Malik McDowell, defensive lineman, Michigan State,
Malik McDowell is built like an NFL 3-technique. He’s 6-foot-6, 276 pounds of pure quick-twitch athleticism, muscle and grace.
He has the potential to be an elite pass rusher and when he gets into the backfield he certainly can cause havoc, but there are some concerns.
Notably, the 2016 season was brutal for him as far as injuries were concerned. He took the best of opposing offensive lines and had to fight through plenty of double teams, which left him very banged up. So much so that he had to miss MSU’s last three games with an ankle injury.
He also left a somewhat uneven legacy at Michigan State, depending on who you’re talking to. He had and still has the physical talent to be the best defensive lineman in the world. But he only notched 7.5 sacks while at MSU, and that was in large part because of a 4.5 sack 2015 season.
His 24.5 tackles for loss in three seasons tell a different story, so again, here we are back to that question: Boom or bust?
McDowell can go either way.