Justin Madubuike | DL | Texas A&M
Elevator Pitch
Madubuike is an athletic and violent interior defender who offers good short-area quickness and the strength to hold his own when defending the run. His consistency could use some improvement, and he’s not the lengthiest defensive lineman out there, but he has solid starting potential at the next level.
Vitals
Height | 6-3
Weight | 293
Strengths
With a good blend of speed and power in his game, Madubuike has plenty of physical traits to like.
The Texas A&M alum has good explosiveness when he accelerates off the snap, and his speed makes him a tough player for opponents to block. He has solid agility in the open field, allowing him to make tackles in space against the run or chase down scrambling quarterbacks. Madubuike is a powerful and determined defender who complements that speed with heavy hands and a lower body that packs plenty of strength. He is able to eat up gaps against the run, holding blocks and being able to free himself up to make the tackle.
Madubuike has shown some potential in his hand usage, and the flashes he has shown project him as a three-down lineman with value on passing downs. He blends violence and quickness well with his hands, varying his plan of attack depending on the situation. He has offered glimpses of stringing together moves and developing counter attacks, and he often wins the battle with his blocker when he does so. His production in his two years as a starter was also impressive, as he finished with 11 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss in that time frame.
Weaknesses
For Madubuike, it’s not about a lack of tools, it’s about putting them all together and being more consistent with them.
He can play with force in his frame, but the power of his punches at the initial point of contact can be hit or miss. His counter moves are displayed few and far between and should be utilized more often when he doesn’t immediately win at the point of attack. While his power shows up in spurts, his ability to deal with forceful jabs and mauling offensive linemen could be worked on a bit.
Madubuike also has occasional balance issues, as he tends to get knocked over when said forceful jabs are applied to him. He has obvious athletic gifts, but working on his body control and maintaining a low center of gravity could help him out. He also tends to lean over a bit too much when he gets engaged with a blocker.
Projection: Day 2
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