STRONG POINTS

McCargo is an explosive natural athlete with the quickness off the ball to shoot gaps and get backfield penetration consistently. Even when he does not make the tackle, he disrupts plays before they get started. He has the power to jolt the run-blocking offensive lineman upright, and can disengage and make the tackle on runs up the gut. When offenses try to reach block him on runs away, he consistently gets under the block, keeps the offensive lineman on his shoulder/back and chases down plays between the offensive tackles. His strength combines with his explosiveness for him to jolt the offensive lineman and drive him back into the quarterback's lap. He is very effective when he stunts along the defensive line and has a real closing burst to the quarterback and makes hard hits.

WEAKNESSES

Most importantly, McCargo will need to prove he is fully recovered from the leg injury and must prove that he can be a durable NFL defensive tackle. He loses his focus/concentration at times, and when he does, he pops straight upright at the snap, loses leverage and cannot get free from blocks to make plays. When he plays up high, he can be driven off the ball on runs at him. While he has the athleticism to move through traffic well, he does not protect his legs from low/cut blocks and ends up getting cut to the ground way too often for a good defensive tackle. He is a little bit too fleshy looking on film and is knock-kneed, which is cause for concern about long-term durability in a linemen (offensive or defensive).

POSITIONAL FACTORS

Grade Category Comments/Description 6.0 Read & React His instincts and foot quickness help him to consistently read and react quickly to the play. 6.5 Initial Quickness He bursts off the ball explosively on nearly every snap and gets on top of the OL before they get set. 6.0 Play Strength When he uses good technique and is aggressive with hands he is very strong, but struggles when he plays high. 6.0 Use of Hands Uses hands well to rush aggressively and to jolt run blockers, but struggles to deal with low/cut blocks. 6.0 Shed Blocker Usually he is very good at shedding and disengaging from blocks, but when he isn't aggressive he struggles. 6.5 Run at Him He consistently explodes off the ball and gets into gaps to make or disrupt plays in the backfield. 5.5 Pursuit/Range Moves well through traffic to chase down plays in pursuit between the offensive tackles, but struggles to deal with low blocks. 6.0 Tackling Not always pretty, but his athleticism and play strength enable him to consistently get his man down 6.0 Closing Burst He has a surprisingly explosive closing burst to finish plays and makes some violent hits and tackles. 6.0 Power Rush Consistently drives blocker into the backfield, but is not as consistent when he pops upright at the snap. 6.0 Speed Rush His explosiveness and quickness (hands and feet) help him shoot gaps and beat blockers easily. 6.0 Errors Does not really make any mental mistakes, but when he pops upright at the snap, he is a non-factor.

ATHLETIC ABILITY	Section Grade: 6.5
McCargo is a very good athlete which helped him consistently make an impact from his defensive tackle spot. He has very quick feet and they combine with his snap anticipation to help him consistently burst off the ball and get on top of the offensive lineman fast. He has the quickness to shoot gaps before the offensive line can get set and has the hand quickness to defeat the offensive lineman with very quick arm-over/swim moves. He has very good agility and balance, and when combined with his foot quickness, he can change directions quickly and bursts in the other direction. He accelerates to full speed quickly and has the playing speed and closing burst to chase down running backs in backside pursuit on runs between the tackles. He has the natural flexibility to play with leverage and a wide base, and when he does, he can play strong at the point of attack. Even though he gets cut to the ground often, he shows his natural athleticism when he pops up off the ground consistently fast and can get back into the play quickly.
Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5

COMPETITIVENESS	Section Grade: 6.5
McCargo has shown toughness both playing through pain to stay in the lineup and in his aggressive, attacking style of play. On the most important plays, he has shown a knack for really attacking the offensive line, gets backfield penetration and consistently makes/disrupts plays before they can get started. His overall production has been very good (in the games that were graded, he was involved in one play out of every 9.3 snaps), but his production is not as consistent as it can be. When he keeps his knees bent and uses hands aggressively, he consistently has shown the strength to play strong at the point of attack and can defeat one-on-one blocks consistently. He tends to be much less productive when he gets upright at the snap and ends up often being a non-factor too often. He is definitely a competitive team player who gives a very good effort on every snap -- even when he does not attack the offensive line or play aggressively, he does still compete very hard to make plays. Even on plays that he are away and he has no chance of making, he chases after the ball and never quits.
Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit 6.0 7.0 6.5 6.0 6.5 6.0

MENTAL ALERTNESS	Section Grade: 6.0
McCargo is clearly a smart football player and it shows in his hand-use to beat blockers, ability to get arm extension when he bull rushes and to bend knees and play with leverage vs. run blocks. He has very good instincts, which combine with his foot quickness and athleticism for him to consistently burst off the ball -- he's consistently the first defensive lineman moving at the snap. Once the play starts, his instincts help him to read and react quickly and chase the ball quickly. He generally does a good job of playing with good concentration, but at times he loses his focus and ends up popping upright, loses leverage and ends up being a non-factor too often.
Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration 6.0 6.5 6.0

STRENGTH/EXPLOSION	Section Grade: 5.5
McCargo has very good bulk and size for a defensive tackle, but at under 6-foot-2, he is a little shorter than ideal. While he is a tough and competitive player, he is coming out early for the draft after missing the last third of the 2005 season due to a foot injury, so he has yet to prove he can be a legitimately durable NFL defensive tackle. He is a naturally explosive defensive tackle that has consistently shown the ability to explode off the ball into the line of scrimmage and has an explosive closing burst to the ball carrier or quarterback to finish plays -- really shows an explosive closing burst to quarterback when he stunts within the offensive tackle. He has very good natural strength, and when he plays aggressively with leverage and uses hands well, he can jolt the offensive lineman and drive him backwards into the quarterback's lap, while also holding ground vs. run blocks to clog up the middle on inside runs.
Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength 5.5 4.0 6.0 6.0