The Pittsburgh Steelers had Clemson defensive end / outside linebacker Malliciah Goodman in for a pre draft visit on Thursday, and once again, our scouting buddy Dave-Te\’ Thomas was kind enough to give us his detailed scouting report profile on him, which you can read below. Make sure to listen to the latest episode of the podcast as we had Thomas on for nearly a full hour talking about the Steelers draft and prospects.
MALLICIAH GOODMAN
Defensive End / Outside Linebacker
Clemson University Tigers
#97
6:03.5-276
Florence, South Carolina
West Florence High school
OVERVIEW
When Goodman arrived on campus in 2009, he was heralded as one of the nation’s top defensive end prospects. He was rated as the nation’s 36th-best overall prospect by Rivals.com, the tenth-best defensive end in America by ESPN.com and the 11th-best defensive end in the prep ranks Scout.com. But thanks in part to a logjam ahead of him with Da’Quan Bowers and Andre Branch, among others, his production was limited.
Goodman started two of 27 games his first two seasons, making three sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. With Bowers having left school early for the NFL, the 2011 season would be his understudy’s opportunity. After two seasons of being mentored by Bowers at the strong-side defensive end, he was ready to show the coaches he was ready to contribute.
“I think I could’ve done a lot better than I’ve done so far,” he said during 2011 fall camp. “That’s what I’m trying to prove this season.” Film study proved his own point, as Good-man knew there were “a couple missed plays, missed sacks, missed tackles; things I know I can get.”
After watching film with new defensive ends coach Marion Hobby, the point was driven home. Hobby said he often didn’t finish his rushes, and needed better second efforts to turn pressure into sacks. “You can figure it out watching film or as it happens in a game, and say, ‘Man, that was my play, I knew I could do that,’” Goodman said.” To a defensive end, there’s nothing worse than missing a sack. That’ll get to your head. You’ve got to keep going, keep rushing.”
Goodman has gigantic size-11 hands; they were the biggest at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. He also has excellent fundamentals. But it was his improved effort that saw him go on to start his final 27 games for the Tigers. He barely left the field during his junior season, as he established a school record for defensive linemen by appearing in 767 snaps in 2011.
“I’m pretty good with fundamentals,” Goodman said. “But sometimes I focus more on fundamentals than making a play. I need to get a balance between them.” He was counted on to lead a young defensive unit with the departures of Bowers and All-Atlantic Coast Conference defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins gone to the professional ranks, coming through with 49 tackles, two sacks and caused three interceptions among his eight quarterback pressures during his junior season.
Goodman not only provided leadership up front, he was also a player the rest of the defensive unit saw they could view as their foundation to build a stingy defense. “We’re helping the linebackers, we’re helping the secondary, we’re helping the quarterback throw the ball quicker so the secondary can pick it off,” he said. “We have a big role on defense and that’s what we’re trying to take.”
His role was as big as any; Goodman had to fill Bowers’ production, or at least approximate it. His goal was, “tough to reach; I want to put a lot of work into it. I take it as a challenge,” he said. “As they put it, I’m going to try and be the hardest worker out there, and get my mind on it and keep going.”
“Malliciah is a good player that has the chance to be great,” Dabo Swinney said. “Right now he’s not doing the little things that he has to do to be great. That’s where he’s at. We’re not disappointed with him, we just need him to come onto another level. He’s very similar to Da’Quan. Hopefully he’ll buy into that.”
By all accounts, Goodman listened. With nine sacks, 13.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, eleven pressures and five forced fumbles since becoming a starter, the “student” has made his “teacher” (Bowers) proud, along with drawing praise from his head coach.
Prior to enrolling at Clemson University, Goodman was a standout defensive end at Florence High School. A Parade and EA Sports All-American selection, he was regarded as the best player in the state of South Carolina, according to Rivals.com, as that recruiting service also rated him the fifth-best defensive end in the country. A finalist for “Mr. Football” honors, he added All-Conference and All-State accolades as a senior.
That season, Goodman recorded 73 tackles that included fifteen sacks and 27 stops behind the line of scrimmage in just nine contests. He was one of just two South Carolina prep players to compete at the U.S. Army All-American Game and also participated in the Shrine Bowl.
Goodman enrolled at Clemson in January of 2009, following his high school graduation in December of 2008. He posted 26 tackles with two sacks and six stops-for-loss learning behind Bowers during his freshman year. As a sophomore, he started vs. Georgia Tech at the “bandit” position, but the bulk of his 32 tackles, three forced fumbles and 3.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage came while backing up at strong-side end.
As a senior, Goodman garnered All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention. He started all thirteen games, producing just twenty tackles, but he ranked seventh in the league with seven sacks and had 9.5 stops-for-loss. He also caused four fumbles, which ranked eighth in the nation. He would close out his career by being named Player of the Game after recording two sacks that killed a pair of scoring drives in a 25-24 decision over Louisiana State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Goodman would not “take off his jersey” for at least one more week, having accepted an invitation to play in the 2013 Senior Bowl. Throughout practices, the senior Tiger not only turned heads with those large hands, but he also had the longest wing-span (87 ¾-inches) of any player on the field, looking like a condor swooping down on his prey in run containment. He also showed off his impressive speed coming off the edge as a pass rusher.
Even at 272 pounds, Goodman’s frame appears to be capable of carrying even more bulk without it affecting his overall quickness. With that long reach, he could be a problem for quarterbacks trying to fire the ball at the line of scrimmage, as he uses his athleticism to leap high and deflect passes. He does a good job of maintaining position at the point of attack and knows how to use his hands in order to gain separation. He also demonstrates that he has more than enough short area speed to make plays down the line.
Goodman has smooth lateral agility and change of direction skills. He has the speed to chase the ball, and has done a nice job of making plays from behind or cross-field. When his motor is functioning properly, he flashes a burst to close. He is good at diagnosing the plays and appears to have the range to make plays away from the line.
Despite lacking lofty statistics, Goodman is an adequate tackler whose best asset is his long arms that he uses effectively to wrap up. While he will sometimes miss tackling when working in space, he hits, wraps and grabs with effectiveness. He also looks fleet-footed when having to work down the line to make the play. When he stays low in his pads, he is good at maintaining position and defeating blocks one-on-one.
Goodman is best vs. plays in front of him, as he tends to grab at ball carriers when they get by his side. But, as a pass rusher, he flashes an effective swim move. He can get good pressure on the quarterback and also is effective attempting to bull rush. He is considered fast enough to fire off the edge to flush the quarterback out, resulting in a high QB pressure figure.
CAREER NOTES
Goodman started 28-of-54 games at Clemson, including each of his final 27 appearances, as he recorded 127 tackles (70 solos) with twelve sacks for minus 81 yards, 23.0 stops for losses of 102 yards and thirteen quarterback pressures…Recovered one fumble and had three pass deflections…His eight forced fumbles are two shy of the school career-record of ten, first set by Jeff Davis (1978-81) and later matched by Ed McDaniel (1988-91).
2012 SEASON
Goodman received All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention from the league’s coaches and media…Started all thirteen games at strong-side defensive end, participating in 622 plays, as he recorded only twenty tackles (11 solos), but seven were sacks for minus 41 yards and 9.5 were losses totaling 46 yards…Credited with three QB pressures and had a fumble recovery, along with a pass deflection…Ranked eighth in the nation with four forced fumbles, one shy of the school season-record of five, set by Brandon Maye in 2009…Had four tackles, a game-high 2.5 stops for loss, and a caused fumble in 55 snaps vs. Auburn…Added four tackles, one sack, and two quarterback pressures in 62 snaps vs. Virginia Tech…Posted two tackles, one sack, and pressures in 40 snaps at Wake Forest…
Posted two tackles and a recovered fumble in 24 snaps vs. Maryland…Delivered two tackles, one sack, two pressures, and a caused fumble in 68 snaps vs. North Carolina State…Had one sack and a caused fumble in 73 snaps vs. South Carolina and was in on four tackles, a game-high three sacks, and a pass break-up in 38 snaps vs. Louisiana State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl to earn team defensive player-of-the-game honors.
2011 SEASON
Goodman took over strong-side defensive end duties, as his 767 snaps in fourteen games set a school season-record for defensive linemen…Recorded a career-high 49 tackles (25 solos) with two sacks and four stops for losses of 20 yards…Added eight QB pressures, a forced fumble and a pass deflection…Delivered four tackles and a team-tying-high three quarterback pressures in 54 snaps vs. Troy…Added five tackles in 49 snaps vs. Wofford and tallied four tackles, a half tackle for loss, and two quarterback pressures in 58 snaps at Virginia Tech…Posted six tackles, 2.5 stops for loss, a caused fumble on a sack, and two quarterback pressures in 44 snaps vs. Boston College to receive team co-defensive player-of-the-game honors…Totaled five tackles in 67 snaps at Maryland and had nine tackles in 66 snaps at Georgia Tech to again garner team co-defensive player-of-the-game accolades…Made five tackles vs. Wake Forest and five tackles with a sack in 56 snaps at North Carolina State…Closed out his junior season with four tackles in 67 snaps vs. West Virginia in the Orange Bowl.
2010 SEASON
The recipient of the team’s Future Impact Player Award, Goodman recorded 32 tackles (17 solos) with a 7-yard sack, 3.5 stops for minus 11 yards and a pressure…Won the Strength Training Award and Most Improved Award for defensive ends for the spring practice; he was the only Tiger to win both awards at his position for the spring season…Also caused three fumbles (tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference) and deflected a pass… Spent most of the season behind Da’Quan Bowers at strong-side end, but earned his first career start at the “bandit” position opposite Bowers, vs. Georgia Tech…Had seven tackles, two for loss, and a sack vs. North Texas…Tied the Clemson record for caused fumbles (two) vs. Presbyterian College and was named team special teams player-of-the-game…Added nine tackles, including seven first hits, and a tackle for loss in 48 snaps vs. Georgia Tech and followed with two tackles and three quarterback pressures vs. North Carolina State.
2009 SEASON
Goodman was named Co-Rookie-of-the-Year for Clemson defensive players as voted on by the coaching staff…Was also a first-team freshman All-ACC pick by Rivals.com…Did not start a game, but played in all fourteen contests and averaged 24 snaps per game… Finished with 26 tackles (17 solos), two sacks for minus 15 yards, six stops for losses of 25 yards and a pressure…Added six more tackles on special teams.
INJURY REPORT
No major injuries reported.
AGILITY TESTS
4.67 in the 40-yard dash…1.67 10-yard dash…2.70 20-yard dash…4.48 20-yard shuttle…
7.10 three-cone drill…31 ½-inch vertical jump…9’6” broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 26 times…36 3/8-inch arm length…11-inch hands…87 ¾-inch wingspan.
HIGH SCHOOL
Goodman attended Florence (S.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Trey Woodberry…Rated as the nation’s 36th-best overall prospect by Rivals.com, the tenth-best defensive end in America by ESPN.com and the 11th-best defensive end in the prep ranks Scout.com…Regarded as the best player in the state of South Carolina, according to Rivals.com, as that recruiting service also rated him the fifth-best defensive end in the country…Finalist for “Mr. Football” honors, he added All-Conference and All-State accolades as a senior…Was also a Parade and EA Sports All-American selection in 2008…
That season, Goodman recorded 73 tackles that included fifteen sacks and 27 stops behind the line of scrimmage in just nine contests…Was one of just two South Carolina prep players to compete at the U.S. Army All-American Game and also participated in the Shrine Bowl.
PERSONAL
Graduated on December 20th, 2012 with a degree in Sociology…Born 1/04/90…Resides in Florence, South Carolina.
