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motown1958
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I usually break down some of the Lions possible targets every year and then share opinions in posts but this year I am just going to lay it all out there. I am just picking a few of the top guys haven't had time to do more than that.
Watkins: Talks of moving up to get him brought him into the fold. Good hands and body control. He fights for the ball in the air and generally catches the ball away from his body which is something I look for as an indicator of concentration and transitioning to the pro's. Has speed to outrun angles taken by defense. 6'1" height so not a big guy but still more of an outside threat than a slot player. Needs to work on routes. Possible maturity concerns. I am really high on his toughness. Will run through defenders and knows how to get them leaning with his elusiveness so will have good YAC. Against physical corners he may struggle, I dont see the physicality at separating off the line. Against the zone, however, he will find space over and under.
Evans: Big at 6'5" with a good vertical. Fights for the ball in the air but also doesn't get enough separation to consistently beat defenders. Runs poor routes and benefited from playing with Manziel who made space for him. He is consistent at securing the ball and is good at catching away from his body. Not sure he is an elite number 1 but definitely a top number 2 who will be a consistent chain mover and possession guy. Strong enough to beat press and can make plays in tight coverage.
Clowney: PIPEDREAM. Everyone knows he is a freak physically. Had a down year but was also the focal point for blockers. There isn't much negative other than his motor which he needs to improve his consistency of effort. Would look amazing as a piece to this team. Can't be blocked man to man generally. wins with all sorts of methods, speed, power, spins, swim moves, bull rush. doesn't matter what you do to him he can disrupt the play. He can be beaten down mentally though. Elite tackles that got the better of him could take him out of the game. Struggled converting sacks this past season but the rest of the SC defense was pretty inadequate.
HHCD: Good athlete and good hands. Sure tackler and reads the game well. He diagnosis plays well but he also is a little slow to react. He has the instincts but may not trust them. Gets himself out of position by being late but has the athleticism to make up for it. I like that he is different than Delmas. More of a pass defense guy that can play the run than a run stop guy that can play the pass. He sometimes fills the run gap late which is a set back. Not a big hitter more of a sure tackler which I am fine with. We need less missed tackles on this team.
Pryor: Good athlete and elite hitter. This guy makes rbs and wrs pay for getting the ball. Better at attacking a rb than playing the pass but can still make plays on the ball. Not sure if he can cover since it seems Louisville never had him covering people man to man. On the field he looks faster than his time at the combine. (4.58) Him and HHCD are very similar as far as athletics were concerned but I think watching him play as opposed to HHCD, Pryor looks a lot faster. Some of that comes from him being out of position and having to catch up. Plays with to much recklessness. will get penalties and more than likely injuries. Already had that with Delmas.
Lewan: could be a direction at 10. Big individual and one of the best athletes at the position. Also the best athlete who also showed that skill on the field. Was a violent blocker with great feet to both drive block in the running game and shuffle with pass blocking. Has elite strength and doesn't get driven back very often. One of the few tackles who took Clowney out of the game completely. Clowney made that 1 big play but was left unblocked by a TE. Terrible playcall. Has a little bit of a history of poor choices and could be a trouble maker.
Gilbert: a gifted athlete. Fluid in and out of breaks with good reaction to both the qb and wr. Reads qbs well and showed the ability to read double moves as well as breaking on short passes. Questionable work ethic and struggled withe mental part of the game. Brings kick and punt return abilities as well. Good hands and ability to react to the pass. Good at intercepting the ball and pass defenses. I don't personally see a pure shutdown corner because he plays a little soft at the line and would rather use his speed to trail and make plays. Nothing wrong with that it worked for D. Sanders but this kids isn't primetime. He, like Sanders is a poor tackler and definitely weak against the run.
Dennard: Not a smart pick at 10 but a trade down to the mid teens would be a good spot. Not elite speed but uses his build and enough speed to stay close to defenders. Good read and react skills. Breaks on the ball extremely well and more importantly he is smart and trusts what he sees. Reads plays quickly and has the ability to play tight with bigger wrs. I like him in the mid to late 1st. Struggled with injuries.
I am not going to talk about OLBs because I dont see any worth really going after. Most fit better into a 3-4 rush olb. Shazier could be a decent pick later in the draft probably better at the ILB of 3-4. Mack is a monster as a rush style backer and IF the team wants a blitzer he could be an option but I think we are probably set with what we have.
I don't suppose I see the dline help early in the draft outside of clowney. Tuitt could be a nice grab as a replacement for Fairley. Tuitt could still be there at 10 so its a possibility.
The draft has some nice pieces but I honestly only see a few elite players at a few positions. There is going to be good talent that can step in and play deep into the 2nd and third round.
Watkins: Talks of moving up to get him brought him into the fold. Good hands and body control. He fights for the ball in the air and generally catches the ball away from his body which is something I look for as an indicator of concentration and transitioning to the pro's. Has speed to outrun angles taken by defense. 6'1" height so not a big guy but still more of an outside threat than a slot player. Needs to work on routes. Possible maturity concerns. I am really high on his toughness. Will run through defenders and knows how to get them leaning with his elusiveness so will have good YAC. Against physical corners he may struggle, I dont see the physicality at separating off the line. Against the zone, however, he will find space over and under.
Evans: Big at 6'5" with a good vertical. Fights for the ball in the air but also doesn't get enough separation to consistently beat defenders. Runs poor routes and benefited from playing with Manziel who made space for him. He is consistent at securing the ball and is good at catching away from his body. Not sure he is an elite number 1 but definitely a top number 2 who will be a consistent chain mover and possession guy. Strong enough to beat press and can make plays in tight coverage.
Clowney: PIPEDREAM. Everyone knows he is a freak physically. Had a down year but was also the focal point for blockers. There isn't much negative other than his motor which he needs to improve his consistency of effort. Would look amazing as a piece to this team. Can't be blocked man to man generally. wins with all sorts of methods, speed, power, spins, swim moves, bull rush. doesn't matter what you do to him he can disrupt the play. He can be beaten down mentally though. Elite tackles that got the better of him could take him out of the game. Struggled converting sacks this past season but the rest of the SC defense was pretty inadequate.
HHCD: Good athlete and good hands. Sure tackler and reads the game well. He diagnosis plays well but he also is a little slow to react. He has the instincts but may not trust them. Gets himself out of position by being late but has the athleticism to make up for it. I like that he is different than Delmas. More of a pass defense guy that can play the run than a run stop guy that can play the pass. He sometimes fills the run gap late which is a set back. Not a big hitter more of a sure tackler which I am fine with. We need less missed tackles on this team.
Pryor: Good athlete and elite hitter. This guy makes rbs and wrs pay for getting the ball. Better at attacking a rb than playing the pass but can still make plays on the ball. Not sure if he can cover since it seems Louisville never had him covering people man to man. On the field he looks faster than his time at the combine. (4.58) Him and HHCD are very similar as far as athletics were concerned but I think watching him play as opposed to HHCD, Pryor looks a lot faster. Some of that comes from him being out of position and having to catch up. Plays with to much recklessness. will get penalties and more than likely injuries. Already had that with Delmas.
Lewan: could be a direction at 10. Big individual and one of the best athletes at the position. Also the best athlete who also showed that skill on the field. Was a violent blocker with great feet to both drive block in the running game and shuffle with pass blocking. Has elite strength and doesn't get driven back very often. One of the few tackles who took Clowney out of the game completely. Clowney made that 1 big play but was left unblocked by a TE. Terrible playcall. Has a little bit of a history of poor choices and could be a trouble maker.
Gilbert: a gifted athlete. Fluid in and out of breaks with good reaction to both the qb and wr. Reads qbs well and showed the ability to read double moves as well as breaking on short passes. Questionable work ethic and struggled withe mental part of the game. Brings kick and punt return abilities as well. Good hands and ability to react to the pass. Good at intercepting the ball and pass defenses. I don't personally see a pure shutdown corner because he plays a little soft at the line and would rather use his speed to trail and make plays. Nothing wrong with that it worked for D. Sanders but this kids isn't primetime. He, like Sanders is a poor tackler and definitely weak against the run.
Dennard: Not a smart pick at 10 but a trade down to the mid teens would be a good spot. Not elite speed but uses his build and enough speed to stay close to defenders. Good read and react skills. Breaks on the ball extremely well and more importantly he is smart and trusts what he sees. Reads plays quickly and has the ability to play tight with bigger wrs. I like him in the mid to late 1st. Struggled with injuries.
I am not going to talk about OLBs because I dont see any worth really going after. Most fit better into a 3-4 rush olb. Shazier could be a decent pick later in the draft probably better at the ILB of 3-4. Mack is a monster as a rush style backer and IF the team wants a blitzer he could be an option but I think we are probably set with what we have.
I don't suppose I see the dline help early in the draft outside of clowney. Tuitt could be a nice grab as a replacement for Fairley. Tuitt could still be there at 10 so its a possibility.
The draft has some nice pieces but I honestly only see a few elite players at a few positions. There is going to be good talent that can step in and play deep into the 2nd and third round.
