Isaiah McGuire 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Three-star recruit from Oklahoma
• 2018 All-District selection by Tulsa World

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: 4-2-5
• 2022 projected role: Starting DE

Pros: Isaiah McGuire offers a blend of athleticism, flexibility, power, and urgency that makes him an attractive prospect. His play temperament and urgency off the ball immediately stand out when watching him rush. From there, his hands stay busy and he features a dynamic rip move that enables him to soften rush angles and he has the flexibility needed to flatten and corner edges. He brings unquestioned effort on every snap and I like his enthusiasm to rally to the football. McGuire understands rush angles and how to use his feet to complement his rush plan. I appreciate the year-over-year growth that McGuire has illustrated to this point in his career and he’s an ascending talent. As a run defender, McGuire has the functional strength needed to set the edge but I also like his ability to wreak havoc off the edge and disrupt. McGuire features good length and offers appeal as both a 3-4 outside linebacker and hand-in-the-dirt even front end. 

Cons: Isaiah McGuire broke out in 2021, so expanding his quality play over a larger sample size is important. I do believe there is room for him to get stronger which will make him even more effective at converting speed to power and threatening the width of the pocket. While it’s a minor gripe, he would benefit from playing with a bit more control so he can finish plays with more consistency—there were instances from my exposures where he had the opportunity to finish a play but wasn’t able to break down and put himself in a good position to complete the tackle. While he may have appeal as a 3-4 outside linebacker, he hasn’t been given much opportunity in that role so it’s more projection based.

Isaiah McGuire NFL Draft Scouting Report by Joe Marino