http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/mcdonald_brandon
OVERVIEW
A cousin of Philadelphia Eagles running back Correll Buckhalter and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair, McDonald made a name for himself as a playmaker in the Tigers' secondary the past two years. With just three years of collegiate experience on defense, this former wide receiver has made a smooth transition to the other side of the ball.
McDonald led Collins High School to back-to-back state championships in 2001 and 2002 and was selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game as a senior. During his prep career, he earned all-state, all-region and all-area honors. He also lettered in basketball and baseball.
He enrolled at Jones County Community College in 2003, spending that season competing as a wide receiver. He shifted to cornerback in 2004, coming up with 25 tackles and a team-leading eight pass interceptions. He also led the team in punt returns and received MACJC Player of the Week honors when he returned six punts for 132 yards against East Central Community College. He also had three interceptions in the bowl game against Blinn College, as he helped his team to an 8-3 record. He was named all-state and all-region first team, adding All-American honorable mention in 2004.
Two knee injuries sidelined McDonald before his first season at Memphis in 2005 as he underwent an arthroscopic procedure over the summer to repair a lateral meniscus tear. He went on to start 11 of 12 games at right cornerback as a junior, posting 49 tackles (34 solos) with 3½ stops for losses. He deflected 11 passes and picked off three others. He blocked one kick and gained 153 yards on 32 punt returns (4.8 average).
In 2006, McDonald earned team Defensive MVP and second-team All-Conference USA honors. He started four games at left cornerback and eight others at free safety, leading the team with 84 tackles (45 solos), including two stops behind the line of scrimmage. He blocked one kick and caused a fumble while also batting away four passes. He returned four interceptions for 83 yards and 14 punts for 152 yards (10.9 avg.).
In 24 games at Memphis, McDonald started 23 contests. He produced 133 tackles (79 solos) with 5½ stops for losses of 13 yards and a forced fumble. He deflected 15 passes and intercepted seven others for 158 yards in returns (22.6 avg.). He blocked a pair of kicks and gained 305 yards on 46 punt returns (6.6 avg.).
ANALYSIS
Positives: Has a slender frame, but it shows lean muscle development with adequate calf definition … Shows good foot speed and quickness in his running stride and has the second gear needed to recover when beaten … Better playing in man coverage than supporting vs. the run … Has good explosion to close on the ball and comes out of his breaks cleanly, taking no wasted steps in transition … Has a little hip stiffness that might make him a better candidate for free safety than at cornerback … With his ability to make quick reads to get into position to make plays on the ball, his skills will be better served at safety, but he needs to improve his tackling technique first … Has the natural quickness to mirror receivers throughout the route … Makes better plays on the ball working in zone coverage than when playing vs. the man … When he sees the play develop, he is quick to break on the ball … Has very good straight-line speed and shows the natural hands to look the ball in … Catches outside the frame well … Plants and drives sharply, mirroring the receiver's moves down the sideline … Has natural movements when turning on the ball, getting his head around properly and shows good anticipation dropping off in the zone … Generally gets a piece of the ball while consistently keeping his hands in the receiver's face … Bends his knees properly in his pedal and uses his hands well to keep blockers off his feet … Adequate punt returner who makes decisive moves through the wedge and patiently waits for blocks to develop … Has an explosive burst through the holes and the balance to elude defenders on his return efforts.
Negatives: Gets sloppy at times as an open-field tackler, lunging at the receiver … Tends to drop his head before delivering the hit, causing him to lose the power needed to bring ball carriers down in run support … His lack of overall strength sees him fall off arm tackles, and at times it looks like he wants to shy away from contact when asked to support vs. the run … Has good leaping ability but very poor timing as he doesn't seem to know when to elevate to compete for the ball at its high point … Gets lost working in trash and is easily washed out of the play once the bigger blockers attack his body … When playing in the zone, he will sometimes peek into the backfield too long, making him late to react to the thrown pass … His stiff hips make him slow to turn at times and he will bite on a receiver's double moves … Returns punts but lacks the strength to break tackles and does not have the natural instincts for this position.
Compares To: Will Blackmon, Green Bay Packers … If McDonald can improve his strength and add bulk, he might be a better fit for safety than cornerback … He is more efficient playing the zone than in man coverage, but his tackle technique is poor and he fails to deliver any pop on contact … He has natural hands for the interception but needs to time his leaps better … In nickel or dime packages, he could contribute, but he is not one who you want covering the opposition's top receiver.
