GGN's Draft Chat With Iowa WR Marvin McNutt

Around a week ago I did a feature post on Iowa WR Marvin McNutt which you can read HERE

Great size for a wide receiver at 6'4 and 215lb's. Great athleticism and extremely soft hands. Is very useful in the short passing game using his frame to box out defenders. Uses his hands well against press coverage, came from a traditional style offence in Iowa

So when I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Marvin ahead of the combine and the NFL draft this year, I jumped at the opportunity. Not many prospects are willing to spend some time answering questions before the combine, so I want to pass my thanks on straight away to Marvin for doing so.

Join me after the jump for our Q&A, I was sold on Marvin before this so I'm certainly sold on him now. I'm confident that whichever team takes Marvin will be getting a great player and a great team mate.

GGN:First of all, we really appreciate you taking the time to answer some questions for

us, I know you must be busy preparing for the combine. Where are you training at the

moment, and what are you doing to prepare for the combine?

MM: I'm training at the API facility in Arizona. I'm mainly working on my 40

technique and route running. I’m doing a whole lot of listening to the coaches to

better myself during this phase.

GGN: Everyone wants to have a well rounded combine, but is there one area that you are

really focusing on? A lot of people I have spoken to are most intrigued with the 40 time.

MM: As a receiver, the 40 is considered by most to be the most important event so

I’m putting a lot of my focus there. But I’m also working on my route running -

getting in and out of my cuts.

GGN: You came to football a little later than most didn't you? what made you want to

pursue football instead of baseball or basketball that you played more growing up?

MM: One reason was that I gained more attention from bigger colleges in football

faster. I also did it for a good friend of mine who was actually the person who told

me to try out for football. He passed away the summer before my first season so

that was a big push for me to play the sport and play it well. Once I started, my

competitive juices kicked in and made me want to be the best I could be.

GGN: You had a great career at Iowa, when you arrived on campus as a QB did you ever

think that you would end your career as the Big 10 wide receiver of the year?

MM: Once I made the switch to receiver and and totally committed myself to learning

the postion, I knew I could become one of the best receivers in the conference.

GGN: How was your transition to the wide receiver position?, do you think your time as a

QB helped you develop your instincts for when to sit down and find the soft spots in

coverage?

MM: I had great coaches at Iowa so the transition was pretty smooth. My time at QB

definitely helped especially with recognizing defensive coverages.

GGN: Have you completely left the QB position behind now, or do you think that you could

maybe work out of the wild cat as a crease in an offensive gameplan at the NFL level?

MM: I have left it behind but I would be open to doing whatever to help my team win

games. I defintely can still throw the ball if I need to.

GGN: Your improvement from one year to the next is clear to see, 34 catches as a

Sophomore, 53 as a Junior and then 82 as a senior. What to you attribute to your

continued success, was it a case of improvement through repetition. The QB trusting

you a little more or all of the above?

MM: It was a combination of things. First, it was the belief that people thought I

couldn’t do it so I wanted to prove them wrong. Also, my coach Erik Campbell

helped me a lot with learning the postion and pushing me to be the best I could be.

GGN: What do you think is your biggest strength as a wide receiver at the next level?

MM: My strengths are my size, speed, pass catching ability, intelligence, toughness, and

overall athleticism. I’m faster than most people think, I’m not afraid to go over

the middle, and I will fight for yards after the catch. Another strong suit is my

ability to learn fast and digest large amounts of information quickly. As a former

quarterback, I think that I also am very good at recognizing and understanding

defensive schemes.

GGN: A lot of wide receivers can be "divas", I read in an interview with you that you

wanted to show coaches at the combine that you were coachable and consistent, how

important is it to show that you are a coachable player?

MM: To me, that’s as important as my 40 yard dash time. I feel that being coachable is

another strength of mine, and it’s something I preach to my little brother each and

every day.

GGN: I'm sure you are aware that the Jets have received a lot of negative press in terms of

team character, you are known as a high character player. Would you have any concerns

about joining a locker room with a lot of instability heading into your rookie season?

MM: Not at all - when it comes down to it, everyone wants to win and football brings out

emotion so there are definitely no concerns on my end. I think I could fit right in

and hopefully become a leader.

GGN: How much of an effect has being a team captain at Iowa had on you and your

improvement?

MM: Once I became a captain, I knew my role on the team had changed and that I had

to step up on and off the field. I knew when my number was called that I needed

to step up.

GGN: When you do talk to scouts and when you meet the teams at the combine, what do

you want them to take away from the meeting?

MM: That I want nothing more in the world than to play football and to win as well as

that I am a smart football player that is very coachable.

GGN: No prospect coming out of college is a complete player, what are the aspects of your

game that you really want to work on in OTA's and rookie camp this year to take your

game to the next level?

MM: I can always work on separating in and out of my cuts, and I’m working on this

every day.

GGN: If you were selected by the Jets, we plan on heading back to a ground and pound

run orientated offence, which means outside blocking is vital for a receiver on this team.

How do you think your blocking stacks up for the NFL level?

MM: I think that my blocking is another plus. You don’t play at Iowa unless you are

tough. Our punters and kickers are tough.

GGN: Am I right in saying that growing up you were a St Louis Rams fan? which player

did you idolize as a child?

MM: Yes, I was fan of their whole offense Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Marshall Faulk, etc.

GGN: What was your greatest moment at Iowa? I take it it wasn't nearly getting

decapitated by the Skycam?

MM: That was definitely a scary moment and one I will never forget. But my greatest

moment was the Michigan State ‘09 catch with two seconds left.

GGN: You played football with current Jets Shonn Greene, do you still keep in contact

with him? and if so, have you spoken about the possibility of teaming up in New York?

MM: I talked to him on twitter about a month ago, but I didn’t talk to him about the

possibility of me being a Jet. But I would love to have the chance to play with him

again. He’s a good guy and a good player

.

GGN: Some people love the media spotlight that comes with playing for any team in New

York, some people can't stand it and avoid it at all costs. Would you relish playing in a

big market like NY?

MM: I would love playing in NY. Great town with great fans.

GGN: You must have faced up against Shaun Prater plenty in practise? what do you think

about his game and what can teams expect from him if they select him in this years

draft?

MM: I think Shaun is a great teammate and a great player. I believe whoever selects

him will get a guy who comes in and works hard everyday and every play and also

can be a standout on special teams.

GGN: Final couple of questions, where will you be watching the draft this year?

MM:Hopefully I will get an invite to NY but if not I will be at home with family in

St.Louis.

GGN: If you were asked to finish this sentence, what would you say? "The team that drafts

Marvin McNutt will get............"

A playmaker and a great teammate who's very humble