The Offseason Thread

[Mainevent]

Tier 2 Group: Tyler Booker OG , Grey Zabel OG, Donovan Jackson OG, Derrick Harmon DT, Kenneth Grant DT

I realized just now that I totally left Walter Nolen (DT Ole Miss) out of this group. He should have for sure been included.

Also considering removing Grant and Booker from this group. Booker isn't quite on the level of Zabel or Jackson IMO because he's a pure OG without any positional versatility. He's also not as athletic as those other two and is more of just a full on masher. That's fine, but I just think it puts him a bit behind those other guys.

As for Grant, sort of the same story, Harmon and Nolen have much higher rush upsides in 305/310lb bodies. That's a rare commodity. Grant has a bit of that but is still a traditional NT for the most part. If the Lions are prioritizing NT as a next year replacement for Reader, that works. But they can also look to get one of those guys in the 2nd or 3rd, like El Ax did with his Harmon/Tyleik Wililams combo pick.

[Blue Lagoon58]

Yep, I hope that’s the case and the fact that they just want more opportunities to get him live reps. The other side of that coin is that after a year of work at OT that they don’t think he has the chops to be a starter out at OT and want to transition him to the inside.

And even if that is the case, getting a starting G in the 4th is pretty good.

[Mainevent]

A 4th and this year’s 3rd. For a guy that’s sitting the bench for at least 2 years.

[El Axe]

B077 came out with his 5th mock

28: Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku
60: South Carolina DT T.J. Sanders.
102: Texas OL Cameron Williams
140: Illinois WR Pat Bryant.
196: LSU G Miles Frazier
228: Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter.
242: Ohio State ILB Cody Simon

https://old.reddit.com/r/detroitlions/comments/1jqqmsl/bo77_fit_mock_draft_v_5/

He's not as excited about this one, and I agree. Ezeiruaku is a good player, but would overlap with Barnes.

[DanO]

B077 came out with his 5th mock

28: Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku
60: South Carolina DT T.J. Sanders.
102: Texas OL Cameron Williams
140: Illinois WR Pat Bryant.
196: LSU G Miles Frazier
228: Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter.
242: Ohio State ILB Cody Simon

https://old.reddit.com/r/detroitlions/comments/1jqqmsl/bo77_fit_mock_draft_v_5/

He's not as excited about this one, and I agree. Ezeiruaku is a good player, but would overlap with Barnes.

I don't know the players but I like the positions. I'm sure Holmes et al have that figured out.

[El Axe]

Yep, in general B077 has been drafting a guard, a DL/DT and a DE/Edge with his first 3-4 picks. Usually, he drafts a DE who fits the Lions type (Big/powerful and long who holds the edge and defends the run first) instead of a prototypical Edge (athletic pass rusher who can drop into coverage).

[Mainevent]

Not sure that Ezaruaku overlaps with Barnes in that I think if you play him at off the ball LB, you're wasting his primary skill. Barnes, for all the talk about him as a pass rusher, really hasn't done it that much or been that successful as a pro (4 sacks for his career). The idea of him as a regular, impactful pass rusher is a bit wishcasting.

Ezaruaku's ideal position may be as a OLB but that would be in a 3-4 where he could play the TJ Watt type of role of getting after the QB. If the Lions were to draft him, then they are either thinking about deploying 3-4 front, or they will use him as DE pass rusher, similar to how Philly used Hassan Reddick or Nolan Smith - more 7-technique probably than anything.