STRENGTHS
Malachi reminds me a lot of former Panthers Steve Smith Sr. He is a bigger version but has the same toughness and high football IQ, with those strong hands to catch almost anything thrown to him. He is an excellent route runner and has the size and quickness needed to make a lot of “run after the catch” yardage. Malachi is the type of receiver the faster you get the ball into his hands the more yardage he will get out of the route he is running. He can play inside or outside but he is best as your move receiver or man-in-motion receiver because of his size, toughness, and ability to break tackles. He is very smart and seems to be in tune with his quarterback, especially on plays that have to be extended or break down. Malachi can line up at different positions in your offense and impact. His high football IQ and attention to detail is obvious, add to that his passion to catch the ball and break tackles and you have a potential weapon on offense that most teams will struggle to match up against.
CONCERNS
Malachi has excellent quickness and burst but lacks the long speed to be a true every-down outside receiver. That’s why he should be moved around the offense and not just left playing one position.
BOTTOM LINE: 1.83
If you want to compare Malachi to Deebo Samuel of the 49ers, that makes sense but when Deebo came out he wasn’t as consistent a receiver as Malachi is now. The big difference is that Deebo played for South Carolina and Malachi plays for Western Kentucky. Nowadays receivers are required to be able to run after the catch more than ever before. Also, receivers need to be quicker in their route running to get open quickly so quarterbacks can get rid of the ball faster. Malachi and Deebo are those types of receivers with that Steve Smith-type toughness to catch the ball no matter when or where the ball is thrown to them. Malachi is athletic and can adjust to the ball in the air and that is why he can be used out wide or in the slot as a receiver. He has the size of a running back and can break tackles and that’s why he can be used coming out of the backfield. He may lack the long speed to go deep but improving his route running will allow him to make double moves and get deep when he needs to. He is smart and has an excellent feel for running routes and getting open especially when plays break down, and this alone will make him a difficult match-up for just about any defense he plays against.
