Texas Football: 3 reasons why Vikings should draft Malcolm Roach

1. Brings a much needed presence to set the edge

While adding a defensive end like Wonnum can help add some agility and depth to the spot on the line, he doesn’t help out in all the areas that the Vikings need. This is where drafting Roach could come into play and fill a rather specific need for the Vikings. Last season, the Vikings did have trouble at times setting the edge and limiting the effectiveness of opposing rushing attacks.

The Vikings ranked in the bottom half of the NFL (19th more specifically) in allowed yards per carry. They allowed well over four yards per carry during the 2019 regular season, which is not something they’re accustomed to doing of late with a solid defense under the direction of head coach Mike Zimmer.

One of the strengths of Roach in certain spots during his four-year playing career on the Forty Acres was blowing up plays in the opposing offense’s backfield. That was best put on display during his true freshman and senior seasons, where he combined for 17.0 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Roach is best known for his strength and consistent motor coming off the line of scrimmage. The schemes he was put in under head coach Tom Herman and former Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando didn’t always maximize his skill set (and thus his stat line). But he showed his insane promise over long stretches of time in 2019 and 2016 with the Longhorns.

That aforementioned 4.84-second 40-yard dash time and 6-foot-3 and 297 pound frame for a defensive end/edge rusher is no joke and is very difficult to find at this point of the draft.