Takkarist McKinley overcame long odds to be Falcons’ first-round pick

Takkarist McKinley didn’t let a shoulder injury keep him from wowing scouts at UCLA’s pro day. That’s because powering through adversity has been one of the defining characteristics of his life.

McKinley overcame an impoverished childhood and family issues to develop into one of the 2017 NFL Draft’s most impressive pass rushers. As a child, he was smuggled away from a man in Mississippi who was convinced he was his biological father. The high school he attended was known for its violence — so much so gunshots weren’t an uncommon occurrence during track meets. He was raised by his grandmother and cousins, and had to work his way up through junior college to become academically eligible to play in the FBS.

Even after all that, McKinley never let his situation deter him from his goal — a promise he’d made to his dying mother that he’d play Division I football and everything that came after.

On Thursday night, his hard work paid off. The Falcons traded up from 31 to add him to their roster with the 26th pick of the draft. His breakout 2016 season, bolstered by a series of solid offseason workouts, has set expectations high for an extraordinary young man.

McKinley is one of the draft’s fastest pass rushers, a 4-3 defensive end who has the talent to transition to 3-4 linebacker with little concern. His straight-line speed alone is enough to make him a threat on the edge, where he leans into offensive tackles to turn the corner and disrupt quarterbacks. His quick-twitch muscles give him the speed to blast through blockers with his first step and close quickly on scrambling quarterbacks when they break outside the pocket.

McKinley can make an impact from either side of the defensive set, where he uses a strong upper body to blast blockers’ hands away. He fights off linemen well and continually churns toward the ball, even if that gets unorthodox at times.

McKinley’s background has given him a tremendous work ethic. Couple that with his physical gifts, and you’ve got a special player. The former Bruin is a bit undersized as a defensive end at 6’2 and 250 pounds, but moves like a freight train. His 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the Combine ranked third in his group (which is really second, as Haason Reddick is more linebacker than lineman). His long arms, low center of gravity, and ability to stop and start in a split second make him a valuable and malleable presence for the Falcons.

McKinley has some injury concerns after requiring surgery to repair a torn labrum; he’s expected to be out of action through mid-July, which could keep him out of rookie mini-camps this summer. While he’s good for some explosive plays, he lacks the conditioning to keep that pace through four straight quarters, leading to some uneven production.

He’s a sloppy player who needs to refine his game now that he’ll be facing a higher caliber of linemen in the NFL. His speed rush is powerful enough to be successful in spurts, but a stronger punch or a more-developed spin move would do wonders for his all-around quarterback attack. If he’s headed to a primary role at linebacker, he’s going to need to become a viable threat in coverage, which will take some work.

McKinley is a flexible player who could play either defensive end or linebacker at the next level, though the current makeup of Atlanta’s roster and Dan Quinn’s scheme suggests he may get an opportunity to do both. Quinn values versatility and speed, and McKinley has both.