8 Under the Radar Fits for the Detroit Lions
Every season there becomes a fixiation on the handful of players teams are publicly linked to, but under the radar fits litter teams' final draft classes.
At this point you all know how great a fit Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton and TCU iOL Steve Avila and Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon are for the Lions. And discussions have raged on about a handful of other prospects, largely aligned with the list of players the Lions have brought in for top-30 visits, or met with at the Combine, or sent coaches to their Pro Day’s, or talked with at the Senior Bowl.
These players have less Lions-related buzz around them, but are very good fits after diving in and doing some film and research.
Syracuse OL Matthew Bergeron
Those of you who are premium subscribers here likely know the name of Matthew Bergeron from the latest Predictive Mock Draft (3.0). Simply going to quote the write-up from that here:
Bergeron is a big offensive lineman, weighing in at 6-5, 318 pounds. He played tackle for the Syracuse Orange, with 39 starts split between right and left tackle. However, he projects as a guard at the next level, due to his dominance in the run game. He’s athletic in climbing to the second level, as well as pulling, but he really shines when he’s able to drive defenders off the ball with ease.
He checks a lot of boxes that the Lions have prioritized, including his leadership, character, and work ethic and with his versatility as a tackle or guard, the Lions can effectively bring him along as a sixth offensive lineman this season while prepping him to take over the right guard position in 2024. Very much a fit for the Lions, though not as prominently discussed as Avila, Torrence and Zavala lately.
He’s a powerful lineman, but his ceiling is probably at guard, and with better hand use. Detroit can groom him to step into that right guard opening in 2024 while still getting some value out of him as their OT3 right away in 2023, and potentially snaps at guard as well.
Texas RB Roschon Johnson
Lot of folks out there really love Bijan Robinson, myself amongst them. However, his backup is a very talented player that should not be overlooked at all. He’s a bit more of a power back overall, lacking that homerun speed. However, if you need someone to patiently run with some power and shiftiness in a gap scheme offense, Roschon’s absolutely your guy.
However, Johnson’s appeal goes even beyond his schematic fit in the Lions gap-schemed run game, as he brings excellent versatility and intangibles to the table as well, two things that Brad Holmes has really focused on during his time as Lions general manager. Johnson has good hands out of the backfield, Johnson was a four-phase special teams player, Johnson is a willing and capable pass protector, Johnson was also a former QB and can run Wildcat looks and trick plays.
Also, quoting from Dane Brugler’s The Beast scouting report guide: “dogged blocking chops, both in pass protection and as a lead blocker in “21” personnel … shows functional receiving skills out of the backfield … led Texas in special teams tackles (seven) in 2022 — played on all four coverages … addicted to working and self-improvement (was pushing sleds around at age 8) … benefited from the “older brother” theory — his desire to keep up with his older brothers on the field instilled competitive persistence in him at a young age … vocal leader and beloved in the Texas program (NFL scout: “He was Mr. Accountability for that entire offense … and our special teams staff is going to love him.”).”
Yup, Roschon is a Dan Campbell kind of guy, and would be a very interesting RB3 option who could potentially step into a bigger role in 2024 if Swifts is gone.
LSU DT Jaquelin Roy
Roy reminds me a ton of Sebastian Joseph-Day, a former Rams selectee in the sixth-round of the 2018 Draft that hit pretty big. Roy is a high motor, high intensity interior lineman who excels with elite strength in his hands, and a quick first-step to penetrate into the backfield. He’s not the most fluid athlete, but he has the capacity to scrape along the line and make plays as needed.
Additionally, Roy is highly versatile, and has the quickness to win as a 3-technique, and the sheer strength to win as a 1-technique, meaning you can rotate him in easily with Alim McNeill and Isaiah Buggs. Between his toughness inside and his versatility, Roy rarely came off the field for the Tigers, demonstrating some excellent conditioning as well.
There are some maturity concerns, which are always hard to really assess and gauge here, but on-film, Roy can play and really fits the scheme the Lions run. He would be a solid rotational piece in 2023 with the chance to develop into something more, just like Joseph-Day did for the Rams in 2019 and beyond.
South Alabama CB Darrell Luter Jr.
If the Lions want a draft-and-develop cornerback to work on behind the trio of new starting defensive backs they brought in from free agency, Luter Jr. is a great candidate. He meets a lot of the testing benchmarks, with an excellent forty-yard dash at 4.48 seconds and an elite vertical jump of 40.5”. He measured in at 5-11, 189 pounds, pretty much the exact same size as new Lions CB Cameron Sutton.
However, Luter Jr. will almost certainly be an outside man-press cornerback due to his long arms (32 3/8th) and ability to play in the face of wide receivers. Very explosive and athletic player overall, and it shows up in coverage. He’s a bit of a development option though because he will need to up his play strength to become a more capable starter. He’s a willing tackler right now, but getting stronger and filling out his lankier frame will help him avoid injury.
Luter Jr. checks a ton of boxes, and off the field he gets some very good reviews as well, both for his maturity and work ethic. Luter Jr., 23-years old, is also already married.
Louisiana WR Michael Jefferson
Same thought process as Luter Jr. but this time for a developmental wide receiver to groom behind Marvin Jones Jr. and Josh Reynolds as a true X-WR. He checks the requisite athletic benchmarks in all but one category (40-yard dash), and with a particularly elite 10-yard burst. His speed is more in the category of build-up speed, where he won’t burn past folks on a slant, but send him vertical and his length (6-3) is going to help him separate later into the route.
Added onto that, two of the other categories the Lions will want to see that he excels at: perimeter blocking and ball tracking downfield. Jefferson is about as determined a run blocker as you will find at the WR spot, and he demonstrates a natural feel for tracking and adjusting to the ball in the air, then going downfield and pulling it in. He will need to work on the release at the line of scrimmage, but a lot to like, and especially from an intangibles standpoint.
Additionally, he was also a gunner on special teams, giving the Lions some immediate usage for him while he fine tunes his route running and such.
West Florida WR David Durden
My deepest sleep of this class is a DII wide receiver who is about as explosive as you can find in the college ranks. He’s got a solid build at 6-1, 205 pounds, and plays with excellent burst and separation, with sharp, precise cuts in his route running.
He also has a lot of ability to fulfill a poor man’s Deebo Samuel-like role, given his vision as a ball carrier/YAC, as well as his experience as a punt and kick returner. Highly competitive player who can fill a number of different roles in Detroit, and can be a very dangerous player if paired with the right offensive coordinator.
Miami (FL) TE Will Mallory
A 6-4, 239 pound tight end, Mallory fits the mold of the type of TE that Holmes has drafted in both DET and LAR almost too a T. Holmes usually took elite athletes in the 6-3/6-4 range weighing about 240 pounds who excelled at separating in their route running and bringing some speed to threaten the seams. That’s Mallory for you.
He shows excellent burst off the snap, and knows how to use his body to position himself for cuts and breaks, and makes them with precision and quickness. Elite catch radius as well with a 78.5 inch wingspan. Very mediocre blocker overall due to his lack of bulk, but he’s largely a flexed out tight end anyways. Makes good contact when asked to pull, but again, lacks the mass to generate much movement.
Family is littered with former NFL players and coaches, thus giving Mallory an excellent pedigree and background. He would be a very similar addition to James Mitchell, someone the Lions will use as a pass catcher but not tasked with being the focal point in the run game.
TCU EDGE Dylan Horton
Apologies to any fellow Michigan fans who have vividly terrifying flashbacks to Horton’s 4.0 sack performance against the Wolverines in the Fiesta Bowl. However, Horton is a highly versatile, team-oriented player with the athleticism, power, and instincts to become a quality piece on an NFL defense.
First off, Horton started his career as a 200-pound safety, but then bulked up to play rush OLB, and then bulked up again to finish his senior year as a 275-pound 4i defensive end in an odd front. He’s a moldable player who has shown the discipline and team-first mentality to accept and thrive in any role needed of him.
As a player, Horton flashes excellent quickness, good speed-to-power off the edge, and is a quality run defender, both in terms of technique and effort.
Jefferson sounds like he'd be a great fit. Hoping for a mid/late round WR this year.