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The Commanders signed 10 undrafted college free agents following the conclusion of April’s draft. Over the next few weeks, I’ll try to introduce them individually in a series of spotlight articles.
We’ll begin today with a 6’4”, 312 pound offensive right guard from NC State, Tim McKay.
Here’s a pre-draft assessment written by Ryan Fowler of the Draft Network:
As a run blocker, McKay fires off the snap well and has displayed sound usage of his hands. His upper half fires into contact, but his placement has room for improvement as his strike zone has room to move inward. McKay can often look to latch his hands on the outside of opponents’ shoulder pads rather than inside their chest plate. Good lower half to drive at contact, but his overall strength and displacement ability are lacking. Average athlete but has experience pulling from a variety of spots up front. Fun to watch on short down and distances where he plays with an extra chip on his shoulder to move the pile. Does a nice job of keeping blockers in front and will rarely dip his head to generate more force.
In pass pro, McKay showcases active feet but is a limited athlete at this point in his evaluation—a trait that will ultimately limit his potential role to guard moving to the next level. He’s best countering speed rushers, where McKay can shuffle and slide with varying body types that look to threaten either his inside or outside shoulder (Notre Dame). Reacts to power rushers well, and his anchor could be classified as above average due to his ability to maintain balance after contact. He’s not an overwhelmingly powerful lineman, but McKay utilizes his hands well in pass pro to present a good base for success.
Concerns remain about his ability against more athletic and nuanced defenders. McKay can quickly run into trouble against even the most adequate of opposing talent if he isn’t able to establish leverage early. McKay operates with mostly a solid base and has displayed good footwork, but he can be overzealous at times leading to undisciplined striking and inconsistent mechanics.
Overall, McKay’s versatility remains an intriguing trait, and he should be a player to keep an eye on in the latter portions of the draft for teams in need of positional flexibility along an offensive line.
Per an NC State website: Graduating with...
