Jeff Risdon
With Eric Ebron now in the fold as the answer to the receiving question, the Lions have several options with the second and third round picks.
Here are some names to watch that make good fits, or that the Lions might be considering.
Pass Rushers:
Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU–Ziggy Ansah’s former roommate is a crafty, lightning quick bundle of an all-around football player. He’s a base 4-3 linebacker first, a pass rusher second. Van Noy is outstanding in space, both in coverage and against the run, and he closes on his target exceptionally well. Not very big or strong, which are legit issues if the defensive line in front of him isn’t great. He’s the overwhelming fan favorite for the 45th pick, though it’s about 50/50 he lasts that long.
Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri–he’s a big end who fits the physical profile that the Lions like at the position. He’s 6’4” and 273 pounds and he knows how to get to the quarterback. Ealy has a barrage of pass rush moves and chases down well from behind. He played end, tackle, and even outside linebacker for the Tigers, including lining up at all three in one drive against Tennessee. He was widely projected to be a first round pick, and he could very well be the 33rd pick, taking him off the table for the Lions at 45.
Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina–he’s bigger at 6’6” and plays strong than Ealy, though they are very different players at the same position. Where Ealy relies on quickness and precision, Martin is more of a bruiser. It’s almost impossible to find any scouting report on him, including our own, that doesn’t mention “stiffness” quite prominently. He’d look a lot better at 76, but he projects to come off the board somewhere between 45 and 60.
Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech–sort of Anthony Barr Lite, Attaochu is a pass rushing specialist who can fly around the edge while lined up in a 2-pt stance at or behind the line of scrimmage. But even more so than Barr, he offers very little else. Very little. Strictly a situational pass rusher, though he could be very, very effective in that role.
Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia–this is more for the third round pick, as Clarke would be a monumental reach at 45. He might be a reach at 76, too, but he’s a near clone of Devin Taylor and that will hold some appeal for Martin Mayhew & Co. The Lions met with him during Shrine Game week, where he (like Taylor) impressed with his length/strength package and quickness to the ball for a guy his size.Did I mention he reminds me of Devin Taylor?
Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State–of all the defensive ends listed here, Crichton is the best overall football player. Don’t misinterpret that for Crichton not being a great pass rusher, because he’s got versatility there too. Enjoy this play from the Oregon game:
Scott Crichton with the big play, for Josh Liskiewitz https://t.co/qg4NGQkDMX
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) April 16, 2014
Corners:
Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska–has the outstanding height and length teams covet, and his game took a big leap as a senior. Our lead scout Darren Page thinks highly enough of him that he’d be happy taking him at 45, but I would angrily weep if he’s Detroit’s pick at 76. He’s a big guy who doesn’t play big.
Pierre Desir, Lindenwood–another bigger corner who can turn and run in press schemes, which figures to be a common coverage for the Lions. His age (24) and his relative lack of NFL readiness probably rule him out for Detroit, however.
Philip Gaines, Rice–while some, notably my colleague at Buffalo Bills Draft Dan Hope, see him as a second-round option, Gaines fits a lot better in the third round. He has durability issues and doesn’t play physical at all for his size. He’s another player Mayhew watched in person at Shrine Game week, where Gaines played very well.
Jaylen Watkins, Florida–miscast as a safety in 2013 despite being demonstrably better at corner than more celebrated teammates Marcus Roberson (who is also an option) and Louchiez Purifoy (who is not), Watkins is big, smart, and can play all over the secondary. Here’s my scouting report on Watkins from a couple months ago.
Ross Cockrell, Duke–he made his reputation by faring quite well against Mike Evans in their thrilling bowl game. Cockrell is another six-footer and he plays big, too. He’s one of the best jammers in this entire CB class, but the further away from the line he gets, the more trouble he’s in.
Walt Aikens, Liberty–yet another tall corner (6’1″), and that’s not an accident; the Lions do not have much interest in any corner that either cannot set the field on fire with speed or match up with length. Aikens is an Illinois transfer (okay, he was booted for stealing a computer) with outstanding athletic metrics. He held his own during Senior Bowl week, and he’s arguably the best tackler left on the board.
Keith McGill, Utah–supersized at 6’3″, but he’s already 25 and has the turning radius of a 1977 Lincoln Continental. Looks more like a safety conversion project, but again, he’s just 11 months younger than Matthew Stafford. His Utah teammate, OLB Trevor Reilly, would be a good Lions fit too, but he’s older than Stafford.
Others:
Marqise Lee, WR, USC–one-time top 10 lock who has fallen because of injuries and iffy hands. He might be the vaunted “best player available” at 45.
Marcus Martin, C, USC–a potential heir to either Rob Sims at LG or Dominic Raiola at C. I wrote extensively about him here.
Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State–my top-rated center and unabated draft man crush. If he’s the pick at 45, you might hear my screams of “YESSSS!!!” all the way from Zeeland. I will immediately go purchase his jersey.
Terrence Brooks, S, Florida State–he’s a player who I think belongs in the third but coudl wind up going in the second, between Detroit’s two picks. Rangy and athletic but gets caught staring a lot.
Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame–another player taking a big tumble, Nix could land in Detroit at 45. It’s worth noting that I was at the Notre Dame/Oklahoma game last fall and a Lions staffer was there as well, and in that game Oklahoma center Gabe Ikard absolutely wiped the field with the fat, lazy Nix.
Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU–big, raw but bluntly effective 1-technique who could groom for a year and then take over for, at minimum, C.J. Mosley as the third tackle in 2015.
Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford–incredible athlete, complete zero in terms of football instincts. You don’t want him at 76, trust me.
