Malik Herring NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Kansas City Chiefs DL

HEIGHT: 6'3 1/4"

WEIGHT: 275 lbs

POSITIVES

—Understands how to rush different lanes based on offensive lineman's body positioning.

—Foot speed is not an issue relative to his size.

—Pass-rushing moves like swipes are relatively developed for a player of his size.

—Holds his ground when being blocked from his inside shoulder better than his outside shoulder.

—Long one-arm game helps him control and hold his gap.

—For his size, comfortable in space when given the opportunities.

NEGATIVES

—Did not continue to progress in 2020 as he did in 2018 and 2019.

—Played a lot of 4i-technique, which does not translate to the NFL and makes it difficult to translate his film into a projection.

—Was used in a heavy rotation at Georgia, which plays defenders in specific roles for the team.

—Questions about his lack of versatility and what his position is at the next level.

2020 STATISTICS

20 TKL, 4.5 TFL, 2 SK, 2 PBU

NOTES

—Missed part of the Senior Bowl week with an ACL injury that required surgery.

—Was named Georgia's 2019 defensive most improved player

—Was a captain for multiple games in 2020.

OVERALL

Due to the specific non-NFL role that Malik Herring was asked to play at Georgia, his week at the Senior Bowl had one of the bigger potential influences on draft stock of any player in the class. Unfortunately for the player caught between the traditional size of a defensive tackle and defensive end, he tore his right ACL and had to pull out of the week early.

Now, Herring's positional projection questions come with added recovery time, which did not help his draft case. At the moment, he should be viewed as a potential rosterable player who may need a year on the practice squad in 2021 before he can be slated for a full 17 games at the NFL level.

GRADE: 6.5/10 (Round 6)

OVERALL RANK: 242/300

POSITION RANK: DL22

PRO COMPARISON: Solomon Thomas

Written by B/R NFL Scout Justis Mosqueda