Cowboys to meet with DT Malik McDowell

[Teague31]

When is my visit? I’ve never played a down in the NFL either

 

[Jumbo075]

We could literally have a wall of fame with the mentally disturbed Cowboy DL.

Alonzo Spellman, Demetrius Underwood, Josh Brent, Greg Hardy, David Irving, Randy Gregory.

Did I miss any?

Yes. Yes you did miss one. Charles Haley.

 

[speedkilz88]

Jay Ratliff also.

 

[Alexander]

Yes. Yes you did miss one. Charles Haley.

I also missed Damontre Moore. There is pretty much one every year.

 

[Jumbo075]

Malik McDowell, DL Michigan State
6'6", 295 lbs., 34-3/4 arms

OVERVIEW

As a top-50 high school recruit out of Detroit, McDowell could have gone anywhere. He went against his family's wishes and enrolled in East Lansing, which made head coach Mark Dantonio and his staff quite happy. After playing mostly in a reserve role as a freshman (15 tackles, 1.5 sacks), McDowell lined up two second-team All-Big Ten seasons for the Spartans. Using an explosive first step, he racked up 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks as a sophomore as the team made the college football playoffs. Both Sparty and McDowell saw things turn south a bit in 2016, including his numbers (seven TFL, 1.5 sacks) and the team's wins (just three). The junior suffered an ankle injury mid-season, which in part caused his lack of production.​

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS
Slippery and long. Combination of arm length and flexible torso allow him to slither into gaps and create disruptions for blockers. Freaky combination of size and athleticism. Can overwhelm blockers with pure strength and explosiveness when his feet are right. Strong enough in lower half to play through contact and cause stress in the pocket. Has tremendous amount of untapped potential waiting to be unlocked. Quick, strong hands in pass rush. Able to attack the edge with club-and-swim pet move. Can crank up a pocket-caving bull rush. Can redirect his weight and maintain pursuit of scrambling mobile quarterbacks. Long frame and play speed can close out perimeter runs and foil them before corner is turned. Elite playmaking radius. Explosive lateral movement and quickness. Can bound from one gap to the next in Sparty's slanting defensive front. Will be extremely difficult to cross face as he learns the position. Has experience up and down the defensive line.

WEAKNESSES
Footwork and technique are a mess. Plays with inconsistent base width and overall balance. Struggles to keep feet clean and ends up on the ground. Lines up in narrow, three-point stance from interior and struggles to fight back against down blocks and double teams. Can be washed out of his gap too often. High center of gravity made interior work a challenge at times. Can bend, but lets high pad level get the best of him. Doesn't consistently utilize his length with first hands. Has to become better at controlling the point of attack with his natural attributes. Needs to punch and control rather than leaning on blockers. Production doesn't match up with the traits and the talent. Scouts concerned about work ethic and leadership.

DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 1

SOURCES TELL US
"He has a chance to be a dominant player in our league. I mean dominant. It hasn't turned on for him all the way yet but if it does, he could be like Mario Williams. He's just a little lazy and I worry about whether he is going to be a self-starter." -- NFC North area scout

NFL COMPARISON
Ezekiel Ansah
​

BOTTOM LINE

Has similar physical traits and abilities of Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, but may not share their football character. McDowell lacked production along the interior and could benefit from a move to a defensive end spot in a 4-3 or 3-4 front. McDowell is raw, but when he flashes, it can be blinding. McDowell is an explosive, ascending prospect with All-Pro potential if he grows into his body and takes the necessary coaching.​

 

[Sydla]

I am all for kicking the tires on just about anyone.

More then likely this guy will bomb out if he ends up here but hey, no harm in giving him a shot.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Well thank goodness we have a QB that can win a ton of games with all these rag tag guys.

Yes thank God!!!!....what would we do with the # 23 passing offense in the league and the # 26 scoring offense in the Red zone....thank the Gridiron Gods.......

P.S. And the above stats are with us having the most expensive Off-line and Best HB in the league......lol...

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Yes thank God!!!!....what would we do with the # 23 passing offense in the league and the # 26 scoring offense in the Red zone....thank the Gridiron Gods.......

P.S. And the above stats are with us having the most expensive Off-line and Best HB in the league......lol...

If you're into stats perhaps fantasy football is what you're looking for cause in real football wins is all that matters and our QB is only second behind Brady since entering the league.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

If you're into stats perhaps fantasy football is what you're looking for cause in real football wins is all that matters and our QB is only second behind Brady since entering the league.

Selling CRAZY again I see......he's winning because of the talent AROUND him.....imagine how far we could go with a top 10 passing and red zone offense......????

 

[Irvin88_4life]

Selling CRAZY again I see......he's winning because of the talent AROUND him.....imagine how far we could go with a top 10 passing and red zone offense......????

That's a myth. Players keep changing around him at every position but yet Dak still manages to win. Funny he took a 4-12 team to 13-3 but now it's the talent.......sure

 

[JohnsKey19]

This guy still should be practice squad eligible.

 

[Killerinstinct]

No word on this one yet?

 

[Mr_437]

Did he even fly to Dallas?

 

[speedkilz88]

Did he even fly to Dallas?

Drove

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Drove

I am trying not to laugh so hard right now. Would that make me a bad person?

Oh, heck with it.

 

[Whirlwin]

If you cannot get pressure up the middle in this league. You cannot win.

 

[Mr_437]

Drove

Lol

 

[Floatyworm]

We could literally have a wall of fame with the mentally disturbed Cowboy DL.

Alonzo Spellman, Demetrius Underwood, Josh Brent, Greg Hardy, David Irving, Randy Gregory.

Did I miss any?

The new Millennial ring of honor...

 

[Beast_from_East]

Dude almost killed himself on that ATV...………had brain swelling from a massive concussion and one of his eyes was severely injured.

Accident happened before training camp of his rookie year so he has never played a down in the NFL. Obviously the team would need very extensive medicals before even consider signing him.

Would be a great comeback story for him, but I just dont know if he would ever be the same player again he was in college.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Dude almost killed himself on that ATV...………had brain swelling from a massive concussion and one of his eyes was severely injured.

Accident happened before training camp of his rookie year so he has never played a down in the NFL. Obviously the team would need very extensive medicals before even consider signing him.

Would be a great comeback story for him, but I just dont know if he would ever be the same player again he was in college.

Given the fact he had a brain injury really scares me. What happens to him if he gets a concussion?

At best, nothing out of the ordinary. At worst, he could end up with life-altering or possible life-threatening damage. Just too risky to me.