Detroit Lions 2019 NFL Draft: 3 sleeper prospects

It’s draft day! Before the Detroit Lions are officially on the clock, SideLion Report offers three sleeper prospects to consider in the later rounds of the draft.

Barring an utterly bizarre draft day decision, the Detroit Lions will add a player to their roster via the first round in just a matter of hours. In his three previous first rounds, Lions general manager Bob Quinn has drafted players who have become NFL starters, but may have lower ceilings than some players drafted after them.

However, those “safe” choices aside, the Lions have drafted several lesser known players in later rounds who have become important members of the team. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay, safety Tracy Walker and center Graham Glasgow were each third round selections and are all critical components of the Lions as they approach the 2019 season.

Defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand was a fourth round pick in last year’s draft after being mainly a backup at Alabama. He proved to be a perfect fit for the Lions’ new defensive scheme, and he figures to have a bright future moving forward.

Offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby was pegged by many to be an early round selection in the 2018 draft, however, he fell to the Lions in the fifth round, possibly due to health concerns. Detroit though, was happy to scoop him up there, and he could wind up challenging for a starting position up front as soon as this coming season.

So, while most late round picks are deemed to be projects or relegated to special teams to begin their career, the Lions have shown that you can find contributors as late as day three of the draft.  Since Detroit currently has five picks between rounds five and seven, here are three lesser-known players or “sleepers” that could interest them with one of their selections in the later frames of the draft.