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DeAngelo Malone NFL Draft Profile
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DeAngelo Malone Scouting ReportMalone’s size immediately stands out. He has an extremely long, lean frame that offers plenty of reach. His natural length serves as an exceptional conduit for artificial power generation, and his thin, compact frame makes him incredibly slippery as a rusher. Malone possesses good mobility in addition to his length. He shows solid explosiveness off the line, and his long strides can cover ground with impressive quickness. His pursuit speed, when playing at maximum pace, is stellar. He has impressive range as well. He can chase down quarterbacks with ease, and he’s also a threat to bat down passes. Malone flashes suddenness and twitch when moving laterally. He has some natural cornering ability, and he can change directions well for his size. There are some flashes of uncanny fluidity when changing directions in space, and Malone also has the lateral mobility to manipulate rushing leverage with inside-outside moves. Malone frequently shows off the capacity to bend. The Hilltoppers standout can reduce his surface area and accelerate around the edge. His ankle flexion and torso flexibility can be dangerous in pass-rushing situations. Malone’s flexibility also shows up in run defense. Amidst resistance, he can contort and maintain his anchor. Malone’s awareness is fairly promising. The Western Kentucky OLB has flashed impressive attentiveness at times. He’s aggressive when combating blocks to disengage, and he’s often aware of the ball carrier’s position. This allows him to disengage promptly and earn valuable stops for the defense. His awareness is also apparent on option plays, where he has the wherewithal to cover the pitch man, taking away the QB’s safety valve. It no doubt derives from experience, as Malone has a great wealth of that. Malone flashes quick, targeted hand usage. His length naturally provides a good amount of potential energy, and he’s shown he can convert on that energy. |
Areas for ImprovementMalone’s size is a negative, just as it is a positive. The Western Kentucky OLB’s light frame allows blockers to absorb his mass relatively easily. To this end, blockers can knock him off-center and control his positioning. Malone lacks overwhelming natural power or play strength, and his lacking strength can impact his ability to disengage at times. Beyond his size, Malone can strive for more overall consistency, even after several years as a starter. The Western Kentucky OLB doesn’t always play at full speed in pursuit. He can be tentative in congested spaces, and he doesn’t consistently stack counters to free himself up. By the same virtue, his hand placement and precision can be more consistent as well. Malone’s efficiency of motion can improve. He can better control his movements, and he can also more consistently multitask. He doesn’t always use his length in conjunction with his athleticism, thereby wasting a great deal of potential energy.
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DeAngelo Malone Career at SchoolDespite his lower billing as a recruit, Malone played in at least 11 games every season at Western Kentucky. And for four of his five seasons, he was one of the team’s best defensive players. Malone’s career started in 2017, accruing 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks as a true freshman. The Western Kentucky OLB returned for his sophomore campaign in 2018 and effectively burst onto the scene, racking up 60 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, an interception, a pass deflection, and 2 forced fumbles. B2018 was Malone’s breakout, but 2019 made it seem modest. Malone reached an even higher gear in 2019, amassing 99 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Malone was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year for his performance and carried an unprecedented hype into 2020. In a COVID-impacted year, Malone still managed to put up numbers. In 11 games, the Western Kentucky OLB logged 71 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, a pass deflection, and 2 forced fumbles. He came back in 2021, and put up 94 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 4 pass deflections, and 4 forced fumbles.
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DeAngelo Malone NFL Draft Player ProfileMalone was in a tough spot after the 2020 season. He ultimately chose to return to school in an effort to improve his NFL Draft stock. But even with a strong year, his stock was largely stagnant. It’s worth wondering what more Malone can do. Ideally, he’d be able to add power to his frame and show off a more complete skill set. That said, it’s unclear if his frame can carry the extra weight without diluting his athleticism. Malone’s projected versatility and experience could earn him some love in the middle rounds. And if he can keep adding to his tool chest and build up his frame, Malone could cement his status as a legitimate NFL Draft prospect, and a potential contributor at the next level.
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