Detroit Lions UDFA class continues offensive line investment

Despite minimally addressing their offensive line needs this offseason, the Detroit Lions invested heavily into some undrafted rookie free agents.

Investing in the offensive line has been a cornerstone of the front office philosophy for the Detroit Lions ever since Bob Quinn became the team’s general manager back in 2016. In his first three seasons in Motown, Quinn has used two first round picks on offensive lineman and signed pricey free agents like guard T.J. Lang and tackle Rick Wagner in between.

But that hasn’t been the case in 2019. The Lions didn’t spend one single draft pick on an offensive lineman last month, despite the recent release and retirement of Lang at right guard. And in free agency, Detroit only signed veteran guard Oday Aboushi, a former starter for new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevel during their time together with the Seattle Seahawks, should come in and compete for a starting role.

But just because Quinn and company did little to address their offensive line during free agency or the draft doesn’t mean they didn’t make significant investments into the positional group. The Lions actually came away with a pretty impressive haul of undrafted rookie free agents (UDFA), a couple of which may be able to crack the final 53-man roster.

The biggest name certainly being Beau Benzschawel, a guard out of Wisconsin. The former Badger was projected to be a fifth-round selection by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who actually believes Benzschawel is a pass blocking specialist who has a chance to become a future NFL starter. Beau was hotly pursued as an undrafted free agent, ultimately landing in Detroit.

Benzschawel was just one of four undrafted rookie free agent offensive lineman to sign with the Motor City. The others being Fresno State guard Micah St. Andrew, Iowa offensive tackle Matt Nelson and San Diego State guard Ryan Pope.

In fact, according to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions gave Pope a massive $145,000 guaranteed base salary plus a $20,000 signing bonus to come to the Motor City. The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson reported that’s the biggest deal for a UDFA in the league this offseason. And Pope’s measurables tell you why.

The six-foot-seven, 320-pound Pope looks the part of a starting NFL offensive lineman with his 34 1/4-inch arms and nimble athleticism. Despite possessing the prototypical frame, most agree he doesn’t have the game as the rookie needs significant work on nearly every aspect of his fundamentals from balance to leverage to strength to footwork … you name it.

Still, inking a development offensive tackle like Ryan Pope to the league’s highest guaranteed base salary means the Detroit Lions are continuing to invest highly in the positional group they deem the most important. As for this talented UDFA class, Motown is undoubtedly hoping to quickly develop a couple hidden gems into players who can eventually have an impact on gamedays.