27. Justin Madubuike, DL, Texas A&M
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 326
40-Yard Dash: 5.16 seconds
Bench Press: 28 reps
Vertical Jump: 27 inches
Broad Jump: 9 feet
3-Cone Drill: 8.22 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.79 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Justin Madubuike was another top-flight recruit coming out of high school, ranked as a four-star player as a defensive lineman for McKinney North High School in Texas. With offers in hand from Alabama, Auburn and Baylor, among others, he chose to play for the Aggies at Texas A&M. Madubuike was a multi-sport athlete at McKinney North, starring as a defensive lineman (16.5 sacks as a senior) but also contributing on the hardwood and in track-and-field.
He took to the field as a redshirt freshman in 2017, and increased his role for the 2018 campaign. That redshirt sophomore season was probably his best statistically, as he notched eight sacks and 11 quarterback hits. His numbers dropped a bit last season, but he also played fewer snaps and had more tackles in the run game than he did in 2018.
Stat to Know: Madubuike had seven pressure in his game against Mississippi, which highlights his ability to take a game over when he gets going.
Strengths: Turn on his game against Clemson and you will see him making an impact very early. On the first play from scrimmage Madubuike uses a push-pull into a rip combination move to pressure Trevor Lawrence and flush the Clemson passer from the pocket. (Of course, Lawrence still manages to complete the throw, as he is wont to do). Madubuike can be a force as a pass rusher, with good burst and a nearly-full compliment of pass rushing moves. His ability to string pass rushing moves together is perhaps the best in this class, as he demonstrates here from that outing against Ole Miss:
Madubuike uses a two-armed hand swipe to beat the center’s initial punch, then immediately transitions to a rip move to knife past the attempted counter from the blocker. From there he bursts into the chest of the quarterback, preventing him from stepping into this throw and perhaps completing a long TD throw. Texas A&M often used him as the sole down lineman in their “Radar” alignment, with every other defender in a two-point stance flowing freely until just before the snap. Think of how the New England Patriots employed Trey Flowers at times during the 2018 campaign.
Against the run he shows violent power at the point of attack, with the ability to long-arm trap blockers and fight the half man, enabling him to make some plays behind the line of scrimmage. He has powerful hands at the strike point against singles or doubles, and is able to maintain his balance when knocked from the side, allowing him to stay effective in a variety of scenarios.
Weaknesses: While his hands are powerful, he could be quicker to engage them after the snap. At times whether against the pass or the run the offensive lineman “fires first,” giving them the advantage at the outset. He is an average athlete for the position, good enough to be effective against a variety of designs but he will not blow you away with how he can contribute sideline-to-sideline. There are also moments where he seems to disappear on film, and might lack the effort and motor that both Javon Kinlaw and Derrick Brown showed during 2019.
Conclusion: Even with some of those weaknesses and inconsistent moments, he provides his NFL team with an array of moves and game-changing ability on the inside. On nights like the one he had against Ole Miss, you’re watching a pure force on the defensive of the football. Maybe you will not get that for each game of a 16-game slate, but you’ll take it every chance you get.
Comparison: Over at NFL.com Lance Zierlein equated Madubuike to Davon Godchaux, and it is hard to find a better comparison for the Oklahoma defender.