Raiders add to defense and draft Malcolm Koonce from Buffalo with 79th pick

With the 79th pick in the NFL Draft, the Raiders selected defensive end Malcolm Koonce from Buffalo.

In his four seasons with the Bulls, Koonce racked up 109 tackles with 22.5 coming for loss and 17 sacks. He also had four forced fumbles.

Scouting report (via The Draft Network)

Malcolm Koonce is a lanky and long-armed defender who has experience playing from both an upright and 3-point position. He’s efficient with using his length and hands with a consistent club-rip move that has become his go-to tactic as a pass rusher. Demonstrating adequate bend at the hips, he can lower his center of gravity and corner in order to win around the edge. An attacker at the apex of pass rush attempts, he has also shown to be capable of dipping below the hands/arms of matchups prior to initial punch attempts. Constantly showing a high motor, he remains a relentless ball chaser, which helps show off his athleticism.

Koonce is fully aware of how to stack-shed and push-pull when necessary. When locking his arms out, it’s very difficult for blockers to get inside of his frame. An area that remains inconsistent with Koonce is displaying functional lower-body strength. As an edge setter, he can often get moved off of his spots in the run game and struggle to keep his outside shoulder free. This allowed rushers to circle the edge and rush for explosive plays. As a pass rusher, he hasn’t quite developed a go-to counter move against blockers that are able to match his first step and continued explosiveness throughout the duration of pass-rush attempts.

While he won’t be a fit in every defense, he projects best as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he remains inexperienced as a coverage dropper from his stand-up positioning.

Check out what our friends over at Bull Run say about the Buffalo product here.