The Cleveland Browns need defensive line help due to converting to a 4-3 base defense. Could Malik McDowell be the help they need? Find out here.
The Cleveland Browns must remake their defensive line. With the switch to a 4-3-based defense (yes 3-4 vs. 4-3 does matter), the Browns must draft linemen to fit their new scheme.
The switch to 4-3 has its advantages.
The good news is that NCAA football is littered with 4-3 defenses, making the task of finding pro-ready players easier. Projecting a player is less risky when they can be scouted at the position they will be playing in the NFL.
Further good news is that last year the Browns drafted two outstanding collegiate 4-3 defensive ends in Carl Nassib and Emmanuel Ogbah. The Browns are also primed to take the best 4-3 defensive end in college football, Myles Garrett, first overall in the upcoming NFL draft.
But the real challenge for the 2017 Cleveland Browns will be figuring out who will play defensive tackle. In a 3-4 base, the only true defensive tackle on the team is a nose tackle. Most nose tackles are big, space-eating run stuffers who come off the field in pass-rush situations.
The key to any good 4-3 defense is an excellent 3-technique player. An ideal 3-technique player is quick off the ball and disruptive. He is the player most responsible for shutting down the inside rushing attack.
When Danny Shelton was drafted, there were concerns that his style of play was not conducive for a 3-4 scheme. He seemed to be a better fit as a 1 or 3-technique in a 4-3 defense, which is more good news for the Browns who are switching base defenses.
Shelton brings versatility to the defensive interior. He has the skill set to play both the 1-technique who shades the center and commands double teams. He also has the quickness and power to play a 3-technique.
Shelton’s presence means the Browns can draft the best 1 or 3-technique available and have Shelton cover the other spot. If the Browns can find another player with Shelton’s diversity, then the Browns front four could be absolutely dominant.
For now, the Browns need to focus on finding another defensive tackle in the draft to round out the switch to the 4-3 front.
One player who could fit the bill may be Michigan State’s Malik McDowell. But there are questions about his maturity and technique entering the NFL.
Family dysfunction is a fact of life for most of the world. Fortunately, most of the world’s dysfunction is not the subject of the evening sports coverage. Unfortunately for Malik McDowell, his family dysfunction was covered during his NCAA signing period coming out of high school.
His family dysfunction is covered here for a specific reason, as it accurately describes his play on the field during his time at Michigan State.
Coming out of high school, Malik McDowell’s mother, Joya Crowe, opposed him choosing the Michigan State Spartans over several other schools. Crowe gave several reasons she opposed her son attending MSU. Those reasons are enlightening for understanding McDowell as a player.
Per Yahoo.com, Joya Crowe told Detroit’s 105.1 FM that:
"Everybody wants Malik to make this decision on his own, but Malik probably can’t tell you nothing about their academics. People don’t understand that Malik is not mature enough to make this decision. If I felt he was mature enough, and he came to me and said, ‘This is what Michigan State has to offer, education, football, the D-Line coach has this background … this, this and this,’ lay it out. But if y’all call and ask Malik, he’s just gonna say comfort, I’m comfortable."
Per his mother, McDowell chose to go to Michigan State because he was comfortable there. The real concern in this quote was a mother stating her son was too immature.
She had other concerns at the time. Specifically, she was concerned that her son would be going to a place that would not make him work to get on the field. In an article by Mike Griffith for mlive.com, McDowell’s high school football coach, Tim Conley, was asked to comment on the issue between Malik and his mother:
"“They are looking at Florida State and Ohio State, they’ve been quoted,” Conley said. “Those schools have a lot more depth on the field, and you’re going to have to work harder to get on the field. They (McDowell’s parents) say, ‘We want you working harder right away. Michigan State, he’ll be an impact player right away.’"
Per McDowell’s high school coach, Malik’s mother wanted him to go to a different school where he would have to work to get on the field. On top of thinking her son was immature and going to a place based on comfort, here she expressed that she wants her son to have to work hard to earn playing time.
But the final quote examined here speaks more about Malik as a player than the other concerns. His mom raised her ultimate concern for her son and Michigan State when she stated the following:
"“For some reason he thinks, everybody telling him he has this natural ability to play football, so he figures he’s going to go out there and be the man, an all-star,” Crowe said during her recent radio interview. “They done blew his head up.”"
It is unfortunate that McDowell was put in a situation during his recruiting period where he was publicly pitted against his mother over his choice of school. I know from personal experience that near the end of raising a child is a volatile period for both the parent and the child. The child wants to be independent and the parent wants to continue to care for the person they have taken care of for 18 years. It is a tough situation, and sadly their growing pains became public and intensified over the choice of colleges.
The issue for McDowell’s draft profile is that Crowe’s last statement sums up McDowell’s play at Michigan State perfectly.
There is no doubt the Malik McDowell is physically gifted. He has a talent to play football.
However, talent only gets players so far in the NFL. At some point, players must learn to develop the skills necessary to play at the NFL or they are very quickly removed to make room for players who will.
Malik McDowell’s play at Michigan State is that of a physically gifted athlete who plays based on his athleticism alone. Up to this point in his career, athleticism has worked for him.
Note: Malik McDowell injured his ribs on October 15, then a month later injured his ankle on November 5. These injures affected his play during the season.
Strengths: After watching his games, it is clear McDowell has several strengths. He is an extremely athletic player. His natural athleticism gives him an advantage over other players. He is quick off the ball. He engages with “heavy hands”, which means he has good power with his initial punch. He has a very quick first step which gains him an advantage off the snap.
He excels when asked to play in a one-gap scheme where he can shoot a gap and be disruptive in the backfield. All of these characteristics are what make up an excellent 3-technique in the NFL.
Weaknesses: McDowell has developed little if any defensive line technique. He simply relies on his natural athletic ability to win against offensive lineman.
For example, he consistently lines up in a sprinters stance (typical for a 4-3 defensive end) while playing the 1 or 3-techniques. A defensive tackle stance is usually with a wide base with feet parallel allowing the DT to hold off double teams and play double gap responsibility. To see a defensive tackle in a sprinters stance is highly unusual.
Michigan State has built their program on fundamentals and strong technique. To see McDowell play with poor technique and lack of discipline is a real red flag. One wonders what led the coaches to allow him to play with poor technique. It is something one simply does not see a lot from the MSU program.
It should come as no surprise that McDowell is often blown off the ball by double-teams. He has the natural ability to split those double-teams on occasion. But as a rule, double-teams were extremely effective against McDowell.
Watching the tape, one wonders if McDowell understands his role in the defense. He plays like a player who is just showing up and playing football. He seems to play without an understanding of how his role affects the roles of the rest of the defense. Yet, his athletic ability allows him to consistently make plays that cover up this flaw.
McDowell is often off-balance. Even when lining up as a defensive end (where he plays much better than at DT), he is often pushed around by tackles who play technically sound. If his first pass rush move fails, he lacks counter-moves to recover.
Like all college linemen, McDowell plays too high. He will need to learn to play with leverage at the NFL level.
Bottom Line: Joya Crowe was prescient when she said “They done blew up his head.” McDowell plays like a kid relying solely on natural ability. For whatever reason, he never learned the technical skills necessary to succeed beyond his natural ability.
In the NFL, his skill set best translates to being a 4-3 defensive end. The only issue with that move is that the 4-3 defensive end position is extremely technical position that requires discipline to be played correctly. McDowell shows neither of these abilities on tape.
Related: Complete 6-round mock draft
Staying at defensive tackle in a single gap system would be the best fit. Even then he will need to learn technique if he wants to have an NFL career.
McDowell is a project at the NFL level. He will need to learn the technicalities of the defensive tackle or defensive end position before he will be successful. But he must first come to embrace the idea that talent alone is not enough to succeed in the NFL.
Everyone is a natural freak in the NFL.
The Browns need a dominant 3-technique for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ defense. Malik McDowell could be that dominant player.
He has the natural ability to be All-Pro at the 3-technique. He has the initial quickness and power that dominant 3-techniques display. He needs to combine that natural ability with sharply honed defensive line skills if he wants to be an All-Pro.
Unfortunately, it does not seem that Malik McDowell is ready to take that step. When Yahoo.com’s Eric Edholm described his winners and losers from the NFL combine, he described Malik McDowell has a loser. Here is why:
"Allow us to explain how a 6-foot-6, 295-pound prime athlete with long arms and big hands who runs a 4.85 40 is on the “losers” list. Said one team: “Worst interview we did.” Added another: “Awful interview. Awful.” What concerns scouts most is that for all his tremendous upside — watch him destroy Michigan, for instance — McDowell’s production and tape don’t always match up. Scouts feel like he takes plays off too often. And when they asked him about that, he got defensive. They also asked him about his attitude and work ethic, which were concerns. Many of those questions remain unanswered."
Attitude and work ethic will be the main issue for McDowell and the Browns. Even though Gregg Williams prides himself on reforming players with bad attitudes, do the Browns want to take a chance on a player with attitude and work ethic issues with a high draft pick while rebuilding?
At this point, it does not even sound like he is ready to handle the questions about his work ethic, much less to address the issue head on:
"“The cautionary tale is Clowney,” one team explained. “You see him now, he’s dominant; we had those same questions [for McDowell] when he came out. Does he love football? Is he going to work? With [McDowell], I can’t figure out what makes this kid tick. He might be the type who, maybe he falls [in the draft] and it lights a fire under him. I don’t know. But I need that light on more often, and he didn’t like it when we asked him about that.”"
The fact that he got upset about questions about his work ethic and attitude is not a good sign. Malik McDowell has a lot work to do to succeed in the NFL. But is he willing to put in the work?
The Browns could use a potentially dominant player like Malik McDowell to play the 1 and 3-technique position opposite Danny Shelton. But can they take a chance on a player like McDowell who has bust potential written all over him?
If what Eric Eldhom reports is true, McDowell should be available to the Browns at pick No. 33. The question is, how much do they trust Gregg Williams to reform him?
Next: Malik Hooker draft profile
In another year . . . maybe. But drafting McDowell now is not a good idea for the Browns no matter what the upside may be.