Corey Fuller- I haven’t seen Fuller practice personally, outside of the small clips of film provided by detroitlions.com, but Tim and Mike detroitlions.com writers rave about his speed and that he isn’t as raw as most of us thought displaying good hands and routes throughout the rookie mini-camp. I like what I’m hearing about Fuller, but I’m not reading too much into reports until we’ve seen how he plays against the veterans. Still, it’s really good to hear Fuller is better than advertised for a sixth round pick with only one year of football experience. Fuller may just be a diamond in the rough in this year’s draft class.
May 10, 2013; Allen Park, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (94) stands next to Devin Taylor (92) during rookie mini camp at Lions training facility. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Devin Taylor- If there is a player I want to really excel who wasn’t a high round draft pick it’s Taylor. If Taylor can develop into a starter over the course of the next two seasons, the Lions will have the most versatile and biggest defensive line in the NFL. 6’5 Ziggy Ansah and 6’7 Taylor coming off the edges paired with Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh in the middle would be a nightmare for offensive lines and would help take pressure off the Lions linebackers and secondary players, who have struggled the past two seasons. So far he’s shown he is very athletic in limited action and will likely find his way into the Lions’ defensive end rotation at left end.
Joesph Fauria- Speaking of diamonds in the rough, Fauria is another candidate to really impact the Lions this season. At 6’7 1/2 255 lbs Fauria has displayed excellent hands and speed in rookie camp. I could see Fauria eventually taking over Tony Scheffler’s role, especially if Scheffler has another down year. The tight end battle will be an intriguing one in training camp this year with Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler having very up and down seasons last year, and the Lions drafting Michael Williams and signing Fauria immediately following the draft. I could really see Fauria becoming the Lions number two tight end by the end of the season.
Cody Wilson- At 5’9, 191 lbs the Central Michigan product is not the pyhisically imposing athlete we’ve seen the Lions target this offseason, or the fastest, but Wilson has been reliable so far in camp – an invaluable trait to have on a roster. The thing we’ve been hearing most about Wilson is that “he’s in the right place at the right time,” another invaluable trait the Lions roster could use. With so many good slot receivers on the Lions roster already it seems like a stretch for him to make an impact on the offense, but anything can happen, and maybe he finds his niche on special teams or as a return man.
Ziggy Ansah- Obviously there is very little contact at camp, but in the drills the Lions are able to run, Ansah has shown exactly what we thought he would, athleticism, speed, and a quick first step off the ball. What does that mean from a football standpoint? Not much, but he’s doing exactly what is expected of him to this point in the offseason, which is what fans and the media want to see from a top five pick.