NFL Draft 2022: Micah McFadden's fifth-round selection sign of 'what hard work and time could produce'

Micah McFadden found out when he was being drafted when he was in the bathroom.

The Indiana All-Big Ten linebacker had no clue when he should expect a call Saturday during the third day of the NFL draft, with rounds 4-7 taking close to seven hours. He had family and friends over at his parents' home in Tampa, Fla., but he wasn't glued to his seat. At the beginning of the fifth round, he got up to use the restroom.

"Thankfully I brought my phone," McFadden told the Herald-Times by phone Monday. "I was washing my hands in the bathroom and I felt a buzz. It was a text message from the head of my agency. He said, 'Congratulations, I got some news.' Then I got a call and it said 'New York Giants.' I walked outside and hung up the phone and all of my family was there to celebrate. It was just an awesome moment, a real culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of people investing time into me."

Bright spot: Hoosiers struggle, but McFadden remains a factor

Indeed, McFadden's selection by the Giants with the third pick of the fifth round, 146th overall, was an important mile marker in an improbable journey. Though he was the all-time leading tacker at Plant High School in Tampa, a hotbed for football talent, evaluators believed he lacked elite athleticism or size, though he had plenty of muscle and football IQ. Indiana was one of just two Power 5 programs who offered him a scholarship, and the Hoosiers might not have offered if head coach Tom Allen's son Thomas wasn't also a linebacker at Plant and McFadden's teammate.

But Indiana invested in McFadden and McFadden invested in himself, winning the starting middle linebacker job as a sophomore, earning All-America honors as a junior and then All-Big Ten honors for a second straight season this year. He was the lowest rated player in Indiana's 2018 recruiting class, but he was the only Indiana player taken in this year's draft.

"I just thought about putting my head down and working and trying to be the best player I could be at first," McFadden said. "It's crazy what hard work and time could produce. I thought I could always play in the NFL. I knew it's what I wanted to do. What I wanted to become was an NFL player from a very young age. I saw that become reality on Saturday, and when I was at Indiana I saw that it was a possibility. I never really wanted to look back for anything else. I wanted to chase my dream and do this for however long I can. I'm so glad it came to fruition."

McFadden was taken a little earlier than expected because of his ability to blitz as an inside linebacker. He posted 14 sacks and 36 tackles for loss in four college seasons. The Giants clearly want to bring more pressure to the defense this season, hiring Don Martindale from the Baltimore Ravens, who are famous for their pressure and creative blitzes out of a 3-4 scheme. The Ravens finished second in the NFL in sacks in 2021.

"(They liked) some of my blitzing patterns and just how I could get after the quarterback from the line of scrimmage," McFadden said. "I'll fit in in either one of those inside 'backer positions. I'm not sure if they see me more specifically as a Mike or a Will, but I think I'll be used well not only blitzing but in the passing game and getting into coverage."

McFadden said he likes being part of a large draft class. The Giants had 11 picks in the seven-round draft and used six on defensive players, addressing every level in the defense. They took edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux from Oregon fifth overall, LSU cornerback Cordale Flott in the third round, Iowa safety Dane Belton in the fourth, Arizona State defensive tackle D.J. Davidson right after McFadden in the fifth, and Cincinnati linebacker Darrian Beavers in the sixth.

"I think that's crucial, filling the spots they need," McFadden said. "I think they got great players and great dudes at the same time."

McFadden said he plans to move to the East Rutherford, N.J., on May 12 for rookie mini-camp and stay through June 17 for organized team activities before returning for training camp in July.

Follow Herald-Times IU Insider Dustin Dopirak on Twitter at @DustinDopirak or email him at DDopirak@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football: McFadden goes from low-ranked recruit to NFL