STRENGTHS
MJ is a physical head up, wrap up, squeeze and drive, tackling play maker. He is quick and has excellent size to play anyone of the defensive back positions in any style of defense. When playing defense in the slot he will make tackles behind the line of scrimmage and will pressure and sack quarterback. He has a high football IQ and can play zone coverage as a safety or on the outside as a corner. MJ plays bigger than his size and can play and impact on special teams on cover units and return units. He has good enough hands to make the interception. He is a true playmaker, making plays anyway he can through tackling, pressuring quarterbacks and covering receivers. MJ is very underrated and a sleeper defensive player in this draft.

CONCERNS
MJ has had some off-field issues that most likely will affect his draft status. He was suspended more than once by his team for a total of three games in all. He also does have trouble tracking the ball for interceptions when in single coverage. That being said, he has no problem tracking the ball and making interceptions in zone coverage with the play in front of him. MJ is physical and will put his hands all over receivers and this could lead to penalties.

BOTTOM LINE
Here we go again. A talented player who if he was clean would be a 1st round pick but, he’s not clean. MJ has 1st round top fifteen talent. I don’t know why he got in a fight in a frat house at 3 am in the morning and I don’t know why he was suspended for one game earlier in his college career. Those are questions for teams to answer for themselves. All I can tell you is what I see on film and what I see is a kid who makes plays at any position you play him at and has top fifteen talent but because of his off -field issues I had to downgrade him. I mean think about it, the kid got suspended more than once. Really, 3 am in the morning at a frat house? You don’t think that’s trouble waiting to happen? Maybe this kid has learned his lesson…maybe. I mean, if we downgraded kids too much for drinking and fighting and getting arrested I don’t think we would have much of a draft, now would we? I think we have to use the downgrading more for the woman beaters, hard drug uses, caring illegal guns…more than drinking and fighting. I mean really, you have to draw the line someplace. MJ is top fifteen talents, and right now he’s being listed on Rob’s board in the second or third round so, maybe there is more to this kid’s story. For the purposes of this draft, on my board I’m looking at him as a potential late 1st rounder with top fifteen talents that struggles to control his off field actions. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I don’t see what I see, and just maybe this kid is a big mess of the field. I guess we all shall see.

Drew Boylhart   APR.2018