The Detroit Lions top 5 prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft

Detroit Lions draft prospect #3: Derrick Brown – DL

I think the most blatant weakness of the Lions defense this past season was the defensive line. They had no penetration in the run game, and 75% of the time couldn’t even get a hand in the quarterback’s face on a pass.

Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown can help with that. Given that he’s a 6-foot-5, and a whopping 318 pounds, the dude is a defensive anchor in the trenches.

One underrated ability of Brown is how quick and nimble he is given his size. You would expect a guy of his frame to have trouble getting from point A to point B efficiently. But oddly enough, that’s not the case with him.

When it comes to DL, it’s all about the first step. Brown has a very quick first step which in result, lets him get hands on early, and disengage the block when needed.

Brown’s tenacity and aggressiveness is a huge bonus. He’s very skilled at bull rushing offensive lineman. Yet, at the same time, he can beat you quickly by dipping his shoulder, getting leverage, and ripping through blocks.

In this new age of football, versatility is becoming more and more important. With Brown, you can really put him anywhere on the D-line. He can be a one, three, or five technique. Heck, you can put him at the end position as well!

The only potential problem with Derrick Brown is his ability to gear down in the open field. Granted, it’s hard to stop that kind of mass on a dime. Once he gets to the league, he will surely learn how to use his size to the best of his ability.

This is a guy the Lions need to keep tabs on. Brown’s versatility would help take the stress of guys like defensive linemen Damon Harrison, and A’Shawn Robinson. But having all three of these guys on the line at once? Oh boy, teams would have to look out.