Arizona Cardinals: All I Want for Draftmas

Malik McDowell could be one of the best players in the draft, but has to want it

Free agency hit the Cardinals hard, and no loss was bigger than that of defensive lineman Calais Campbell. He was not only a great player, but a respected member of the team, and a leader. Finding a replacement isn’t going to be easy.

Clearly, there’s a tremendous amount of talent with McDowell. When he’s on his game, he dominates. He has great length, and wins in a number of ways. He’s quick enough to get around blockers, but has enough strength to go through them as well. Potentially, he’s one of the top ten players in this draft.

Unfortunately, McDowell has struggled to put things together. He has a few technical issues that need ironed out, but more importantly, needs to show he wants it. The biggest gripes with him are about his effort and whether or not he has the drive to succeed.

I have a second round grade on the big defensive lineman, so taking him at number 13 is a bit rich. He would make a nice addition in round two, but his sheer talent might be too much to allow him to fall that far.