Seahawks: Bold Predictions for Each 2017 Draftee
By Ben Renner
Malik McDowell adds to Seahawks formidable pass rush
Malik McDowell can play defensive tackle, his primary position for the Michigan State Spartans last season, but he can also line up at defensive end, or so the Seahawks seem to think.
It makes the most sense to me to deploy Big Leek as a tackle on passing downs so he can disrupt quarterbacks up the middle while Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, Cliff Avril, and company come around the ends.
Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard will likely use McDowell wherever he can if McDowell proves effective, and will get him in the defensive end rotation with the murderer’s row of Bennett, Clark, Avril, and even Cassius Marsh. If McDowell can thrive under the relative low pressure situation of being a rotational end and a penetrating tackle, he’ll do well on this Seahawks defense.
I predict he’ll see time at end and tackle. I think he’ll do well against mismatched right tackles on opposing offenses, but struggle at times on the inside. Interior offensive linemen in the NFL are older, wiser, and tougher than most college centers and guards. He could take a few punches in the mouth in the early going.
As the season wears on, however, I look in my crystal ball and see McDowell becoming an asset to Richard and the defense, improving his inside game along with his outside pass rush skills.