Raekwon McMillan will carry his legacy of leadership to Dolphins

Raekwon McMillan stood out as a player and a leader on an Ohio State defense that was stacked with NFL talent. Now he’s moving to the pros after being drafted by the Miami Dolphins with the 54th overall pick.

McMillan was one of few true freshmen who earned considerable playing time under head coach Urban Meyer during the Buckeyes’ 2014 national championship run. His sophomore season was a breakout year, with a whopping 119 tackles, plus 1.5 sacks.

In his final season at Ohio State, McMillan led the team in tackles with 102, but that’s just a partial representation of what he meant to the Buckeyes defense. He was a captain and served as the quarterback of the defense, relaying play calls and assignments to his teammates on the field. That leadership could serve Miami well.

McMillan was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 2015, which is awarded to the best linebacker in college football. In his final college season, he was named a second team All-American and was first team All-Big Ten. He leaves Ohio State with 275 tackles, 10 pass breakups, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and a pick over his three-year career.

McMillan’s success in college can be attributed, in part, to his instincts. He plays fast, he’s physical, and he does a good job of reading plays as they unfold so that he’s right where he needs to be to make a stop or a play on the ball.

He’s a sure and consistent tackler, including a career-high 16 tackles against rival Michigan last year in Ohio State’s thrilling double-overtime win.

He’s solid against the run, but he’s also reliable in zone coverage. That in and of itself makes him appealing at the NFL level. The incorporation of running backs and tight ends in passing games forces defenses to rely more on linebackers for effective coverage, and that’s a selling point for McMillan.

McMillan was a leader at Ohio State, and that’s a trend he plans to continue as a pro, too.

“I’m a captain at Ohio State. Everything we did on defense came through me and I can do the same thing for their program,” McMillan said at the combine. “I’ll never give you a reason to let me go from their team and I’ll always be a leader, never a follower.”

He’s also a team player who’s willing to adapt to whatever his coach thinks is best for the team.

“Anywhere my coach can get me on the field, I’ll willing to do the job,” McMillan said. “I can’t even long-snap, but if you tell me to be the long-snapper I’ll learn in two days.”

“If a coach asks me to guard Julio Jones, I’ll do my best.”

Zone coverage is a strength for McMillan, but his man coverage skills need some work. His change of direction isn’t as quick or fluid as it could be, which puts him at a disadvantage against dynamic ball carriers.

His size, coupled with his challenges to get off blocks, could be a drawback if he’s playing middle linebacker at the next level. Some of his issues with disengaging are technique related, and they can be corrected with good coaching.

Yes, McMillan is named after a member of the legendary rap group Wu-Tang Clan. And he does like Raekwon’s music.

“Yeah, some of his old-school stuff is pretty cool,” McMillan said, via Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com. “My mom liked the name, the Wu-Tang clan and all of that. She liked the rap name, not his real name, but his rap name. So that’s what she named me.”

Raekwon the rapper is also known professionally as The Chef, Shallah Raekwon, and/or Lex Diamond, but his given name is Corey Woods. Raekwon McMillan has a better ring to it than Corey McMillan.

Linebacker was a huge need for the Dolphins, and they’ll hope McMillan can step in and contribute right away next to Kiko Alonso and Lawrence Timmons. McMillan falling to the 54th pick is a dream scenario for Miami.