5 Senior Bowl standouts the Detroit Lions could target
There was no shortage of talent at the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday. The Detroit Lions have plenty of options to choose from.
Saturday afternoon, some of the best senior prospects for the 2018 NFL draft gathered in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl. In a higher scoring affair, the South took it to the North to the tune of 45-16.
Many players had their draft stock at the conclusion of this game skyrocket and the Detroit Lions would be wise consider a few of them.
Rashaad Penny, San Diego State (RB)
No running back played better in this game. Penny had excellent vision and ran with determination behind some quality blocking. His 34 yard rip was the biggest rushing play of the day.
To go along with 64 yards rushing, Penny took his only reception 73 yards to the house for the second longest touchdown of the afternoon. He offers extreme value as an every-down back with great kick return ability.
DJ Chark, LSU (WR)
Explosive is the perfect word to describe Chark. It only took five catches to gain 160 yards, even chipping in nine yards on an end around. 75 of those yards came all at once, which resulted in a touchdown.
Chark was not only great on offense, he added two tackles on special teams. Although his college production is thin and his frame is thinner, he won’t have any problems making huge plays on offense, on punt returns and even coverage units in the NFL.
Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State (DE)
Many people forget about how good Lewis is given the team he was on. Evaluators were put on high alert after he made many game changing plays. He was credited with a sack, forced fumble, even a tackle for loss against Penny and made a hustle play on Chark nine yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
Ohio State also had defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes in the game, and finished with two sacks of his own. Both rotated in and out frequently in college, leaving more to be desired.
Either player will be a steal, but Lewis is flying way too under the radar. Luckily, Lewis told Charlie Campbell of Walterfootball.com he met with the Lions.
Andrew Brown, Virginia (DT)
Before Senior Bowl week, many thought the former number one overall recruit didn’t live up to his potential. Once NFL coaches got their hands on him, he shined.
Statistically Brown didn’t light it up, but all game long he consistently flashed as a pass rusher and thrived attacking downhill. His disruption and ability to live in the opponents backfield was on full display. Even if he didn’t make the plays, he still set up his teammates to finish the job.
Given his ceiling and where he’s projected to go in the draft, he is worth taking a shot at. Brown stole the show at the Senior Bowl, expect that trend to continue throughout the rest of the draft process.
Kyle Lauletta, Richmond (QB)
Everyone in the scouting community went nuts when Lauletta hung 198 yards and three touchdowns on some of the best seniors the college game has to offer. His strong week of practice carried over well and it showed on game day.
Every trait a franchise quarterback possesses, he has. Losing a fumble to Lewis hurt, but it was a great play and Lauletta was already getting hit by defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
Eight of eleven passing was impressive but it was the precision, touch and accuracy Lauletta had on his passes that stood out. His sneaky athleticism was on full display, throwing on the move and breaking multiple tackles on scrambles.
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For a team looking for a promising backup with the potential to take the reins as a starter down the road, Lauletta offers much intrigue. Daniel Jeremiah compared him to Drew Stanton, which should offer some comfort to Lions fans.