Warren McClendon NFL Draft Scouting Report

OT, Georgia Bulldogs

Warren McClendon was a highly regarded OT recruit coming out of high school. McClendon was a consensus four-star recruit and top-35 offensive tackle in the nation. He was named to all-state teams throughout his high school career and played basketball as well. McClendon has been a three-year starter for the Bulldogs’ offense, helping them reach and win consecutive National Championships in that span.

McClendon shows a hot and urgent motor in the run game. His upper-body strength shows up once he makes contact with defenders to generate a vertical or lateral push to create running alleys for his running backs. The short-area range to climb to the second-level and pick off backs is worth noting. McClendon can duo block well and remains attentive to his surroundings for any hot defenders entering the action late.

In pass protection, McClendon has the ability to meet rushers at the apex of their attack. He understands how to short/quick set versus long speed rushers and forcibly widen their rush path. McClendon derails their momentum or takes the air out of their rush with strong punches. Similar to a stun gun, when they land, defenders feel that immediate shock from the punch. His hands are constantly in motion during blocking exchanges. He will work to refit his hands if he begins to lose leverage or grip. I believe he is a smooth lateral mover out of his stance. The best way to describe him is a “calculated and conscious” mover in pass sets. He understands the risks of oversetting and the importance of protecting angles. 

McClendon has reps where he is too aggressive and it leads to poor technique/blocking mechanics. There were far too many two-handed-punch sets on tape. This led to being put in recovery mode to keep his quarterback clean. He will duck his head and lunge into run blocks to initiate or engage defenders. There is a saying, “you cannot hit, what you cannot see” and this reigns true for McClendon. This issue has resulted in missed/whiffed blocks and him ending up on the ground. His hand technique can benefit from slight improvements. He plays with a low hand carriage and this puts stress on his reactionary timing to get his hands up to engage. To make things more difficult, his punch timing is inconsistent, and can be late. You’d like him to be more consistent to ensure he protects his chest from body blows from defenders. The last issue that I noticed involved his feet. They tend to “die” or stop moving during some blocking exchanges. As a result, those uber-active rushers found success late in reps if the QB held the football.

In all, McClendon has an impressive build/skill set combination. A former SEC rival defensive coach spoke highly of him when we talked recently. I believe McClendon is a true right tackle but has slight experience at left tackle. I believe he is a scheme-versatile prospect. UGA ran both power/gap and zone runs, and McClendon did well with both. There is some refinement needed with his mechanics and blocking plans. I envision him as a potential day-one starter if a team needs him to be. If not, he’ll start by year two at the worst.

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Outstanding upper-body strength
• Short-area agility
• Competitiveness

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Inconsistent mechanics
• Balance
• Punch timing

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 4”

Weight: 306 lbs

Arm Length: 34 1/2”

Hand Size: 10”

Athletic Testing (TBD):

40-yard Dash: TBD

Vertical Jump: TBD

Broad Jump: TBD

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD 

Ideal Role: Starting right tackle 

Scheme Fit: Versatile offense, mixture of gap/zone runs, RPO, and spread concepts

TDN Consensus Grade: 79.00/100 (Third-Round Value)

• Parson Grade: 79.00/100

Written By: Damian Parson

Exposures: Oregon (2022), Missouri (2022), Tennessee (2022), Auburn (2022)

Warren McClendon NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.