Sione Vaki lauded for having core traits that fit Lions perfectly

Detroit Lions fans likely didn't know much about Sione Vaki heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, but after he was the selection at pick No. 132 following a trade up, the search for information intensified.

It's immediately clear Vaki is a very versatile player, and a potential factor on offense, defense and special teams.

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus evaluated the Lions' draft, and his analysis of Vaki was particularly interesting.

"Lions fans, get ready to love Vaki, one of the most athletic players in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played safety and running back at Utah, but he is a solid safety in coverage. Don’t expect him to make exceptional plays on the football very often, but Vaki packs a mean punch. He’s a plus tackler in run defense and perfectly fits Aaron Glenn’s mentality in the Motor City."

Sione Vaki's Pro Day workout caught the Lions' attention

The Lions had a deep appreciation for Vaki during the pre-draft process, and coming into Day 3 general manager Brad Holmes admitted he wanted to find a way to land him.

While the Lions seem to see Vaki primarily as a running back, he's lined up to be an immediate contributor on special teams and maybe see a little tine at safety.

As Holmes explained, Vaki's Pro Day showcased the full extent of his versatility.

"He was one of the guys that had one of the more impressive pro days I thought because he worked out as a defensive back, very long defensive back workout and the defensive back workout was really good. Then he worked out as a running back, good running back (workout) and then he had a wide receiver (workout). Then he works out as a special teamer. The fact to even go through all those different phases of that workout was impressive in itself, so the love for him just kept kept growing. He's a very unique player. There's nothing saying that he cannot play safety, but our vision (for him) is of what he can become as a runner. But really, it starts with those special teams."

Expect to see Vaki at running back, but playing his biggest immediate role on special teams. In any case, he seems to have the core traits the Lions want in a player.