Many were surprised when the Detroit Lions passed on drafting a linebacker in the first two days of the 2022 NFL Draft. Perceived as possibly the Lions’ top need going into the three-day event, Detroit waited until Pick 188 too select a linebacker: Oklahoma State’s Malcolm Rodriguez.
Many Lions fans immediately fell in love. Rodriguez is undersized, but he’s a tenacious player, sound tackler and strong leader. In rookie minicamp, he stood out simply because while other linebackers were getting coached intimately by the Lions’ staff, it looked as if they had almost no notes for Rodriguez.