Friday, July 2, 2021

Morning Lions Links for Friday 7-2-21

Articles:

GET TO KNOW: Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/get-to-know-defensive-tackle-levi-onwuzurike




Breaking down T.J. Hockenson's fantasy football stat projections:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2021/07/01/lions-t-j-hockenson-fantasy-football-projections/

Ranking NFC North Quarterbacks ahead of 2021 Season (1. Jared Goff - Detroit Lions:  If you happen to be a subscriber of NFL Gamepass, you can watch how Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill played while Dan Campbell was his interim head coach.  He was often put in positions to succeed, and the Dolphins absolutely dominated the Titans in Week 6 of the 2015 season. Goff will be protected with a solid running game and short, intermediate passes.  Let's not forget that Goff carried the Rams to a playoff victory just last season, before their playoff exit. Now in Detroit, Goff will enjoy the opportunity to place a stamp on this offense, which should translate to a highly productive 2021 season.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/ranking-nfc-north-quarterbacks-ahead-of-2021-season

Odds of WR Sage Surratt Making the Lions' 2021 Roster:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-sage-surratt-2021-roster-odds

2021 Projections: Lions’ Starting Cornerbacks:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-starting-cornerbacks-2021-nfl-season



Here are all the snaps the Detroit Lions need to replace in 2021:  https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021/7/1/22544822/detroit-lions-snaps-replacement-lost-2020


NFL roster rankings for all 32 teams for 2021: Strengths, weaknesses and X factors for every team's starting lineup (31. DETROIT LIONS - Biggest strength: The Lions have made it clear that they plan to build through the trenches, and they're off to a good start along the offensive line. Frank Ragnow projects as one of the best centers in the NFL this season, coming off a career-high 80.3 overall grade in 2020, but rookie right tackle Penei Sewell has the potential to be the best offensive lineman in this starting five. Sewell ended his 2019 true sophomore season at Oregon with a 95.8 PFF grade, which was higher than any offensive lineman in the PFF college era at the time.  Biggest weakness: While the offensive line is in good shape for new starting quarterback Jared Goff, his pass-catching options leave a lot to be desired. Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman are the top two wide receivers on Detroit's depth chart. Both entered the league in 2015, but they've combined for just one season with at least 750 receiving yards (Williams in 2016) in the six years since. Anthony Lynn's offense could employ a run-heavy approach to work around that group this season.  X factor for 2021: Jeff Okudah was supposed to be one of the prospects in last year's draft class who was too good to fail. The size, athletic traits and production were all near-ideal coming out of Ohio State. Yet Okudah struggled as a rookie. His 2.3 yards allowed per coverage snap were the most of any qualifying cornerback in the NFL last season, and he had issues through injuries and Matt Patricia's defensive scheme en route to a 30.9 coverage grade. The talent is still there. The Lions are just hoping it starts to show in 2021.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-roster-rankings-for-all-32-teams-for-2021-strengths-weaknesses-and-x-factors-for-every-teams-starting-lineup

Ranking rosters by talent: Browns top 3 (31. Detroit Lions:  I think most are rooting for first-year head coach Dan Campbell and his kneecap biters in 2021, but this roster isn't ready to compete just yet. Jared Goff is a downgrade from Matthew Stafford, but the Lions also suffered big losses at wide receiver. Detroit replaced Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones with Breshad Perriman and Tyrell Williams in free agency, and they don't have much depth at the position either. As for the defense, this unit was the worst in the league last year. The front four looks fine -- especially with the couple of additions they made in the draft -- but the secondary certainly has some question marks.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-all-32-nfl-rosters-by-talent-heading-into-2021-training-camp-tom-bradys-bucs-at-top-browns-no-3/

NFL vets who should fear chopping block (Lions - DL Nick Williams:  It's time for another reset in Detroit, and that means Dan Campbell will continue to review the roster to see what fits. It's not to say Williams doesn't or won't, but he's more of a piece specific to the Matt Patricia era than one that might slide easily into that of Campbell. Both sides are actively working on trying to stick together, to Williams' credit, and that's why he's accepted a reduced salary for 2021. That helps, yes, but doesn't guarantee him a spot, and especially if a younger player steps up in camp to make the 31-year-old seem more disposable -- even at his reduced pay. At this point, considering the Lions are rebuilding, it has to be more about seeing what the young guns can do over allowing their reps to go to those who might not be around much longer anyway.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/tim-tebow-jaylon-smith-headline-list-of-nfl-veterans-from-each-team-who-should-fear-chopping-block-in-2021/

Ranking NFL divisions by wide receiver talent: NFC West is best thanks to dynamic duos and DeAndre Hopkins (4. NFC North (Bears: Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney, Damiere Byrd.  Lions: Breshad Perriman, Tyrell Williams, Quintez Cephus.  Packers: Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling.  Vikings: Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Olabisi Johnson):  This division is basically the opposite of the AFC East. The Lions probably have the league's worst wide receiver group. The Bears and Packers have No. 2 and 3 wideouts that are called No. 2 and 3s solely due to the number of snaps they get, not their contributions. But the NFC North has four of the very best wideouts in football, including possibly the best wideout in the league in Adams. Robinson is a superstar whose contributions have been overlooked due to the horrendous quarterback play he's been saddled with throughout his career. Jefferson just had arguably the best rookie season ever and was named a second-team All-Pro. Thielen is a borderline top 10 guy. The high-end talent here is too much to ignore.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-nfl-divisions-by-wide-receiver-talent-nfc-west-is-best-thanks-to-dynamic-duos-and-deandre-hopkins/

MVP predictions for each team: Cowboys' hero a WR? (TJ Hockenson:  Hockenson's rookie year in 2019 was a frustrating, injury-plagued affair. The former No. 8 overall pick made significant strides in Year 2, earning a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts. Hockenson has the ability to become one of the top playmaking tight ends in football if he can find chemistry with new QB Jared Goff. The 24-year-old authored an impressive close to Lions minicamp, and the unimpressive nature of Detroit's wide receiver corps means Hockenson is set up to be a high-volume contributor in Dan Campbell's offense. The Lions badly need core players to emerge in what figures to be a rebuilding year for the franchise. Hock fits the mold.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2021-nfl-season-predicting-each-nfc-team-s-mvp

The NFL's top 11 tight ends (7. TJ Hockenson:  The Mike Gesicki discussion is a perfect opener for talking about T.J. Hockenson.  When the Detroit Lions selected the Iowa tight end early in the 2019 NFL draft, expectations were extremely high. Then when he caught six passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL game, some were already fitting him for a gold jacket and sketching out his bust for Canton.  But Hockenson finished his rookie season with just 32 receptions for 367 yards and a pair of touchdowns, playing in just 12 games. The buzz around his debut gave way to discussions about whether it was worth it to draft a tight end in the top ten.  Then last year fans were given more reason to hope. Hockenson’s second NFL year saw him pull in 67 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns, and his NFL adjustment seemed to be well at hand. What helps him is how he was used at Iowa. Hockenson was utilized as a more traditional, in-line TE (as opposed to his teammate Noah Fant, who was used as the move tight end) and that put Hockenson in position to handle the blocking responsibilities NFL TEs face. You’ll see that experience put to used on almost every Lions possession, on plays like this outside zone run.  With his blocking ability, and the skill-set to get open against man or zone coverage, Hockenson is in good position to climb even higher on this list after 2021.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-best-tight-ends-george-kittle-travis-kelce-darren-waller-kyle-pitts/

Most overrated NFL players on all 32 teams in 2021 (Detroit Lions: T.J. Hockenson, TE - It is hard to find an overrated player on such a flawed roster. Still, for the sake of the article, my choice is T.J. Hockenson. Similar to Hunter Henry, Hockenson won’t make you miss with the ball in his hands, nor will he rack up yards after the catch. Despite making strides last season, Hockenson is an excellent all-around tight end that was not worth his No. 9 overall draft choice.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/most-overrated-nfl-players-all-32-teams-2021/2/

Scouting 101: What the experts look for when scouting NFL Draft prospects:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/scouting-101-what-the-experts-look-for-when-scouting-nfl-draft-prospects/

2022 NFL Draft:

Early 2022 NFL Draft interior defensive tackle rankings and class overview:  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2022-nfl-draft-dt-rankings-and-class-overview
 
The PFF Preseason College Football All-Big 12 Team: Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler headlines as the nation's top returning player:  https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-all-big-12-team-oklahoma-qb-spencer-rattler-headlines-as-the-nations-top-returning-player-rankings

The PFF Preseason College Football All-AAC Team: UCF QB Dillon Gabriel lands first-team honors:  https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-rankings-pff-preseason-all-aac-team-2021

NFL Hot Press: Stingley Compared to Okudah, Henderson, Horn:  https://walterfootball.com/nflhotpress/article/Stingley-Could-Top-Okudah,-Henderson
Posted by LionsFan at 5:01 AM

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