The Detroit Lions took cornerback Quandre Diggs win 6th round of the 2015 NFL Draft. There are many questions about Diggs and his abilities. Our own Kent Lee Platte wrote a great little piece on Diggs after the Lions took him. But what are the thoughts on Diggs from the guys that have been watching him the past 4 years at the University of Texas?
I decided to get in touch with Daniel Seahorn over at Hook’em Headlines, to get to answers on Quandre Diggs.
SLR: What are Quandre Diggs strengths?
HEH: “He is a very well-rounded player. He can cover, and he is more than competent when it comes to be a run defender, as he loves to lay to wood to ball carriers. Physicality will never be an issue with Diggs despite his listed size; he will never back down and has a lot of dog in him as a football player. Diggs is a decent athlete, so even if he doesn’t start right away for Detroit he is a guy who will have a home on almost every special teams unit.”
SLR: What are his weaknesses?
HEH: “The biggest knock on him is his stature. Despite Diggs being scrappy and one hell of a competitor, matching up with bigger receivers is problematic for him. Go back and watch the TCU game from this past year and you will see exactly what I mean. He will probably be limited as a guy who will line up on the outside. Diggs is also a very aggressive player so he will take risks, and that can at times be used against him”.
Oct 18, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns cornerback Quandre Diggs (6) and defensive end Cedric Reed (88) and safety Mykkele Thompson (2) react against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas beat Iowa State 48-45. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
SLR: What should Detroit Lions fans be excited about?
HEH: “The fans should be excited that they got a guy that lives, sleeps, eats, and breathes football. The kid plays every down like he has a chip on his shoulder and will give you everything that has everyday when he steps on the football field. Diggs is the younger brother of Quentin Jammer so he has been able to learn from a long time pro on how to carry himself on and off the football field.”
SLR: What do the Lions get by picking Diggs? Was he a steal?
HEH: “Even though he lacks the ideal size of an outside corner, you can plug Diggs into the nickel from day one and will be very happy with what you get. He played that very same role at Texas, though he was asked do more because he was able to at the collegiate level. I won’t be the list bit surprised to see Diggs get some PT early in nickel and dime packages. I thought Diggs would have come off the board in the 4th or 5th round, so I think the Lions got decent value out of him in the 6th.”
Nov 9, 2013; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Paul Millard (14) has his pass deflected by Texas Longhorns cornerback Quandre Diggs (6) in overtime at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
In my opinion, Diggs is a hard-working kid that could wind up being solid depth for next couple season until he’s ready to start. Once that day comes, I would expect him to produce nicely as a starting nickel corner. If he’s like his brother, he definitely has the work ethic to make it happen.
What do you think about Quandre Diggs? Do you like the pick? Or do you think the Lions should have gone a different way? Leave your Comments below and be sure to follow us on Twitter @SideLionReport and @Lionmike26
Thank you to Daniel Seahorn and Hook’em Headlines. Be Sure to follow them on Twitter for all your University of Texas news @CoachSeahorn and @HookemHeadlines