2017 NFL Mock Draft: Browns and Titans Clean up

Michigan State. Malik McDowell. 15. player. 46. Malik McDowell fits perfectly as a 3-4 defensive end but could also excel as a 3-technique in the NFL. He is in the mold of defensive linemen like Leonard Williams and DeForest Buckner. At 6’5″, 290 pounds, he is a freak athlete with long arms and has plenty of power to go with it. <p>McDowell is also technically sound and has a motor that runs as long as he is on a football field. The sum of his parts usually equals a guy that turns a defense around darn-near by himself. He has been very disruptive, has put a lot of heat on the quarterback and the way he does it translates.</p> <p>A team like the Indianapolis Colts, who need help on their defensive front-7, can definitely use him. McDowell would help them get after the passer better and bring that No. 23-ranked run defense up. Most importantly, he would change the perception of the Colts being soft on defense.</p> <p>What he does physically is one thing but the way his passion spreads throughout the defense is another. The Colts would put another stranglehold on the AFC South if they build their defense to match the offense. And picking McDowell would be a huge step toward building that defense.</p>. DE