High School and College Career

Jordan McFadden, a 3-star recruit from Dorman High School, made the decision to join Clemson after completing high school. As a freshman in 2018, McFadden only saw action in 3 games and played a total of 17 snaps for the Tigers.

As a sophomore in 2019, McFadden played in 12 games and a total of 335 snaps. He played primarily at left tackle and conceded 4 quarterback hurries, one quarterback hit, and one sack. McFadden returned in 2020 as a junior and played in 12 games, totaling 744 snaps at right tackle. He let up 13 quarterback hurries and 3 sacks.

The following year, in 2021, McFadden played in all 13 games and for a total of 866 snaps. At left tackle this time, he let up 9 quarterback hurries and no sacks.

In his final year as a fifth-year senior in 2022, McFadden played in all 13 games and played a total of 886 snaps for the Tigers. He remained at left tackle and allowed 7 quarterback hurries and 4 sacks.

Jordan McFadden Scouting Report Introduction

Jordan McFadden is a football player who embodies a tone-setting style of play and demeanor that is appreciated by many. With a chippy attitude and powerful hands, he can jolt and displace defenders on runs. Additionally, his ability to climb and flow to the second level of the defense is a valuable asset that allows him to interrupt backside flow and successfully attack inside shaded linebackers in certain alignments. McFadden has proven himself to be one of the best linemen for the Clemson Tigers during the past few seasons, despite not having the longest reach compared to other players in his position. This is due to his consistent balance and controlled movements, which prevent him from lunging or overextending himself to make contact.

This player’s strengths include his tenacious run-blocking abilities and his skill in resetting the line of scrimmage during drive blocks and double teams. However, there are some concerns about his mobility and stature. At times, he appears to be more tightly wound rotationally through the trunk, which may affect his overall mobility. Additionally, given his stature, he may not be as enthusiastic about playing tackle, which limits his flexibility and the number of roles he can play. While he has demonstrated his hand power, anchor, and tenacity in handling bigger defenders, it remains to be seen if he can consistently execute such maneuvers over a long period of time.

Despite these concerns, McFadden does represent the profile of a starting-caliber player. Scouts will be watching carefully during his next few matches to see how he performs in different positions and alignments to determine his potential for the future.

Strengths

In particular, his foot speed and quickness are not quite elite, which raises concern regarding his ability to handle super-quick NFL edge rushers. Nonetheless, he compensates for this with other skills such as understanding angles, playing with good leverage, long arms, and heavy hands. He effectively utilizes these skills in pass protection, and his strong initial punch is enough to get an edge for quick sets.

McFadden’s versatility is worthy of praise, and he will have a chance to develop as either a right tackle or inside at guard. Given his skill set, McFadden could be an interesting prospect for a zone-blocking team. His strengths are further highlighted in his ability to make outstanding reach blocks, showing good initial quickness and flexibility to seal the backside.

Weaknesses

He struggles against bigger linemen, often slipping off blocks and ending up on the ground. This could be a result of poor positioning or not using his strength effectively. While he can move his man with his hands, he lacks consistency in this area.

Although he is considered a solid athlete, McFadden appears to be more comfortable as a run blocker than in pass protection. He tends to rely too heavily on his initial punch to stand up pass rushers instead of utilizing his footwork to maintain his position. Against quicker defenders, he gets caught reaching and lunging, leaving himself vulnerable to be beaten off the edge. This is likely due to overcompensating for his lack of footwork.

Jordan McFadden is the 180th prospect on our draft big board.