Raekwon McMillan Declares for 2017 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan announced Wednesday he'll skip his senior season with the Buckeyes to enter the 2017 NFL draft.

Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee passed along word of the decision. McMillan posted an explanation on Twitter:

The 20-year-old Georgia native is an eraser at linebacker. He racked up 119 total tackles during his breakout sophomore campaign at Ohio State and reinforced that by tallying 102 total tackles as the Buckeyes advanced to the College Football Playoff this season.

Although Clemson clobbered OSU in the Fiesta Bowl national semifinal on New Year's Eve, McMillan shined. He had 15 total tackles and a sack as one of the few bright spots in his team's season-ending loss (warning: Video contains NSFW language).

Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch passed along comments from Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer in November about the middle linebacker's wide-ranging impact.

"I just know he grades (out as a) champion most of the time," Meyer said. "He's a tough guy. He makes a lot of plays for us, and I love him to death, and he's a great representative of everything we do."

Jeremy Birmingham of Landof10.com discussed his experiences with McMillan:

His decision to make the jump shouldn't come as a shock to anybody in Columbus. He didn't have anything left to prove in the college game and should be a first-round pick.

McMillan will fit in differently with various NFL franchises, depending on the scheme. He can play inside linebacker, where he'd join the conversation with Alabama's Reuben Foster and Vanderbilt's Zach Cunningham as the top prospect at the position.

Meanwhile, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projects him as a strong-side option and rates him as the best player available to fill that role in the 2017 class. Miller also rated him as the No. 4 overall linebacker in his December 7 ranking.

McMillan shouldn't have much trouble making the transition, regardless of whether he ends up on the inside or outside. He's showcased playmaking ability from sideline to sideline and will provide an immediate upgrade to a team's run defense.

The Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins are all possible landing spots as squads that need linebacker help and have picks in the middle of Round 1.