Mizzou’s Isaiah McGuire selected in 2023 NFL Draft. Here’s what to like about his fit
.jpg "Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Isaiah McGuire (9) celebrates after a sack against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2022.")
Missouri football’s Isaiah McGuire was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. McGuire was drafted 126th overall.
The defensive end became the eighth Tiger to be drafted into the NFL since Eli Drinkwitz took over as Missouri’s head coach before the 2020 season.
McGuire started his MU tenure in 2019 under former head coach Barry Odom, after coming to Columbia from Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
McGuire finished his Tiger career with 16.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 116 total tackles.
How McGuire can help Cleveland Browns
McGuire’s effort level and sense of urgency are outstanding. He’s known as a wonderful teammate and was voted a captain by Missouri players his final season.
He’s also shown clear improvement over his three seasons in Columbia and doesn’t appear to have hit his ceiling. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 274 pounds, McGuire has the needed physical tools for the league, especially given his 40-yard-dash time of 4.76 seconds at the combine.
McGuire has shown a solid understanding of rush angles and has been a force against the run, racking up 31 tackles for loss throughout his career. He can set the edge as well as anyone in college football, and he disrupts plays using his rip move and with active hands.
Any concern with draft fit?
Given his body type, McGuire makes sense as both a defensive end and an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. However, He hasn’t had the reps at linebacker to show NFL teams he is ready to make an impact at that position.
He went through coverage drills at his pro day in an attempt to show scouts he had the fluidity needed to play linebacker if needed.
“I felt a little bit more fluid in those today than I did in Indianapolis,” McGuire said. “We kind of did a little bit (of coverage) last year with coach (Blake) Baker.”
Final thoughts
We haven’t seen McGuire’s final form yet. He has room for improvement and could grow into a solid NFL contributor at defensive end or outside linebacker.
The Star has partnered with the Columbia Daily Tribune for coverage of Missouri Tigers athletics.