Malik
Jefferson.
Malik
Jefferson.
Texas· 6'3"· 236 lb· 4.52s 40
The Cincinnati Bengals' hybrid 4-3 defense, primarily Cover 3 with occasional blitz packages, values athletic linebackers who can cover ground and contribute to pass rush.
Year 1 could see him as a rotational weakside linebacker and core special teams player, with a ceiling to develop into a three-down starter capable of making plays sideline to sideline.
A traditional 3-4 two-gap scheme where his primary responsibility would be to eat blocks and occupy gaps rather than utilizing his speed and explosiveness to make plays in space.
His athleticism and raw talent suggest a high upside, particularly in a scheme that allows him to play fast and attack.
Selected #78 overall in Round 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft by Cincinnati Bengals out of Texas.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.52sp50
- Vertical
- 36inp50
- Broad jump
- 125inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- 27repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Texas | 11 | 59 | 5.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | Texas | 13 | 110 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 24 | 169 | 9.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Malik Jefferson played linebacker for the Bengals, Browns, Chargers, and Cowboys, primarily contributing on special teams. He struggled to secure a consistent defensive role and was out of the league after the 2022 season.