From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Missouri DL Chris McClellan.
#7 CHRIS MCCLELLAN/ DL MISSOURI (SENIOR) – 6033, 315 pounds
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Chris McClellan 6033/315 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
The Good
— Good size and very good length
— Positional flexibility aligning from 0-tech to 4i
— Good placement of hands and solid push as a power rusher
— Varies his pass rush plan
— Gets hands up in passing lanes
— Success playing two-gap as a run defender
— Solid mental processing to read blocks
— Solid anchor vs double team when the pad level is good
— Good motor to chase across and down the field
The Bad
— Snap quickness is marginal
— Short choppy steps limit his up-field burst
— His pad level is inconsistent, often popping up and opening his chest to defenders
— Hand usage while rushing the passer is ineffective
— Rarely counters when his first move isn’t successful
— Ineffective as the looper or penetrator on stunts
— Slow to recognize screens and misdirection
— Gets washed on lateral blocks
— Not a fit for one-gap defense
Stats
— 51 games/23 starts
— Career: 133 tackles, 39 solo, 17 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 4 PBU, 1 FR, 1 FF
— 2025: 48 tackles, 15 solo, 8 TFL, 6 sacks, 2 PBU
— 2025: Second team All-SEC by AP
— Two-year starter
— 2022-2023 Played at Florida
— 2024: Registered 1+ tackle in all 13 games over 504 snaps (9 starts)
— Embraced a leadership role after transferring to help build culture
— Senior Bowl Invitee
Injury History
— 2023: Unspecified lower-body injury to start the season
Background
— Birthday: October 17, 2003 (22)
— Four-year letterman in high school (3 at Edison, 1 at Owasso)
— Consensus four-star prospect by Rivals.com, ESPN.com, and 247Sports.com
— Listed as the No. 2 prospect from the state of Oklahoma by Rivals.com
— Helped Owasso to an 8-3 ledger during senior season, including an OSSAA 6A-I state playoff appearance
— Selected to the 2022 All-American Bowl Game.
— Also led Edison to 19 victories with three consecutive state playoff appearances
— Signed with Florida over Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC, among others
— Majoring in general studies
Tape Breakdown
Chris McClellan split his collegiate career between the Universities of Florida and Missouri. He is of good size and weight with very good length and hand size. He primarily aligned as a 1- or 3-tech but spent time from the 0-tech out to the 4i.
As a pass rusher, he will attempt several moves, including stab, bull rush, rip, swim, and cross-chop. As a power rusher, he has good hand placement and uses his length well. When he plays with good pad level, he gets a solid push into the pocket. When attempting other pass rushes, he showed some potential with the cross-chop and swim move. He will get his hands up into passing lanes when the quarterback is ready to release the ball.
A sample of his power rushes.
He didn’t win often with speed rushes, but this one worked for the sack.
Against the run, he was at his best when playing as a two-gap defender. His block awareness is solid, reading and reacting to line movement. Facing one-on-one blocks, he uses good pad level, hand placement, and extension to hold up the blocker and shed to make plays in his gaps.
Against heads-up double-team blocks, he has a solid anchor when using good pad level and shows good effort to disengage to make plays.
He has a very good motor and will chase outside and downfield with good footspeed. As a tackler, he is good overall, using his length and hand strength to grab runners in his orbit.
He doesn’t make the play here, but I wanted to highlight his motor to chase the ball.
From all stances, his snap quickness is adequate, generally late off the ball. When rushing the passer, his steps are short and choppy, lacking drive. This minimizes his upfield burst. His pad level is inconsistent, often popping up and allowing blockers to get their hands into his chest.
His use of hands is marginal, lacking consistent success. He displays marginal power on clubs and chops. On twists, he is slow coming off the hip as a looper and doesn’t commit to the role of a penetrator. He doesn’t counter when his initial pass rush stalls. His recognition of screens is marginal, and he is late to react to them.
He allows hands to his chest, and it curtails his pass rush.
When faced with lateral blocks (down/doubles from the outside), he is mediocre at sinking his hips to avoid getting washed down the line. His upfield quickness is adequate overall, only showing occasional flashes to get into gaps. His change of direction is adequate overall.
Conclusion
Overall, McClellan is a player with good size and very good length with experience playing from the 0-tech to the 4i alignment. He is solid as a power rusher and shows some potential with swim and double-chop moves. As a run defender, he is good in one-on-one situations and can use a stack-and-shed to make plays. He has a high motor and chases the balls well.
Areas to improve include being quicker at the snap, more consistent with his pad level, improving his hand usage as a pass rusher, and being more explosive upfield. Consistency versus double teams and lateral blocks will help him as a run defender.
McClellan has the desirable size and length to play anywhere from the 0-tech to the 5-tech. There is potential in his game, and the versatility is very helpful. He has the flexibility to play in an odd or even front as a rotational defender and would best fit in a two-gap scheme.
For a player comp, I’ll go with Phidarian Mathis. Coming out, he was a versatile two-gapping defender who was a solid power rusher. He also needed to improve snap quickness and handling of lateral blocks.
NFL Projection: Early to Mid-Day ThreeSteelers Depot Grade: 7.4 (Spot Starter)Grade Range: 6.9 – 7.8Games Watched: 2025 – vs. Kansas, vs. Alabama, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Mississippi State, at Oklahoma
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