As the Detroit Lions prepare to get a closer look at draft prospects down at the Senior Bowl, the linebackers they’ll have on the American team roster have been unveiled.
As the rosters for the 2022 Senior Bowl continue to be unveiled by position group, Tuesday brought a shift to the defensive side with the defensive lineman for each roster. For a team like the Detroit Lions, who will coach the American team down in Mobile, the value of the Senior Bowl continues to be proven.
On Wednesday, the linebackers were divvied up for each Senior Bowl roster. Here’s who the Lions will have on the American roster.
Damone Clark, ILB, LSU
JoJo Domann, OLB, Nebraska
Aaron Hansford, OLB, Texas A&M
D’Marco Jackson, OLB/ILB, Appalachian State
Jeremiah Moon, OLB, Florida
Channing Tindal, ILB, Georgia
Quay Walker, ILB, Georgia
The linebackers on the National team roster, led by the New York Jets coaching staff, include some prospects of sure interest to the Lions depending on how the board falls early and into Day 2/Day 3 of the draft (Utah’s Devin Lloyd, Wyoming’s Chad Muma, Miami of Ohio’s Sterling Weatherford).
Lions beat writers were hoping to see Lloyd, Muma, etc. on the American team roster, but Chris Burke of The Athletic hinted at some linebackers the Detroit coaching staff will have being pretty good too.
Was hoping to see Devin Lloyd or Chad Muma with the Lions’ staff, but this group includes three of @dpbrugler’s top 10 LBs (Clark, Tindall and Walker). Big Ten fans know that Domann’s a lot of fun, too. https://t.co/Vhqj9tN39G
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) January 19, 2022
Feels like 80% of the guys I was most interested in watching in Mobile are landing on the Jets roster. https://t.co/m1NmfaC3N9
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) January 19, 2022
The Lions could really need linebacker help in the draft
Linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Alex Anzalone are among the Lions’ top free agents this offseason. Reeves-Maybin appears to be a priority to re-sign (within financial reason of course), and while retaining Anzalone seems likely his recent Instagram post seemed to hint toward his departure. If both are gone, of course pending an outside free agent signing or two to replace them, Detroit’s interior linebacking corps could look very thin very quickly.
However free agency goes, Detroit needs a talent infusion across the front seven. It would be surprising to see them not come out of the draft with a linebacker, even if it’s a Day 2 or Day 3 pick.