Detroit Lions Draft Needs at Midseason

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive End

Even with the Detroit Lions ranking highly both on defense in general and at rushing the passer, this remains a very high need.  There’s no guarantee the Lions are able to keep both Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh, it’s even possible they lose both.  While that might lead you to believe DT is a more pressing need (more on that later), defensive end isn’t exactly a hot spot for the Lions.  Ziggy Ansah has had his moments, but can be wildly inconsistent in his play.  George Johnson is a nice surprise, but his season could very well be a fluke.  Jason Jones has always been a better DT than DE, and his health will never make him a long term answer.

The Leos have no chance of picking up the top defensive end prospect, even if they lost all 8 of their remaining games, as Leonard Williams will be going near the very top of the draft.  It’s possible that a more raw prospect, one that fits the Detroit Lions draft profile, might fall to the team, however.  The massive Shawn Oakman fits that bill. At 6’9″ and 280 lbs., Oakman would immediately be the Lions biggest defensive linemen, and they’ve got some big heavies.  You’d like to see more production than what he’s shown so far, but as a physical specimen there are few better.

The defensive end class looked pretty weak to start out the season, but many of them have lit it on fire since then.  Players like Shane Ray of Missouri, Vic Beasley of Florida, and Hau’Oli Kikaha of Washington have been getting much deserved praise.  Kikaha is the one I’m most interested in, since I feel he is the best of the bunch.  He might not be a NFL defensive end, however, more of a pass rushing 3-4 OLB.  Even with that in mind, he’s the best pure pass rusher in this draft class.  Questions about his ability to defend the run and a spotty injury history might drop him right into the Lions lap, and I salivate to think what Teryl Austin could do with a player like Hau’Oli Kikaha.

Should they look somewhat later in the draft, though I doubt my next prospect falls very fall.  The combine could shoot Kentucky Wildcat Alvin “Bud” Dupree straight into the first round, but it’s still possible he remains a 2nd or later prospect due to his technique being quite raw.  Dupree likes to compare himself to Jadeveon Clowney and while that’s not even close from a disruption standpoint, it’s a fair comparison from a physical standpoint.  Dupree isn’t even close in size, but his athletic ability is quite literally off the charts.  His broad jump of over 11 feet would put him firmly on teams’ draft boards.  That kind of lower body explosion translates onto the field, but his consistency isn’t quite there for a top level prospect.