NFL Draft Diamonds

NFL Draft, NFL Trade Rumors, Scouting Reports & More

NFL Draft Diamonds Scouting Report: Malik Fountain, LB, Central Michigan

Malik Fountain is a game changer for Central Michigan

Stats & Awards

Career –  51 games, 227 solo, 172 ast, 399 tackles, 25 TFL, 2 INT’s, 1 FR, 3 FF & 1 Sack

2018- Played in 12 Games this season

  • 153 tackles, 87 solo, 66 AST, 8 TFL 1 sack, 2 INT, 6 PBU & 1 FF
  • Mac D Player Of The Week  Sept 15th had 18 tackles, 8 solo a critical sack   in the 4th QT to help win vs NIU .
  • All  Conference First Team
  • 13 tackles 1 QBH vs NIU
  • 12 tackles, 1.5 TFL vs Maine
  • 15 tackles, 1.5 TFL & 1 INT vs Mich State
  • 15 tackles vs Western Mich
  • 15 tackles, 2 TFL & 1 FF vs Akron
  • 13 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks & 1 FR vs Eastern Mich
  • 16 tackles vs Bowling Green

2017

  • 89 tackles, 2.5 TFL 2 PD
  • All MAC American 2nd Team
  • Ranked 2nd on team with tackles  

2016

90 tackles, 9 TFL, FF FR

All MAC  American Conference First Team Defense

Avg 7 tackles per Game

6 tackles at Oklahoma St 9/10/16

9 tackles, 8 of which solo 2 TFL vs UNLV 9/17/16

13 tackles 1.5 TFL at Toledo 10/22/16

8 tackles at Miami 11/4/16

Diamond  Report

Fountain is a absolute beast of a tackler in the open field.

Frame wise he has a good stature for the position of linebacker middle or mike LB he’s almost 6’2 230 pounds with strong upper body nice wingspan powerful grip/ hands good lateral movement fluid hips  with above average lower body burst. Shows consistent effort really improved on his numbers this season. All Pro Mac Conference 1st team this season & has been 1st or 2nd team 3 years in a row.

In the Run Game:  Patient waiting for plays to develop with outstanding start & stop.   He is a stud 153 tackles with 87 solo is proof in itself that Fountain is a savage tackler . Can read offenses has a good eye recognizing the difference between run & pass. Takes proper angle to the ball carrier. Has amazing stop & start ability powerful leverage makes diving tackles. Athletic explodes both vertically & laterally on the field.  Shows good pursuit tracking down the ball carrier with efficiency & pure effort. Reads & reacts the way a Inside backer should. Good tackling rangy , lengthy stretching out to make tough tackles. His bend & burst remind me alot of how the Bama LB’s are taught to attack. Closing speed is amazing very strong tackler brings backs & players to the ground quickly & hard.  Does Not get a ton of sacks but he is constantly bursting thru gaps to disrupt plays behind the line. Absolute stud at navigating his way thru holes in the O exciting explosive top notch run defending backer.

In Pass Coverage:   Leaves something to be desired not the fastest nor does he have the long speed to cover for extended periods. What he lacks in coverage skills he makes up for with effort & a high football IQ.  He does get lost a bit at times in coverage but I do believe he has the attributes to cover in short areas keep everything in front of him. Excellent at recognizing play calls a leader on the field he can help orchestrate his fellow D players to get them in the proper positioning. He is much better in a zone type capacity covering bubble screens & RB screens not covering for 30 yards down the field.  Uses his hands well with 3 career FF & a couple INT’s very active hands knocking down balls or distracting QB’s. Not his strongest attribute but far from a weakness.

Summary:  As a true  Mike LB prospect I am high on Fountain. A workhorse in the run game & as an inside backer can limit him to covering short yardage passes. One word to define Fountain is consistent. Had double-digit tackles in every game this season. Played in 51 games in 4 years was All-Pro 3 years in a row. Still ranked as the number 33 LB prospect by NFL Draft Scout.com. Which leads me to believe he will need to show out against his peers as well as have a solid pro day in order to be considered a day 3 prospect.Might not blow scouts away with his Forty time, but think his 10 yd split will be eye-opening. Believe his broad jump & vert will be above average among LB’s & players of similar height/weight. If he is still available in round 7 GM’s shouldn’t hesitate to take a player with that strong of a resume  & work ethic. Once he gets into a camp very well should find a way to make the cut.

Loading

Leave a Reply