7 Senior Bowl players for the Lions to watch out for on offense

Deonte Brown, OG – Alabama

We’re saving the best for last. You may think that means the flashiest skill position, but the Dan Campbell-led Lions are going to be about winning in the trenches.

How many times have you seen the Lions come up short in third-and-2 or fourth-and-1? It’s been painful over the years. If the new-look team wants to have the ability to bully upfront, then Deonte Brown could be an option to fill that right guard spot.

Brown is a silverback. Recently, he’s been an almost viral presence on NFL Twitter due to his imposing stature at 6-foot-4 and 350 pounds. And he plays as he looks, destroying people at the point of attack.

And whilst he is at his best in the run game, he’s no slouch in pass protection either. Deonte didn’t give up a sack across three seasons and 865 snaps.

Now he isn’t what the Lions traditionally have looked for. He’s unlikely to test as a particularly elite athlete and is significantly heavier than what they have looked for in the past. But you just have to look at the success the Patriots (sigh) had with Michael Onwenu last year.

Onwenu also weighed in at 350 pounds and wasn’t drafted until the sixth round in 2020. But he filled in at three positions along the Pats’ offensive line this year and was PFF’s sixth ranked rookie across all positions, finishing one spot behind No. 1 overall pick, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

How Deonte Brown shows out in Mobile will be big for his draft stock. He could go on Day Two, but could also fall deep into Day Three if teams aren’t comfortable with his weight or whether he can hold up in the passing game. If Brown can show solid pass pro this week, he could become an even more exciting prospect to watch.