Dexter McCluster: NFL Draft Profile

We will take a look at Ole Miss running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster as he enters the 2010 NFL Draft.  We will examine his strengths/weaknesses, college career and our expectations for his upcoming NFL career.

Strengths
•       Home run threat:  With McCluster’s speed and burst, he is always a threat to take it to the house
•       Versatility:  McCluster has the ability to be a running back, wildcat QB, wide receiver and kick/punt returner.
•       Blocking:  Despite his size (5-9, 170), is always willing to take on the bigger defensive lineman/linebacker for the benefit of the team

Weaknesses
•       Size:  At McCluster’s size, it will be hard to place him at a specific position in the league.  He will be a significant threat in the kick/punt returning game and great special teams’ play wins football games
•       Durability:  Injury concerns have dealt McCluster a bad card in the draft.  It doesn’t matter who it is, if an athlete has missed 12 games in four years at the college level, it will be difficult for a potential draftee coming into a pro game where the physicality is much more prevalent

(All statistical information obtained from ESPN.com & Wikipedia.com)

Dexter McCluster’s career as a true freshman started out well as he immediately displayed his versatility being a productive running back as well as an effective receiver.  His great speed and shifty motion created havoc amongst the defense especially when he was at the receiver position.  His freshman season came to a close after he suffered a serious shoulder injury, which caused him to miss the final seven games of the season.  He finished with 15 receptions for 232 yards, 68 rushing yards on eight carries and two touchdowns.

McCluster missed the first four games of his sophomore season as he re-injured the same shoulder in the preseason.  His sophomore season was made up of Mccluster catching the football as BenJarvus Green-Ellis took the majority of the carries.  McCluster finished with 27 receptions for 326 yards and two touchdowns.

McCluster’s junior year is where he went from good player to great.  He didn’t have huge individual receiving or running statistics, but his combined effort in all facets of the game officially put him on the map as one of the most electric players in the nation.  He made his name known in every game of the season collectively, including a game against Vanderbilt in which he tallied up 176 total yards (132 yards receiving).  He finished with 109 carries for 655 yards (6.9 YPC) and 44 receptions for 625 yards and seven touchdowns.

McCluster’s senior year is the season where he went from great to superstar.  He rushed for over 100 yards four times including a 282 yard effort (326 total) that sent the nation into all-out hysteria.  His season ended with 181 carries for 1,169 yards (6.4 YPC) and made 44 receptions for 520 yards and 11 total touchdowns.  He became the first player in SEC history to run for 1,000 yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season.

McCluster finished his college football career at Ole Miss with 3,685 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns.

McCluster is a difficult prospect for NFL teams.  He has all the athletic ability that any team is looking for, but his size and injury concerns are a huge detriment to his draft stock.  He is multi-faceted athlete with great upside.  He has incredible lateral agility to elude the defender at the line and his burst puts him into the secondary instantly.
 Mccluster struggles with technique as a receiver and it will be tough for him to hold up against the pounding in the NFL as a running back. 

The best placement for McCluster will be in the return game as either a kick or punt returner in the league.  He will be able to use his athletic prowess as well as his burst up the field to put his stamp on the NFL in the return game.

We love his game, but if he doesn’t succeed as a returner, he won’t succeed anywhere.  His skills are just too raw at the receiver position and he is much too small to play running back.  He looks to be a 3rd rounder as it’s doubtful that any team will take a chance on him despite the excellence he displayed in the last two years of his college football career.