Lions Draft Prospect: Malik McDowell – Michigan State
By Matt Urben
With the 2017 NFL Draft over a month away, there are dozens of potential targets for the Detroit Lions with the 21st-overall pick. Based on pre-combine projections, I will be highlighting individual players whom the team could be interested in. Today, we look at an explosive defensive lineman out of Michigan State.
Lions Draft Prospect: Malik McDowell – Michigan State
Position: Defensive Tackle/End
Projected: 1st-Round
Size: 6-foot-6, 276 lbs
Analysis: Malik McDowell is a lengthy pass-rusher with an elite skillset. As a sophomore in 2015, he dominated on the interior of MSU’s defensive line, helping the team reach the College Football Playoffs. McDowell has rare athleticism for his size (6-6, 276 lbs), which has garnered comparisons to Detroit’s Ziggy Ansah. If he can refine a somewhat raw technique, the sky is the limit for his NFL career.
McDowell’s stock was very high coming into the year but took a slight hit when the Spartans sputtered into a three-win season. Scouts have criticized his work ethic for not making the progress that was expected as a junior. With 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2015, he was projected to be an early 1st-round pick, prior to his less impressive 2016 season (7 tackles for loss,1.5 sacks).
McDowell suffered an ankle injury that likely affected his statistical regression to some extent. He’s still considered lean to play as a defensive tackle in the pros – which has some scouts projecting him as a defensive end. The talent is there, but does he have the commitment to become a great defensive lineman in the NFL? He looks the part when dialed in, as you can see in the highlight video below.
Why He Makes Sense For Detroit: As I stated last week in my profile of Derek Barnett, Detroit needs to upgrade their defensive line. There has been a significant dropoff the past few seasons, most noticeably on the interior of that line. McDowell’s scouting report will remind some Lions fans of former Auburn standout and Detroit 1st-round pick, Nick Fairley. A guy that has all the talent in the world, however, his passion for the game gets questioned.
McDowell, under the right coaching, can be a very good professional football player. It wasn’t even considered a possibility that he’d be available at 21, but as the Lansing State Journal recently pointed out, his stock is slipping in the minds of the NFL’s mock draft gurus. Some, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper, have indicated he could fall out of the first-round.
Detroit happily scooped up A’Shawn Robinson when he fell into their laps in the second-round of last year’s draft. It’s unclear if Teryl Austin would prefer McDowell at DT or DE, however, the Lions could use an upgrade at either position. Keep your eyes on McDowell as the combine gets under way.
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