Texas Football: Deeper look into 4 Longhorns invited to 2020 NFL Combine

The defensive line for the Texas football program was a letdown for much of the 2019 regular season. But they really picked up their play during the regular season finale win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders and in the impressive Alamo Bowl win over the Utah Utes, by a dominating final score of 38-10.

However, senior defensive end Malcolm Roach was one of the mainstays for the line over the last two years. Herman and former Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando made the move to put Roach along the defensive line instead of an outside linebacker or edge rusher prior to the start of his junior season.

The move to defensive end didn’t boost the production of Roach all that much in the end. Just purely in terms of production per game and efficiency, Roach was the best during his freshman season. He had just shy of .33 sacks per game during his freshman campaign and posted around one tackle for loss per game.

His numbers were totaled to the best of his career during his senior campaign, and he at least ended 2019 on a high-note in the win over Utah.

Versatility is something that Roach will definitely bring to the table at the next level. At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, Roach could play as a bigger edge rusher or a true defensive end in the NFL. He needs to improve off the mark of three sacks that he posted in 13 games during the 2019 campaign and the goose egg he registered in that department two years ago.