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Texas' Malcom Brown impresses Detroit Lions assistant

Touted defensive tackle Malcom Brownhad a strong workout Tuesday at Texas' pro day, and he definitely impressed at least one of the three defensive line coaches in attendance.



That coach, incidentally, is from a team that would seem to be in the market for a first-round defensive tackle.

Brown (6-foot-2, 319 pounds) had an individual workout conducted by defensive line coaches from the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals, and Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek said he liked what he saw.

"The impressive part of this deal is he was able to rapid-fire through in a short period of time and then finished strong at the end," Kocurek told the Dallas Morning News. "Impressive workout."

Kocurek also told the Morning News he was impressed by Brown's game film.

"He put together a really consistent year this year from start to finish," Kocurek said. "That's what you like to see when you're evaluating. You like to see the consistency week after week. He put together a really consistent year. You can tell he's a hard worker."

Detroit -- which picks 23rd in the first round -- acquired defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (via trade from the Baltimore Ravens) and Tyrunn Walker (free agency) earlier this month, but still would seem to be in the market for another tackle; Detroit lost both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, and Brown would fit in the Lions' scheme.

"If you go to my film, since I've been here, I've played nose, three-technique (tackle), end, stand-up end," Brown told the Morning News. "Just wherever you're going to put me, I'm going to play. I'm going to attack the work."

Brown ranks 16th on NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah's list of the top 50 prospects for the draft. Five of the six NFL Media analysts who have done mock drafts have Brown going in the first round, and Lance Zierlein has the Lions selecting him at 23. Zierlein has touted his ability to play multiple spots along the line and says Brown's "instincts and feel off the snap help him to get into the backfield quickly."



Brown is a former national top-10 recruit who blossomed into one of the nation's top defensive tackles in 2014 under new Texas coach Charlie Strong. Brown, who is married and has two children, left Texas after his junior season.

Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.