Detroit Lions 2014 NFL Draft Watch List: Week 5
Dec 3, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Alfred Blue (4) runs with the ball during the second half of the 2011 SEC championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Lions 2014 NFL Draft Watch List gives you some college football players to watch each Saturday who could be on the Lions’ radar next spring.
LSU vs. Georgia
3:30 p.m. – CBS
Craig Loston (#6), SS – LSU
This Second-Team All SEC honoree has played in 35 games during his career, starting 14 times and registering 91 career tackles to go with 4.0 tackles for loss and six takeaways (4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery). At 6-1, 205, Loston has prototypical size for the position and excels coming up in run support where he exhibits the ability to close quickly with explosive striking power to stop ball carriers on contact or deliver the big hit. He’ll get the chance to showcase his skills in this regard vs. an NFL-caliber running back in Todd Gurley. In coverage Loston looks a bit tight in the hips in coverage when asked to turn and run downfield, though he has the speed to get there in time when breaking forward on underneath routes if he doesn’t get caught peeking into the backfield.
Arthur Lynch (#88), TE – Georgia
One of the country’s top-10 returning tight ends in 2012 season receiving yards, Lynch was named to the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award. As a Junior, Lynch appeared in 14 games making 13 starts, improving as the season progressed, ending the year with 24 receptions for 431 yards and three touchdowns. At 6-5, 258, Lynch is a big target with soft hands and a reliable red zone threat, with a touchdown in each of his last two games. Lynch’s blocking skills will be put to the test vs. a talented LSU front seven.
Odell Beckham Jr. (#3), WR and Jarvis Landry (#80), WR – LSU
LSU also boasts a pair of talented Junior wide-outs to watch in Beckham and Landry. Landry, despite only one start last season, led LSU in receptions (56) and touchdown catches (five), while Beckham, who started all but one game, followed with 43 catches for a team-high 713 yards and two touchdowns. The duo has combined for 44 catches and 11 touchdowns through the first four games of the 2013 season.
The more experienced of the two, Beckham is a speed threat who can stretch the field, averaging 19.5 yards per catch this season, with 10 of his 20 catches having been for 20 yards or longer. He has added value as a dangerous return specialist for the Tigers, leading the SEC in all-purpose yardage (197.5 yards per game).
Though he lacks speed of his counterpart, Landry is extremely physical, an excellent blocker and fearless in traffic. His consistent hands make him a reliable option to help move the chains in short yardage situations and with at least one touchdown catch in each of his last six games, he has proven to be a threat in the red zone as well.