CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
JUSTIN MADUBUIKE
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-3
293 pounds
22 years old
BIG PICTURE
Justin Madubuike is another talented 3-technique out of the Big 12 that chose Texas A&M after being a three-sport athlete and four-star football recruit. After redshirting as a freshman, Madubuike contributed the next three years and put forth two consistent seasons to end his run with the Aggies. Makes his mark as a run defender but can get after the passer as well with 5.5 sacks each of his last two years.
COMBINE NOTABLES
4.83 40-yard dash
31 bench reps (4th)
7.37 3-cone drill
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
3.5 out of 5. Of the second-tier of defensive tackles, it feels like the Vikings might be hoping for one of them to fall into their laps in the third round. Will it be Madubuike?
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Undersized early-entry defensive tackle who lacks NFL mass but gets wins with leverage, strength and quickness. Madubuike played in front of blockers in college but is more likely to be schemed as a moving target whose quickness and athletic ability can benefit him. He’s not overly explosive off the snap, so getting on top of blockers with quickness could be the difference between surviving and thriving. Madubuike projects as a rotational one-gapping tackle with upward mobility, but the floor is a little lower, due to size and scheme limitations.”
Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network: “Justin Madubuike projects favorably into numerous defensive fronts. Implemented as a 0-tech NT in rush situations, 3T and also as a base end, there’s versatility here that makes Madubuike an appealing player in a number of different fronts. His explosiveness is best implemented in a penetration role and he shouldn’t be bothered with trying to stack or two-gap blocks for his best results. There’s some polish needed for consistency’s sake but this is a future NFL starter up front.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
80+ run defense grades in all three seasons
Top 10 pass-rushing grade since 2018
14.6% pass-rush win rate (9th)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
