Gerald McRath SELECTED BY: Titans Round 4 (30)

SI Grade 3.65 GRADING SYSTEM

BIOGRAPHY: Three-year starter awarded varying degrees of all-Conference honors since his freshman campaign. Leading tackler on the Southern Miss defense the past three seasons, posting 137/9.5/1.5 as a junior after 139/11.5/4 the prior year when he was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. Posted 104 tackles as a freshman.

POSITIVES: Explosive one-gap linebacker best defending the run. Displays good instincts, quickly finds the ball carrier and scrapes well in the box. Fast to the sidelines, quickly changes direction and displays a burst of speed. Forceful up the field in run defense, breaks down well, and effectively uses his hands to protect himself. Smooth opening his hips to drop into coverage and gets depth in pass defense.

NEGATIVES: Undersized and driven from the action by fullbacks. Better making plays against the run and shows indecision in coverage.

ANALYSIS: McGrath is a hard-charging linebacker who throws his body around the field to make the tackle. He's been very productive in the Southern Miss system, yet he will need to be protected at the next level. He maybe best on the inside of a 3-4 alignment due to his limitations in pass coverage.

PROJECTION: Third Round