Versatility is key in today’s NFL, especially in the defensive backfield. If your favorite team is looking for a prospect with the skill set and experience to play any spot in the secondary, Michigan’s Josh Metellus is the man for the job.
A do-it-all defender who put up big numbers last season, Metellus recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his impressive senior campaign, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and why a team should take a chance on him in this year’s draft.
JM: You had a great senior season. You posted 74 tackles, 5 pass break-ups and 2 interceptions. What is it about your game that lead to that production?
Josh M: I feel like my versatility lead to that production. I moved around a lot this year and played in so many different spots. I played all over the defensive backfield. Whatever my coaches asked me to do, I was able to do it at a high level. They asked me to play multiple spots and the production remained consistent. My play remained consistent. I feel like that really lead to my production as a senior.
JM: You had a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. You ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, you had a 36.5-inch vertical and ran a 6.94 in the 3-cone. What was your experience like out there?
Josh M: It was a dream come true just to be there. Growing up, I always thought about going to the combine. I was in Indianapolis living out one of my dreams. I just soaked it all up. I enjoyed every second of the experience.
JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal interviews there?
Josh M: I had a lot of informals. They kept me pretty busy out there. I thought all of my interviews went well.
JM: Your private visit and workout schedule was obviously impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Were you able to get any of those meetings in before the shut down?
Josh M: Unfortunately not. Everything I had scheduled was set to take place around the beginning of April. Obviously, the situation has progressed, and we’re not able to get any of those meetings in.
JM: Which teams were you scheduled to meet with?
Josh M: I had a few workouts scheduled with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals. Both of them were planning on coming down here to Ann Arbor to work me out.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
Josh M: I wouldn’t say that I had anything too weird. I had a lot of questions that didn’t relate to football at all. I’m talking about questions that were more personal in nature. That could be classified as a little strange, maybe, but I wouldn’t say that there was anything that really caught me off guard.
JM: Do you have an example?
Josh M: I had some questions about my family. One coach asked me all these questions about my little brothers and sisters. How old are they? What do they do for work? What are they in school for? It felt like he wanted to know everything. Another coach asked me if I was a mama’s boy, and I said yes (laughs). He asked me for my cell phone and he called my mom right there on the spot. He spoke to my mom while I was sitting there. It was more lighthearted, though.
JM: That’s pretty funny. What was it like playing for Jim Harbaugh?
Josh M: He’s a great coach. He loves football and he’s looking for players that love football. He’s so passionate about the game. We really fed off of that. His energy and passion is contagious. His attitude towards the game, we had no choice but to love the game as well. We were on the same page.
JM: You had so many great teammates throughout your time at Michigan, but if you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would it be and why?
Josh M: I would bring my cornerback, Lavert Hill, with me. We’ve played a lot of football together. We played on the same side for the majority of our time at Michigan. I just feel like we connected in a different way.
JM: Playing at Michigan also afforded you the opportunity to play against some of the best competition college football has to offer. Who are some of the best players you’ve played against?
Josh M: Jonathan Taylor from Wisconsin is a great running back. We played against him this past season. Jerry Jeudy is a special wide receiver. K.J. Hamler is a great player. I enjoyed playing against him. Those are the guys that really stood out to me this past season.
JM: Why should an NFL team use one of their draft picks on Josh Metellus?
Josh M: I feel like they’re getting the full package in me. They’re getting a versatile play-maker first and foremost. They’re getting somebody that they don’t have to worry about off the field. I’m a high-character guy. They know I’m gonna come into the building and give it 110%. I put my best foot forward in everything that I do. I feel like that really separates me from a lot of these other guys in this draft class.
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