Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Morning Lions Links for Wednesday 5-5-21

Articles:

Greg Cosell analyzes Lions' 2021 draft class:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/greg-cosell-analyzes-lions-2021-draft-class-sewell-onwuzurike-mcneill

Lions reportedly hosting veteran TE Darren Fells for visit, signing ex-XFL long snapper:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2021/05/lions-reportedly-hosting-veteran-te-darren-fells-for-visit-signing-ex-xfl-long-snapper.html

Report: Free-agent addition Josh Hill retiring before playing snap for Detroit Lions:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2021/05/report-free-agent-addition-josh-hill-retiring-before-playing-snap-for-detroit-lions.html

Detroit Lions’ widely-praised draft class doesn’t improve Super Bowl odds:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2021/05/detroit-lions-widely-praised-draft-class-doesnt-improve-super-bowl-odds.html




Lions' First Three Picks 'Blueprint on How To Build Through the Trenches':  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/how-improved-is-lions-defensive-line

NFL Analyst Ranks Justin Fields Ahead of Jared Goff:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/analyst-ranks-fields-ahead-of-goff


4 Questions with Claudette Pattison of SI All Trojans:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/what-are-lions-getting-in-st-brown




Ranking the 10 best draft classes: Browns, Bears and Patriots find gems in the 2021 NFL Draft (7. DETROIT LIONS
Key Value Picks (OT Penei Sewell (PFF Board Rank: 4).  DI Alim McNeill (PFF Board Rank: 54).  CB Ifeatu Melifonwu (PFF Board Rank: 70)):  Prospects like Sewell flat-out shouldn’t be available at No. 7 overall, so that pick was a no-brainer with him still on the board. With one of the weakest defensive tackle groups in the NFL, the Lions then got the best true nose tackle on the PFF draft board in Alim McNeill, who led the nation in run-defense grade last season. Finally, I love that they kept adding to their secondary this offseason, even with a bevy of options at the cornerback position. Melifonwu has some of the best developmental traits for the position in the draft class.):  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-ranking-best-2021-nfl-draft-classes

Most improved defensive lines following free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft (4. DETROIT LIONS:  Is anyone surprised that the new regime in Detroit spent its first three draft picks on players who will contribute in the trenches? First-year head coach Dan Campbell is looking to establish a culture, and there’s a lot to like about what the Lions did on Days 1 and 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft.  Detroit's interior defensive line ranked 30th in PFF grade during the 2020 season, ahead of only the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys. They’ve since added former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers in free agency, along with Washington 3-technique Levi Onwuzurike and N.C. State nose tackle Alim McNeill.  Onwuzurike was highly productive in a rotational capacity for the Huskies back in 2018. He earned a 90.8 PFF grade on just under 400 defensive snaps for the season. His progress stalled in 2019 before he opted out of the 2020 season, but there is certainly a high end to chase with his explosiveness and twitch.  McNeill was PFF’s DT2, behind only Barmore, and is the rare nose tackle who has enough quickness and athleticism to potentially offer value as a pass rusher. His run defense and ability to hold up against double teams are already established, as well. McNeill finished the 2020 season with a 92.1 run-defense grade for the Wolfpack.  Detroit’s first three picks last week were a blueprint on how to build through the trenches.):

Draft Grades:

Daigle's 2021 NFC Draft Grades (Lions - Overview: In no position to win over the next two years, Detroit sagaciously began its rebuild from the inside out, fortifying both sides of the ball with a Jonathan Ogden-type cornerstone in Sewell (6’4/331) and large disruptive penetrators in Onwuzurike (4.88 40 at 6’3/290) and McNeill, the third-heaviest interior lineman (6’1/317) in his class. St. Brown (5’11/197) was hyper productive with 77/1,042/6 as Southern California’s primary slot receiver (88%) in 2019 and could carve out a role there given the team’s negligent surrounding talent from Week 1. Most have knocked the Lions for passing on Justin Fields at No. 7, but reversing that decision wouldn’t bring the organization any closer to fielding an impactful roster long-term, especially with Jared Goff accounting for $41.7 million through 2022.  Grade: B+):  https://www.nbcsports.com/edge/article/nfl-draft-grades/daigles-2021-nfc-draft-grades

2022 NFL Draft:

Top quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft include Sam Howell, Malik Willis:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2022-nfl-draft-top-quarterbacks-sam-howell-malik-willis/

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