Biggest risers from the 2022 college all-star events:

Western Kentucky edge rusher DeAngelo Malone

EDGE DeAngelo Malone, Western Kentucky

Just a two-star recruit in 2017, Malone became a starter as a sophomore for the Hilltoppers and never looked back. He was a first-team All-Conference USA selection each of the last three years, recording a total of 48.5 tackles for loss and 25 sacks over that stretch, while adding in four fumbles forced and passes knocked down this past season. That also earned him the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019 and 2021.

Right off the bat, Malone’s combination of speed and bend around the corner makes him a major threat. He had a beautiful up-and-under move against Southern Utah’s Braxton Jones on day one, showing that ability to punish tackles for oversetting to the outside. However, what blew me away, considering he weighed in at just 235 pounds for his 6’3” was the incredible power he could build up. He routinely put guys on skates who had a good 70-80 pounds on him, as they got too tall or onto their heels. On day three, in particular, he blasted through the shoulder of his old friend Braxton Jones for an easy (would-be) sack in one-on-ones.

Malone also showed that he doesn’t shy away at all from banging into blockers trying to kick him out on the backside. His strength was so much more impressive than I expected, throwing a couple of tight-ends out of club and, often times, squeezing the C-gap into nothingness away from the play direction. On top of that, I loved the attitude and chippiness he brought to the table. At one point, he pushed an offensive lineman past the whistle into the back of one of the coaches, who acted as the quarterback in one-on-ones. He wrapped up the week, by getting the first sack of the actual game (on the second National drive), running right through Iowa State tight-end Charlie Kolar and putting him flat on his back, as he was trying to secure Malone off play-action.

A lot of times when you see a Non-Power Five program have a great season, based on a quarterback season, like we did with Bailey Zappe for WKU, it opens up the path for some teammates to come along for the ride. The get invited to these pre-draft events. However, Malone was really the star of the show for the Hilltoppers and even American edge rushers altogether, despite the presence of Jermaine Johnson through the first two days. Considering how dominant he looked at just 235 pounds, NFL teams should feel pretty good about him adding a little bit to his frame and being an every-down player.