Thursday, May 14, 2020

Morning Lions Links for Thursday 5-14-20

Articles:

Familiarity with coaches & schemes should help new Lions fit in:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/familiarity-with-coaches-schemes-should-help-new-lions-fit-in

Rookie jersey numbers: Jeff Okudah temporarily assigned No. 1, D’Andre Swift No. 6:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/05/rookie-jersey-numbers-jeff-okudah-temporarily-assigned-no-1-dandre-swift-no-6.html

NFL reportedly extends virtual offseason program, adds more options for teams:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/05/nfl-reportedly-extends-virtual-offseason-program-adds-more-options-for-teams.html

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: Don’t expect full stadiums in the fall:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/05/gov-gretchen-whitmer-dont-expect-full-stadiums-in-the-fall.html





Breaking down the Lions 2020 UDFA contract guarantees and bonuses:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2020/05/13/detroit-lions-2020-udfa-contract-guarantees-bonuses/


Most improved pass-rushing units in the NFL this offseason (3. DETROIT LIONS - Key Additions: EDGE Julian Okwara, LB Jamie Collins, DI Danny Shelton.  Key Losses: EDGE Devon Kennard, DI A’Shawn Robinson, DI Damon Harrison, DI Mike Daniels.  The Lions’ addition of Trey Flowers last offseason and their subsequent lack of any consistent pass rush in 2019 goes to show that one talented pass rusher is not going to change a defense. Flowers played well, generating a pass-rushing grade of 78.8 with 62 total pressures in a full season of action, but the Lions’ pressure rate as a team of 29.2% ranked just 30th among all 32 NFL defenses.  The addition of Okwara in place of Kennard should give a boost to the pass rush, giving the Lions two real threats off the edge moving forward. It’s surprising that Okwara fell to the third round given the lack of high-end options in this class and considering Okwara’s physical traits, which NFL teams often covet. He’s a player who landed at No. 10 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List heading into the 2019 college season, reportedly clocking at 21 miles per hour while also being able to put up 27 bench reps at the NFL Combine despite 34-plus inch arms. Okwara backed up that physical ability with pass-rushing grades of 85.0 or higher in both 2018 and 2019. It may not be immediate, but I’d bet on him panning out as an effective pass rusher.  In free agency, the Lions brought in several players from the Patriots who could help their pass rush, though they wouldn’t be the first players you’d think of. Collins has been one of the best blitzing off-ball linebackers in the NFL for much of his career. He showed it in New England before being traded to the Cleveland Browns, and he showed it again last season with the Patriots as one of just two linebackers with 30 or more quarterback pressures. His pass-rushing grade of 76.8 was a top-five mark at the position.  Shelton, meanwhile, has graded out better as a run defender than pass rusher every season of his career… until last season. His 73.3. pass-rushing grade in 2019 was the highest of his career. The Lions shouldn’t expect much from Shelton in the way of getting after the quarterback, but an encore of his 2019 performance would be welcome, nonetheless.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-most-improved-pass-rushing-units-in-the-nfl-this-offseason

Ranking OROY hopefuls, 1-12 (7. D'Andre Swift, RB, Lions (+1800):  Swift didn't do it for me. Just didn't. I thought he was mostly the product of an incredibly bulldozing offensive line at Georgia -- tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson went in Round 1 and left guard Solomon Kindley was picked in Round 4. Great, stocky build and flashes of stellar cutting ability, but I didn't see a particularly elusive back, and his contact balance seemed average.  Anyway, he went near the top of Round 2, and he does possess NFL-ready pass-catching ability, which will help his statistical output as a rookie. Kerryon Johnson was picked in Round 2 in 2018 but has only appeared in 14 games in two seasons and averaged 3.6 yards per tote in 2019. There's a clear path for Swift to get the bulk of the carries in Detroit.  When Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was in Seattle, the Seahawks averaged finishing ninth in rushing attempts per season. Detroit wants to run it. Good news for Swift's OROY candidacy. I just don't think he's going to see the massive lanes he had at Georgia.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-the-2020-nfl-offensive-rookie-of-the-year-candidates-top-12-features-three-qbs-one-clear-favorite/

2020 NFL Draft: Why Undrafted - Hunter Bryant:  https://walterfootball.com/wu2020hbryant.php

The best bets for 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (Jeff Okudah, CB, Detroit Lions:  Occasionally, there's a mixture of scheme and player in the draft that works so perfectly, it's impossible to mess up. So, as much as Lions head coach Matt Patricia has made some questionable decisions about defensive backfield talent in recent years (we hope the Seahawks sent him a floral arrangement for the Quandre Diggs trade), the addition of Okudah to Detroit's secondary is a slam-dunk. He's the best and most aggressive man coverage cornerback in this class, and only the Patriots played more man coverage than did the Lions in 2019.  Julian Okwara, EDGE, Detroit Lions:  The Lions didn't get much out of their edge defenders in 2019, which is one reason they stole Notre Dame's Okwara with the 67th overall pick in the third round. Okwara is still working on top-level technique, but he has the athletic talent to be a pressure machine — last season for the Fighting Irish, he put up 32 total pressures on just 202 pass-rushing snaps before a broken fibula ended his season.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/gallery/the-best-bets-for-2020-nfl-defensive-rookie-of-the-year/

Teams whose draft selections improved their odds of winning the Super Bowl (Detroit Lions:  And at last, to explain the jump of the Detroit Lions, who were one of the worst teams in the league before the draft according to the bookies. They selected Jeffrey Okudah as the third pick overall, the near-consensus CB1 in this year’s CB class. They also added RB D’Andre Swift in the second round.  With several other additions, the situation in the Motor City looks a bit brighter than in the previous years, and everybody is expecting to see head coach Matt Patricia creating something instead of disappointing the army of Lions’ fans for the third year in a row.  All in all, these are changes following the draft, and we can expect even more changes as the start of the next season approaches.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/teams-draft-selections-improved-odds-winning-super-bowl/

2020 NFL Draft: Ranking the value of each first-round selection (15. Detroit Lions – Ohio State CB Jeffrey Okudah at No. 3:  Before the 2020 NFL Draft, only two cornerbacks — Shawn Springs and Bruce Pickens — had ever been selected in the top three in NFL history. Jeffrey Okudah became the third. Cornerback is historically a position that offers depth, and in 2020, this was no different, as one of the deepest classes in years came into the fold. That depth dictates that the Lions could have addressed this position later on while adding talent elsewhere at three.  That said, Okudah was a prospect of a similar caliber to his draft position. His combination of high-floor and high-upside traits made him one of the few blue-chip prospects in the class, and given the Lions’ dire need at cornerback, Okudah was very much worth the third overall pick. The value won’t be on par with some of the steals farther down the list, but Okudah should do what’s expected of a top-three pick, and fill in very nicely next to Justin Coleman and Amani Oruwariye.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2020-nfl-draft-first-round-values/2/

Duo of Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn Must Find Answers in 2020:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-matt-patricia-and-bob-quinn-must-find-answers-in-2020


2021 NFL Draft:









Posted by LionsFan at 6:05 AM

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