Once a star, Malik McDowell now trying to find his way

By STEVE KING

The story is Malik McDowell is yet another reason why NFL Drafts shouldn’t be evaluated for at least a year or two, or perhaps even three or four.
Really.
McDowell, the free-agent defensive tackle signed by the Browns the other day, was a second-round draft choice of the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 after having had a stellar career at Michigan State. The Seahawks didn’t make draft mistakes back then, and they were especially proficient in evaluating defensive line talent. There was never a doubt that McDowell would be a star.
But because of a series of problems, many of which were off the field, he has yet to play a down in the league. That’s almost too unbelievable to be true.
And with that, then, to me at least, McDowell is one of the most interesting players on the Browns now. He was so good coming out of college — and is still so talented — that, even though he is only six weeks short of turning 25, teams continue to give him chances. But those chances won’t last forever — who knows, this may be his last one — and so he should be driven to prove himself to the Browns.
Wouldn’t it be a great story if McDowell gets his act together both on and off the field and becomes a serious contender for a roster spot? It would seem to be a long shot, to be sure, but it also seemed like a long shot that McDowell would still be struggling to find his way all these years later.
For all the problems the Browns have had in the expansion era, and how things are turning on a dime for them now, what if this becomes another good move and they find lightning in a bottle with Malik McDowell?