What draft analysts are saying about Malcolm Roach

Malcolm Roach is heading to the NFL after four seasons in Austin, what are the analysts saying about his potential?

Malcolm Roach is the lesser talked about NFL prospect behind the trio of Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson and Brandon Jones. He is a bit of a difficult player to scout due to the defensive scheme that they played in under Todd Orlando. Roach even said so himself when he spoke to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

“We understood the reason why we were running what we were running,” Roach said. “That style of play didn’t transfer to the NFL and the NFL didn’t understand what type of player this guy was. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. I just feel 3-4 didn’t let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. But we understood why we were running it. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.” – Roach to Hill

Lance Zierlein on Malcom Roach:

While Roach did what was asked of him at Texas, it was rare that you could feel his presence in terms of taking over a game or even a half. He’s a short-limbed, tight-legged defender with natural power and some funk in his hands. Roach needs an efficient pathway to the backfield and is better-suited as a gapping 3-technique or maybe even a shade nose if he can add good mass on his frame. The lack of length and below-average pass rush is a concern, but a move inside should bolster his chances of making a roster or practice squad as a rotational interior defender in an upfield 4-3 scheme.