Much like the Burgess pick in the third round, Phillips comes from a winning culture. Unlike Burgess, Phillips was a main cog to the LSU defense, leading the team with 113 tackles on the way to an NCAA Championship.
Phillips took on the leadership role with LSU after Devin White’s departure last season, and while experts say that he lacks the alpha field demeanor, he doesn’t need to be a leader in the Lions defense.
While Phillips may not even make the 53-roster thanks to the Lions adding more than a few linebackers in free agency, he could at the very least earn a practice squad spot and maybe work his way up to special teams.
Patterson is a familiar face for most Detroit Lions fans, as while he led the Wolverines to some disappointing finishes, he proved that he can make plays with his legs and earned a Senior Bowl invite, where he was coached by the Lions.
While he was turnover-prone in college, Lions fans can think of Patterson as a discount Jeff Driskel. Should a doomsday scenario happen again with Matthew Stafford and Chase Daniel going down, Patterson would at the very least be exciting to watch and keep defenses guessing with his legs.
At the very least, Patterson can compete with David Blough for the third quarterback spot on the roster, even though Patterson will likely be the starter for the practice squad.