SI All-American Candidate Marcus Bradley Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Marcus Bradley
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 270 pounds
Position: Defensive Tackle
School: Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard
Committed to: Maryland
Projected Position: Defensive Tackle
Frame: Has some baby fat that can easily be trimmed, carved and chiseled while developing more mass. Good-looking torso with thick legs.
Athleticism: Displays very good snap quickness. Can jump on top of blockers and quickly reduce ground. Good gap penetration with body force and solid torso rotation. Has athleticism to step through and get hips cleared quickly at entry points at the line. Pursues ball-carriers hard and plays with great range versus range.
Instincts: Solid feel for playside pulls and backside traps and is quick to insert and attack. Does a solid job of working off secondary blockers after penetrating before pursuing. Good mesh-point vision versus run. Has quick hands and flashes some anchor ability. Is alert to get mitts up to disrupt passing lanes.
Polish: Has played inside and on the edges, as he’s lined up at 3, 4i and 5-technique in 3-man and 4-man fronts. Relies mostly on his snap quickness, though has a swipe, swim and speed-to-power in his pass-rush toolbox. Needs to improve the consistency of his initial vertical pass-rushing track. Must clean up his hand-usage and formulate a true pass-rush plan. Also needs to play with better consistent pad level, as he can be stood up inside versus power.
Bottom Line: Bradley has some positional versatility across the defensive front, as he can play end and tackle depending upon the alignment. His best asset is his initial quickness at the snap, which allows him to jump blockers and easily squeeze through gaps. Once he marries his quick hands with cleaner technique, he should become a good contributor to a college defense. Bradley fits best as a 3-technique defensive tackle in a defensive scheme with 1-gap concepts.