McCargo overshadowed by NC State teammates

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"He isn't the most heralded defensive line prospect at North Carolina State, but tackle John McCargo, often overshadowed by the Wolfpack's heralded end tandem of Mario Williams and Manny Lawson, isn't quite an unknown, either, to NFL scouts. McCargo's ascent up draft boards continued this week with a strong performance at the school's pro day workouts, and his audition certainly enhanced the chances that North Carolina State will have three defensive linemen selected in the first round next month. Williams, of course, is a sure bet, an edge player and upfield rusher regarded by many scouts as the premier defensive player in the draft. Lawson is also a pass-rush threat, an outside defender with great explosiveness and closing speed who might best project to linebacker in a 3-4 front. But the hard-working McCargo, who has fully recovered from a stress fracture in his left foot that sidelined him for five games in 2005, is definitely on the rise. Several scouts now list him as the third-best prospect at tackle, behind only Haloti Ngata of Oregon and Florida State's Brodrick Bunkley. And unlike those two, McCargo is more a one-gap player, capable of compressing the pocket from the inside. My game has always been about quickness," McCargo said shortly after a pro day workout in which he clocked a 4.94 in the 40. "I really didn't start playing football until the ninth grade and didn't get serious about it until around my junior year [in high school]. But I was a good baseball player and a pretty good basketball player, and some of the traits from those sports, like hand-eye coordination, things like that, kind of carried over onto the football field and helped me a lot." Scouts agree that one of McCargo's strong suits is his effective use of his hands, often an oversight by young defenders. Watch him on tape, though, and McCargo's hand speed, and ability to get into a blocker's body, is nearly as impressive as his first step forward. That said, McCargo, an underclass prospect, still is very quick off the ball and keeps his feet moving nicely, even when engaged with an opponent. At a shade under 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds, McCargo isn't as bulky as some of the other tackle prospects in the 2006 draft class. But several franchises, particularly those seeking a one-gap tackle, have now moved him ahead of players such as Michigan's Gabe Watson, Miami's Orien Harris and Texas' Rodrique Wright. Two general managers asked this week about McCargo had him graded in the lower third of the first round, and acknowledged his stock is rising. "He's a little different than most of the other [tackles]," one general manager said. "Different in a good sort of way because, if you want the upfield guy and not just the run stuffer, there aren't many tackles like him in this year's draft." An Academic All-American, and an avid but late-blooming student of the game who is now trying to make up for lost time, McCargo understands that Williams and Lawson, flashier players who merit attention by putting the quarterback on the ground, are going to garner most of the headlines. But he understands, too, that there is a place in the NFL for a guy like himself, a hard-working tackle who has made himself into a player and who will soon reap the rewards. "It never bothered me that people talked so much about Mario and Manny because, I mean, those guys are incredible players," McCargo said. "Playing out on the edge, making big plays in space, you're naturally going to be drawn to those guys. But I was doing some good things, too, inside, and I think the scouts who have done thier homework understand that" "

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2382383

3/24/2006 4:37:42 PM

good read

gg McCargo

3/24/2006 4:41:19 PM

3 DL in the first round...

further proof that our defenses biggest weakness was the offense

3/24/2006 4:41:21 PM

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"An Academic All-American"

I highly doubt this

3/24/2006 4:43:08 PM

"Defense. We're all we got."

-Manny Lawson


[Edited on March 24, 2006 at 4:45 PM. Reason : .]

3/24/2006 4:44:29 PM

That is awesome for McCargo. It would great for our program to be able to say we had three DL chosen in the 1st round. Chuck could use that shit for recruiting instead of wearing clown shoes.

3/24/2006 5:23:02 PM

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"An Academic All-American"

i highly doubt this also. one time i traded papers in class with him to grade and his test was completly blank. he laughed and said i wouldnt have much to do.

3/24/2006 6:35:41 PM

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"Chuck could use that shit for recruiting instead of wearing clown shoes."

haha that or hell let it get to his head and rock a clown wig

3/24/2006 6:49:53 PM

Haha.

And the Stone Age continues.....

3/24/2006 7:01:13 PM

We are really going to suck next year

3/24/2006 7:48:11 PM

I am a big fan of Johnny Mac, he is an all-round good guy and a freaking monster in chess.

3/24/2006 10:52:21 PM

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"Quote : "An Academic All-American" I highly doubt this"

Well, McCargo was an Academic All-ACC selection in 2004 so its definitely possible he made the ALl American squad this past year.


I still can't believe that we are possibly going to have 3 DLinemen taken in the first round... just crazy. This has definitely got to draw some blue-chips for next year.

3/25/2006 12:47:10 AM

[Edited on March 25, 2006 at 2:00 AM. Reason : ]

3/25/2006 1:58:33 AM

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"We are really going to suck next year"

3/25/2006 11:16:36 AM

This is the ticket to blue chips. If chuck continually sends his defenses to the pros, expect that we can have a top-10 defensive squad year-in and year-out. If we build that monster defense that performs every year, all we need is that one year where we nab another unknown like Philip Rivers. With the 2004 defense and the 2002 offense, there's no stopping that team.

3/25/2006 12:28:25 PM

I think our offense is gonna be good as hell this year. We have a huge O Line and a handful of great running backs. Ball control and not many throws for Stone = less mistakes. Defense is the thing I am most worried about.

3/25/2006 2:07:56 PM

yeah but we lost Tramain Hall and Brian Clark, our best receivers.

3/25/2006 2:27:26 PM

seriously, what did T. Hall do this year? muff a few punts? man, i loved him and wanted to see him do great things, but he just flopped

3/25/2006 2:47:31 PM

http://sports-att.espn.go.com/nfl/index?&lpos=globalnav&lid=gn_NFL_NFL

He's on the front page for the NFL on espn right now. Somehow they screwed up and called him a DE though....

3/26/2006 11:03:29 PM

^^ HAHAHAHAHA, that statement is nuts. we had a team full of limp armed QBs and you wonder why the WRs dont preform.

3/27/2006 3:28:04 PM

^thats no excuse...not when your coach wears clown shoes

3/27/2006 4:33:56 PM