Malik McDowell -- a Seattle Seahawks' 2017 2nd-round pick -- turned pale, began to sweat profusely and began "breathing very heavily" when cops questioned him about a stolen vehicle that was parked in his garage, this according to police officers themselves.
The interaction is all in police docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... which give explicit detail into how the 23-year-old defensive lineman tried to explain how a stolen, $75,000 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor ended up at his home.
Cops say two 2019 Ford F-150s were stolen off a Ford Motor overflow lot in Michigan in late March or early April.
One of the stolen vehicles -- which you can see in pics obtained by TMZ Sports -- ended up sending a GPS signal that led cops to McDowell's Southfield, Michigan residence on April 8.
That's when officers say they found the truck in McDowell's garage ... and when they began questioning him about the vehicle, they say, "Malik was breathing very heavily, sweating and had a sallow look to his face."
Cops say Malik explained he purchased the vehicle in March for $5,000 from a random man on a local street in Detroit.
Cops say Malik didn't know the seller's name or phone number ... but said he was supposed to receive the proper paperwork from the guy for the car at a later date.
When cops asked how he would do that without the man's contact info or even name ... cops say McDowell "could not answer."
Then, cops say when they pressed McDowell about possibly lying about buying a brand new 2019 vehicle for $5,000 from a random person on the street ... they say McDowell changed his answer.
"I actually only bought the vehicle for $3,000," he told them.
Cops ended up towing the car out of McDowell's garage, and eventually arrested the 6-foot-6, 299-pound NFL player for felony receiving and concealing stolen property.
It's the second time in the last few months McDowell was arrested in Michigan ... back on Feb. 18, a Lathrup Village police officer spotted him driving recklessly in a Jeep Grand Cherokee and tried to question him.
When Malik became combative, the two walked toward a nearby gas station and got into an altercation.
Per police records, McDowell and the officer wrestled -- with the cop hitting the NFL player with a taser.
Eventually, McDowell was subdued, arrested and charged with several serious offenses, including felony assault/resisting arrest.
Malik -- who's still a free agent after being cut by the Seahawks last summer -- has been in court the past few months fighting the charges.