2 weeks Ago
This is the sixth part of our series previewing the Detroit Lions’ positional needs heading into the NFL draft, which is scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay. Today: Defensive line/EDGE rushers | Previously: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide receivers | Tight end | Offensive line Projected starters: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, DL Alim McNeill, DL DJ Reader, EDGE Marcus Davenport Projected reserves: DL Levi Onwuzurike, DL Josh Paschal, DL Mekhi Wingo, DL Roy Lopez, DL Myles Adams, DL Nate Lynn, DL Brodric Martin, DL Al-Quadin Muhammad, DL Pat O’Connor, DL Chris Smith, EDGE Isaac Ukwu Notable departures: EDGE Za’Darius Smith, DL Jonah Williams, DL John Cominsky, DL Kyle Peko Top defensive line and EDGE prospects: EDGE Abdul Carter (Penn State), DL Mason Graham (Michigan), DL Walter Nolen (Ole Miss), EDGE Mike Green (Marshall), EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College), EDGE Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M), DL Kenneth Grant (Michigan), EDGE James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee), EDGE Nic Scourton (Texas A&M) First-round fits for Detroit: Ezeiruaku, Stewart, Scourton, Nolen, DL T.
J. Sanders (South Carolina),EDGE Mykel Williams (Georgia), DL Derrick Harmon (Oregon), EDGE Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss) Day 2-3 fits for Detroit: EDGE JT Tuimoloau (Ohio State), DL Darius Alexander (Toledo), EDGE Landon Jackson (Arkansas), EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo (UCLA), EDGE Jack Sawyer (Ohio State), Ashton Gillotte (Louisville), DL Joshua Farmer (Florida State), DL Deone Walker (Kentucky), EDGE Ethan Downs (Oklahoma), Elijah Ponder (Cal Poly) Ben’s prediction: It’s not about forcing or drafting for a need. Well, it is.
But it’s also about taking advantage of a deep defensive line class and adding help to the pass rush and even the interior defensive line. My prediction is the Lions will take a defensive lineman in the first round, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them double-dip in the defensive trenches as they did with cornerbacks last year. There is too much talent in this year’s class to pass.
Breakdown: This year’s draft presents the perfect storm for the Detroit Lions, featuring a ton of talent on the interior and for the pass rush to answer one of, if not their biggest need. Aidan Hutchinson’s return is huge. He’s a superstar pass rusher who immediately improves the defense upon his return.
But that doesn’t take away from the need for more to the pass rush because we’ve been talking about the Lions needing to find him a running mate for longer than these last couple of months. They let Za’Darius Smith walk after trading for him at the deadline. They re-signed the talented but oft-injured Marcus Davenport, and that was it for the defensive edges.
With talks of wanting Josh Paschal to play on the inside more and Davenport’s extensive injury history, they need more, and they might need more than one. Picking back at the end of the first round creates some mystery as to who might be available. Luckily, there should be more than a couple of strong options available, with Donovan Ezeiruaku, Nic Scourton and Mykel Williams looking like potential names to watch.
It’s hard to imagine someone like Shemar Stewart falling to 28th overall after testing out of this world at the combine. Athletic testing isn’t everything, but when you do it like that, it matters. Ezeiruaku and Scourton are not consolation prizes -- it’s just that deep of a class.
Scourton led the Big Ten in sacks two years ago, then transferred to Texas A&M, where he played on a loaded line. The sack production dropped, but the pressures and pass-rushing strength still come through his tape. He played at more than 280 pounds last season, then weighed around 260 pounds at the combine.
Ezeiruaku, on the other hand, was the ACC’s defensive player of the year while notching 16.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 21 tackles for loss. There is an impressive combination of explosion and length.
He might need to add on some bulk to make the same impact at the next level. However, Ezeiruaku has elements that could be special to mold into a dominant pass rusher. Williams could be a sleeper home-run pick who is seemingly falling on boards and mocks based on playing through injuries last season.
He did so much for Georgia’s defense when able, and he has a special blend of speed, length and power. If this draft weren’t so deep at edge rusher and on the defensive line, Williams would be projected much higher on potential alone. The way he approaches run defense should also draw Detroit’s eye on the first day of the draft.
As for interior defensive line options? Derrick Harmon, Walter Nolen and T.J. Sanders are names to watch in the first round.
Harmon, the former Michigan State starter, has some serious juice to his game. Nolen has the athleticism and strength that should have him off the board before the Lions get a chance to take him, full disclosure. But Sanders is a personal favorite prospect.
Some view him as a little too rich of a pick for the first round, but this beat writer doesn’t see it that way. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder had four sacks and seven tackles for loss last season. Through his previous two seasons at South Carolina, Sanders had 8.
5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and five pass deflections. Sanders is big. He is active.
He is twitchy. It’s not all about the early rounds, though. The Lions will have plenty of choices throughout the draft to improve their defensive line and edge depth if something else falls their way.
Joshua Farmer and Deone Walker are interior-minded options to watch for the middle to later rounds. Farmer is an explosive option flying under the radar thanks to this class and Florida State’s dreadful season. He’s not the run defender the Lions usually covet, but there is some pass-rushing talent.
Walker is just a massive specimen at 6-foot-8, 328 pounds. The 21-year-old was a three-year starter at Kentucky and had more interior versatility than one might expect when seeing his size. Walker could play some big defensive end based on his movement ability and size.
He posted 7.5 sacks in 2023 but only 1.5 this past season while playing all over the defensive line.
“Yeah, I think there’s some good players at that position,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said of the class. “I won’t get into specifics or details about the actual players, but I know some will go before our pick, and some might be available at our pick. “Just like previous questions I’ve fielded, it might be an opportunity to trade back if that position is there.
But yeah, there’s some good football players there.”.
