Broncos (NVEagleShark): Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
21) Lions (Shark Fighter): Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
22) Dolphins (J. Wil): Forrest Lamp, OG, Western Kentucky
23) Giants (BigWardy59): Dion Dawkins, OT, Temple
24) Raiders (big DUB): Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
25) Texans (GotFunds): Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
26) Seahawks (Rogmcc23): Garett Bolles, OT, Utah
27) Chiefs (B1G Cat): Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
28) Cowboys (RegalEagle): Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
29) Packers (Wutang_): Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA
30) Steelers (General_Lee12):
31) Falcons (SirJon):
32) Saints (Huffs_cellmate):