The New York Jets recently signed former Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos defensive back Tanner McCalister. Today we break McCalister down in detail.
The 25-year old McCalister is listed at 5’11” and 191 pounds and was undrafted out of Ohio State in 2022. He has played in six NFL games, registering three tackles.
Background
McCalister was a three-star high school recruit according to most services, although ESPN had him as a four-star recruit.
He headed to Oklahoma State in 2018 and played 25 games
in a reserve role over his first two seasons. He had 11 tackles and a pass breakup in 2018 and 31 tackles and two tackles for loss in 2019.
Ahead of the 2020 season, McCalister moved from cornerback to safety, and made his first start in the second game of that season. He ended up starting the last 10 games and ended up with 41 tackles and five pass breakups.
He started all 14 games in 2021 and set career marks with 42 tackles and six pass breakups. He also intercepted the first pass of his career.
Having graduated, McCalister opted to enter the transfer portal and would spend the 2022 season at Ohio State. He started all 12 games and recorded a career-high three interceptions, along with 24 tackles.
Having not been selected in the 2022 NFL draft, he ended up with the Browns as an undrafted free agent. After final cuts, he was placed on the practice squad and was elevated three times during the season. He played 19 snaps and registered two tackles in those three games.
McCalister then signed a futures deal with the Denver Broncos, but again spent most of the year on their practice squad. He played three times and recorded one tackle, but was only used on special teams.
Denver signed him to another futures deal at the start of this season, but released him in June and the Jets added him early on in training camp. He has played for them in their first two preseason games.
Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what McCalister brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
McCalister’s pro day numbers were pretty solid across the board. He ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, with above average explosiveness numbers and an impressive-for-his-size 22 bench press reps. His agility numbers were about average.
Usage
McCalister is a versatile player who has played both safety and cornerback. Where he has played cornerback, he has been mostly in the slot.
Having played running back and cornerback in high school, he was initially a slot cornerback at Oklahoma State but he played some safety in his sophomore year and then moved full-time to safety before his junior season.
At Ohio State, he played safety, although he was able to showcase his versatility by filling in at cornerback when they had some injury issues.
His only NFL regular season action has been in the slot but he’s mostly played safety in preseason action. That’s how the Jets have been using him.
Coverage skills
McCalister’s coverage numbers in college were pretty solid, as he gave up a catch on less than 60 percent of his targets, and 12 yards per catch. He did give up 12 touchdowns in four years with Oklahoma State but none in his final season with the Buckeyes. His preseason numbers are also good, with just 36 yards on 11 targets and a longest catch of 10 yards.
He seems to have good positional sense and moves around well, although he can get caught on his heels and lacks elite recovery speed.
McCalister’s route recognition isn’t bad but he has been known to bite on double moves at times as he can be over-aggressive looking to jump the initial route.
Ball skills
McCalister didn’t have an interception until his senior year and only had 13 passes defensed in his five years in college, so his on-ball numbers are not particularly special.
He did come up with three interceptions in his lone year with the Buckeyes though. However, one was off a deflection and the other two were thrown right at him because the quarterback didn’t see him on one and the receiver ran the wrong route on the other.
His lone interception at Oklahoma State was a nice play, showing his ability to drop into zone coverage and make plays on the ball.
McCalister has the range, closing speed and timing to disrupt at the catch point, whether in man coverage or sitting in center field as a deep safety.
Tackling
McCalister has good closing speed and can hit and wrap up well but he wasn’t particularly productive as a tackler with 42 being the most he ever had in a full season.
His missed tackle percentage was therefore higher than you’d ideally want it to be, even though he never had more than nine in a season. He had six in his final year at Ohio State.
His only missed tackle in preseason action was behind the line and slowed up the receiver so he was tackled for a loss by his teammate anyway.
He has not forced any fumbles in his career so far.
Run defense
Despite being undersized for a safety, McCalister is a willing run defender, whose run defense grades have typically been above average according to analysis sites such as Pro Football Focus.
He made this nice play to stuff a run for a short gain in his Jets debut against the Green Bay Packers a few weeks ago.
Physicality
As noted, McCalister posted an impressive bench press for his size at his pro day and this strength is reflected in his ability to take on blockers near the line of scrimmage.
Although he is inevitably going to see bigger players falling forward at the end of a run because of his lack of ideal size, McCalister can make some good hits when tackling.
Penalties have not been a big issue as he only had seven defensive penalties in his five-year college career. That included just one at Ohio State.
Blitzing
McCalister blitzed from time to time in college and never had a sack, although he did register several pressures. He had a sack in a preseason game, though.
Special teams
McCalister is an experienced special teamer who has played extensively on every unit apart from the placekicking unit. He has covered kickoffs throughout his career, but also has experience as a blocker, rushing kicks and working as a gunner and vice on punts. He had nine tackles and one penalty in his college career.
The Jets have not used him as a gunner in preseason but he has seen action as a vice. His best play of preseason came in punt coverage after he lined up as the upback.
Instincts/Intelligence
When McCalister transferred from Oklahoma State to Ohio State, his defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was also making the same move. On his arrival, McCalister was praised for his superb understanding of the defensive scheme and was able to help the rest of his teammates to learn it.
He shows good play recognition around the line of scrimmage and excellent anticipation and positional awareness when in coverage.
He was a three time all-Big 12 academic first-teamer while at Oklahoma State.
Attitude
As noted, McCalister’s familiarity with Knowles’ system meant that he immediately stepped into a leadership role at Ohio State, having already been a game captain multiple times with the Cowboys. He admits he became more of a vocal leader with the Buckeyes.
McCalister, who is a man of faith, also brings work ethic, discipline, character and toughness to the table.
Injuries
McCalister played in 62 games in college, so injuries weren’t a major issue, although he missed the first game of his freshman season with an undisclosed issue and one game in 2022 due to a groin injury.
Scheme Fit
McCalister’s versatility will be useful in terms of him being able to fill a role on the Jets defense. As noted, he is being used as a safety right now despite being a little small for the position. However, the Jets obviously like to bring in secondary depth in the form of players who can play multiple roles.
He was actually cut for Mario Goodrich in Denver, who is now his teammate. That would suggest that both teams saw them as good fits for their system. McCalister had also been a teammate of current Jets wide receiver Josh Reynolds while he was with the Broncos.
Conclusions
With the third preseason game about to take place, McCalister will probably only be on the roster for a few more days. However, his versatility and ability to contribute on special teams could make him a candidate to be added to the practice squad and maybe even used during the season if the Jets need reinforcements.
He hasn’t really shown much upside yet in terms of potentially being a full-time contributor on defense, but there are flashes of ability and he’s still only 25. He could be the type of player the Jets bring back next year, so he has a chance to compete for a more significant role.
