NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Leodis McKelvin, CB
by Paul Hopkins
28/2/2008
 
The small school of Troy is riding high in the NFL world at the moment. DeMarcus Ware is making a name for himself as one of the better defensive players in the National Football League and now, at Superbowl XLII two of its alumni found themselves winning the big one – namely stud defensive end Osi Umenyiora and kicker Lawrence Tynes.
 
But the university is about to become known for a further player in the NFL – Leodis McKelvin.
 
Despite starring at high-school, McKelvin missed out on a scholarship to a top programme due to questions over academic issues. But despite this set-back, team-mates and coaches openly talk about how determined he is to achieve. The talent was always there, it was just a case of application.
 
It was only during his junior and senior seasons that McKelvin began to really emerge as a top-level pro prospect at the cover corner position, and currently is riding high in mock drafts, including being predicted to go as high as number 7 overall to the New England Patriots ( Diner Mock Draft 24th Feb )
 
He played in 48 games for the Trojans, making 173 tackles, with 4 interceptions. But this is only half of the story. McKelvin is a dual threat, as seen by his return statistics during his college career. An average of 13.1 yards per punt return with 7 touchdowns, and 23.7 yards per kick return, with 1 touchdown indicates a player with the potential to bring this to the NFL.
 
What we like about McKelvin
 
At 5.11 and 187 pounds McKelvin has the size to play CB in the NFL. A natural athlete, he is drawn towards the ball and has the opportunity to make something happen every time he gets the opportunity – be that on defence or special teams.
 
He has blistering speed, and a strong initial burst which will obviously benefit him greatly in the pro game. Initially, with flaws in his coverage skills, this speed will help him make up for the weaknesses in his game. However, these weaknesses appear few and far between.
 
He is a good tackler with good feet movement and good hands. Unsurprisingly these last two facets make him of great benefit in the return game. On returns he has good vision to see down the field and break from his lane at the right time.
 
Question marks over McKelvin
 
The first and perhaps most obvious question mark against McKelvin is the level of competition he competed with. Troy does not regularly match up against the powerhouses of big-time college football, and this could affect McKelvin's stock as scouts worry about over-rating his ability.
 
Academic problems prevented McKelvin getting into a bigger programme out of high-school, so NFL teams will want to make sure that McKelvin possesses the necessary smarts to be able to adapt to life in the NFL. Because, despite his obvious play-making ability, athleticism and instinct for the game, there is a tendency for him to become overly aggressive and lose focus and control at times. Consequently, questions may need to be asked over his ability in zone coverage. If he develops this ability, he has all the tools to go to the very top.
 
Highlight of his college career
 
McKelvin is a three-time All-Sun Belt player (2005-2007) and in 2007, was a third team Associated Press All American. He was a part of Troy's first ever Bowl win in 2006 at the New Orleans Bowl, where they beat Rice 41-17.
 
Other snippets of info

• McKelvin's major at Troy was Sports & fitness management.

• Of current players in the NFL, McKelvin resembles Antonio Cromartie of the San Diego Chargers and RW McQuarters of the New York Giants.

• NFL Teams McKelvin would be a good fit for include New England, Tampa Bay and Dallas.