2020 NFL Draft profile: Texas A&M DT Justin Madubuike

In a conference loaded with talent on both sides of the line, Texas A&M’s Justin Madubuike is one of its most underrated and a potential 2020 NFL Draft steal.

With less than a week until the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, the football world is making its final preparations to descend upon Indianapolis in order to place this year’s draft hopefuls even further under the microscope. Players will have plenty of weird questions to answer, potential wardrobe malfunctions, and maybe even a staring contest.

And as we await the results of this highly scientific process, we must rely solely on our eyes and tape study for evaluation.

As we continue to look closer at the 2020 crop of defensive line prospects, we turn our attention to an underrated standout from the SEC, Texas A&M’s Justin Madubuike.

Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M

Tale of the tape:

Ht: 6-foot-3
Wt: 305
Hand: TBD
Arm: TBD

Background

Madubuike enrolled at Texas A&M in the class of 2016 as a consensus four-star, in-state recruit. He chose the Aggies over numerous other offers, including Alabama, Baylor, Notre Dame and Texas. After redshirting his first year on campus, Madubuike became one of the Aggies’ most important members of their front seven over his final three collegiate seasons. He broke out in his r-Soph. and r-Jr. seasons, and finished his A&M career with 11 sacks, 24.0 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and an interception.

Strengths

Wearing number 52 may be more commonly reserved for linebackers but Madubuike could certainly pass for one at times with his unique quickness and explosiveness.

Not many 300-pounders can move like Madubuike, and it’s a big reason why he will be one of the most intriguing prospects to watch next week at the combine.

He continually makes a habit of firing out of his stance with good leverage and explosiveness. Pad level seems to be a problematic area for a lot of draft prospects, but Madubuike isn’t one of those players. He consistently sinks his hips and creates a low center of gravity, pushing linemen back even if he ultimately isn’t able to make the play.

Madubuike’s lateral agility and change-of-direction made him highly effective on stunts in the Aggies’ defense, something that should suit his abilities at the NFL level as well.

His hands are both active and powerful, occasionally wowing with plays like this against opposing offensive linemen.

Overall, Madubuike’s remarkable athleticism and quickness for his size should pose plenty of threats at the NFL level, particularly as a pass rusher. He’s an explosive tackler who never misses an opportunity to punish an opposing quarterback, and because of his agility and power is capable of lining up in multiple spots along an NFL defensive front.

Weaknesses

The biggest knock on Madubuike from a physical standpoint is a lack of length, which can show up when opposing linemen land their first strike.

While he offers a lot of promise as a pass rusher, he still has room to develop as a run defender. He can show the ability to stack-and-shed, but the aforementioned lack of length will always lend his talents to being more valuable strictly shooting gaps and going after the quarterback.

There’s a bit to be desired in terms of his motor on backside running plays, but it’s certainly not an issue when he’s tasked with rushing the passer. He’s plenty consistent enough in that area that it shouldn’t be an issue at the next level.

Evaluation

Madubuike is an exciting prospect with positional versatility that should suit him well in the NFL. He moves remarkably well for his size, with great power, and should be a standout tester next week in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. His lack of length may limit his role as a two-gap player and run defender in the NFL, but his explosive traits as a pass rusher are too enticing to ignore.

After Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw come off the board, don’t be surprised if Madubuike is the next interior defensive player off the board in a loaded class. Look for teams like the Seahawks, Packers, Colts and Panthers to all be potential fits for the former Aggie.

Draft Diagnosis: Late first round-early second, picks 25-40.