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Malcom Brown, Defensive Tackle, Texas
HEIGHT: 6'2"
ARM LENGTH: 32 1/2"
WEIGHT: 319 lbs.
HANDS: 10"
40-YARD DASH: 5.05 SEC
BENCH PRESS: 26 REPS
VERTICAL JUMP: 29.5"
BROAD JUMP: 98.0"
3-CONE DRILL: 7.84 SEC
20-YARD SHUTTLE: 4.59 SEC
In what is a deep class of defensive tackle, Texas' Malcom Brown might end up being the best of them all.
Brown, a first-team All-American and finalist for the Outland and Nagurski trophies this past season started 13 games and registered 70 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, seven QB hurries and two forced fumbles. He was relentless as a pass-rusher, something rarely seen in a 300+ pounder playing primarily at nose tackle.
Brown made dramatic strides from his sophomore campaign 2013, in which he had just 2.5 sacks, but still racked up 68 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss. He declared for the draft this year as a true junior, and he should have as much room to grow as any defensive lineman in this class.
The 6-2, 320-pounder is the perfect fit for any defense, whether it's as a nose tackle, three technique or five technique in a 3-4 defense. Brown's strength though is as a NT, and he can rush the passer as good as any interior lineman you'll find. There is nothing worse for a quarterback than to see guys busting through quickly right up the gut.
Here is Brown's ESPN scouting report:
| Versus the Run | 1 | Stout run defender. Has mass, strength and center of gravity to consistently anchor one-on-one. Shows ability to recover from initial movement versus double team, but needs to be more consistent in this area. Much-improved hands and upper-body power. Gets hands inside, locates ball, and quickly disengages to pursue. Needs to be more consistent keeping shoulders square to line of scrimmage. |
| Pass Rush Skills | 3 | Average inside pass-rusher for size. Lacks ideal first-step quickness to penetrate gaps. Needs to win with power initially. Uses powerful upper body to jar offensive linemen. If he generates push and/or gets offensive linemen off-balance, then he's capable of quickly disengaging and pursuing the QB. Good closing burst for size but is slow to redirect. Above-average awareness to get hands up in throwing lanes. |
| Quickness (hands/feet) | 3 | Agility is above-average for size. Lacks great first-step quickness but runs well on a straight-line for size. Shows good quickness once body is in motion. Showed more violent hands in 2014. Must continue to refine pass-rush moves but shows improved quickness and power in upper body. |
| Toughness/Motor | 2 | Overall effort is solid. Plays hard when he's not gassed. High volume of reps in 2014 and displays above-average stamina for a player his size. When tired, his pads rise immediately and he looks for pass breakups as pass-rusher. Not an instigator but won't back down from a challenge. Has experience playing NT, DT and DE in 4-3 front, as well as NT and DE in a 3-4. |
1 = EXCEPTIONAL 2 = ABOVE AVERAGE 3 = AVERAGE 4 = BELOW AVERAGE 5 = MARGINAL
Excerpt of his College Football Focus profile:
The strengths of his play are clear and evident when watching him — he has very quick and strong hands that allow him to shed blocks even when he is in a losing position — and when Brown got it right, he was one of the most disruptive forces against the run last season. With no intention of trying to hold up blocks, it’s all attack to beat the blocker for Brown, something he did on a consistent basis.
Because he is so often looking to shed at the snap, he becomes a liability on down blocks where he isn’t able to use his hands or stand up blockers and regularly winds up forced into positions he doesn’t want to be in. At his best when he can see the offensive lineman coming towards him, Brown can whip his hands out of the way and cause his opponent to lunge and miss. In the pros he will be a player who either wins early or loses quickly, being forced backward at a rapid rate putting his linebackers in a tough spot to scrape over the top to make a play.