Rolando McClain Has "It"

It.

“It” is something that is hard to measure in a player. “It” can’t be tested for or improved upon by practice or training; a player simply has “it” or they don’t

“It” is a special quality that only the truly great and elite players in the game possess. “It” is what separates them from the rest.

Rolando McClain, the Middle Linebacker coming out of Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide program, has “it.”

He has the combination of everything it takes to be the next great linebacker in the National Football League. He has the special quality and skill set that makes him stand out and separate himself from the rest of the crowd.

The top young linebackers in the game all have “it.”

Patrick Willis, Curtis Lofton, James Laurinitis, Jon Beason, David Harris, Brian Cushing, Justin Durant; they’ve all got “it.”

Rolando McClain looks to join that list soon enough.

When you go through the checklist of everything it takes to be a dominant linebacker, Rolando seemingly has it all.

Tackling, instincts, diagnosis skills, mentality, leadership, size; McClain passes the test with flying colors.

He is simply a rare breed.

There are some people in this world that you just look at and say "now that is a linebacker." Rolando McClain is one of those people.

His measurables: 6’3", 235 pounds with a 4.75 40 yard dash, 31 inch vertical, and nine foot broad jump would be pretty impressive for a Middle Linebacker at the Scouting Combine.

However, those were Rolando’s numbers as a high school player. That’s pretty impressive. That’s the evident level of physical maturity he has always maintained over everyone around him.

He has only continued to grow, get better, and refine his game at the collegiate level.

He has been tutored by Nick Saban and one of the top defensive coaching staffs in the nation while at Alabama. Day in and day out he has gone against some of the best competition and talent during practices. This has only served to make him an even more complete player.

When looking for flaws in his game there aren’t too many.

Does he run himself out of plays a little more then you’d like? Yes. He can be overzealous at times. He misdiagnoses reads and it sometimes takes him out of position to make the tackle. It’s a rarity more then a glaring trouble though. You can live with it.

Every player is going to make mistakes, especially when they are a junior in college. When you break down Rolando as a prospect you have to be nit picky to find his flaws.

All the weakness and kinks in his game can be coached up and dealt with; the strengths that he possesses are things that can’t be coached. That’s the sign of a truly great talent.

He should do fine in the pros going up against the more straight ahead running offenses rather than the more spread deception attacks of teams like Florida.

So the question is where will he end up come draft day?

Because the value of Middle Linebacker isn’t weighed the same as it would be for say a Quarterback or a blind side Offensive Tackle, you may see Rolando fall a few slots.

He may be a player like Patrick Willis, who you look at three years from now and ask “how did this guy fall out of Top 5?”

The most likely of suitors would be the Broncos at eleven and the Giants at fifteen.

Both teams and the defensive systems they run would provide McClain with the opportunity to flourish from the get go. He can come in and be a defensive leader from day one.

A minor concern I have with young men like Rolando coming from the rural south is his ability to adjust.

Rolando has spent relatively his whole life in Alabama. Adjusting to the big city lifestyle and the media scrutiny that comes along with it can be a change and a process for some young players.

That is absolutely no reason to downgrade him though; it’s just a small concern to be aware of and to monitor.

As you can tell from his interviews, Rolando is a very shy and humble young man.

Playing in the SEC and at a name program like Alabama has gotten him somewhat accustomed to dealing with the pressures of fans and the media. As long as he has a strong support system around him he should be fine.

Another small factor to consider would be Rolando’s recent admission that he is battling with the intestinal disorder, Chron’s disease. With treatment though, he should be able to keep the disease in check and it shouldn’t be a problem.

In the end it will probably just serve as something else to overcome and triumph over in Rolando’s young life. It is things like Chron’s disease that are the tough challenges in his life, it’s not playing football.

Football comes natural to him.

As McClain has said himself, “linebacking is easy. Hike the ball and I know where to go.”

If he keeps going on the pace he’s at, Rolando should go very far in the NFL and accomplish some great things.