NFL Draft: At 6-foot-2, Malecki undersized yet hopeful

It’s not often that you hear a 6-foot-2, almost 300-pound man called… It’s not often that you hear a 6-foot-2, almost 300-pound man called “undersized.”

But size is a major concern for John Malecki, the departing right guard of the Pitt football team.

“Unfortunately, size is going to be a factor with me,” Malecki said. “I’ve been preparing myself to play center at the next level because my height doesn’t really meet what teams look for.”

Malecki hopes to earn the opportunity to prove that his size is not a factor at the NFL Draft, beginning on April 22.

Malecki is one of several Panthers who hope to be selected during the three-day event. If he is not selected during the draft, Malecki still has a chance to enter summer training camp as an undrafted free agent.

Not all scouts see Malecki as a center prospect, as he is ranked by nfldraftscout.com as the No. 41-ranked offensive guard in the draft class.

Malecki could be a high-upside type of player because he’s only played on the offensive side of the ball for two seasons. He didn’t begin playing offensive line in college until spring practice before his junior season.

As a true freshman, Malecki made an immediate impact on the field, getting playing time in 12 games and recording 11 tackles, all at defensive tackle.

Returning to the defensive line as a sophomore, Malecki increased his impact, playing nose tackle in 12 games and recording four sacks on the year.

The following spring, Malecki moved to the offensive side of the line, where he had not played since his senior year of high school.

Malecki’s transition earned him the starting right guard spot, and he started in all of the season’s 13 games. At the conclusion of the season, Malecki received the team’s Most Improved Offensive Player award.

Malecki not only made an impact in his junior season on the football field, but he also excelled in the classroom, being named to the Big East All-Academic Team.

Malecki, a business marketing major, is still unsure what he wants to do after his playing days in football are finished.

“I’m not sure what I eventually want to do with my degree,” Malecki said. “At some point I would like to get into coaching, though. Probably starting at the high school level to help build up a program and maybe move up in coaching from there.”

It’s certainly possible with his history of being able and willing to switch positions, as well as his good standing off the football field, which could propel Malecki to a late-round draft selection or a chance as an undrafted free agent in training camp.

While Malecki might not have the size some NFL teams look for, his other statistics do not disappoint. At Pitt’s Pro Day, Malecki put up 25 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, a number that at the combine would have put him in the middle of the pack for offensive linemen.

Malecki’s strength isn’t the only statistic that could impress NFL scouts. He’s recorded a 40-yard dash time as low as 5.04 seconds, and is consistently around the 5.16-second mark. Both numbers would put Malecki in the top 10 of the offensive lineman invited to the NFL combine.

The fact that Malecki was not invited to the NFL combine should not discourage interest in his ability. The combine prided itself on the fact that every offensive lineman in attendance was listed as taller than 6-foot-3 and weighed more than 300 pounds, both numbers that Malecki does not have.

While Malecki has been the consistent anchor of the Panthers’ offensive line for the past two seasons, he very well could get a chance to do the same for an NFL team.

Looking back on his time at Pitt, Malecki has had plenty of good memories.

“The standout moment looking back was probably the Notre Dame game from this season,” Malecki said. “The whole environment surrounding that game was great, from walking into the stadium to game time itself.”

Malecki is hopeful about his future.

“If I don’t get drafted I won’t be that worried about it. Being an undrafted free agent isn’t as bad as it sounds. All I have to do is get a tryout and impress one person.”