OT: What's your thoughts on your NFL team's draft?
Now that Day 2 is in the book. What are your thoughts on your favorite team's draft so far? As for the Lions, here's my thoughts with scouting reports that I've broke down extensively on the three prospects that the Lions drafted.
Ziggy Ansah
Strength:
- Size: 6'5" 270 lbs DE, Protypical DE size
- Outstanding athlete. Showed burst, quickness and outstanding closing speed
- Strength: When he get proper leverage/pad level, he absolutely dominates at POA. Does a good job of converting speed into power.
- Instinct: For a guy who played such a short amount of time, he has outstanding instincts. Always know what to do which is a great sign as he gain more experience in football
- Run Stuffer: Has size/athleticism/strength/instincts to be an elite run stopper. Ton of tackles and tackle for loss to show for it
- Versatility: Played at DE, DT, NT and OLB at BYU but lined up mostly at 1, 3 and 5 tech at BYU. Very compentent in a lot of things but master of none (except maybe against the run where he showed elite skill set).
- Intelligence: Pick things up quickly in a short span. Blank canvas.
Weaknesses:
- Experience: He is inexperienced but not raw. Two totally different meanings. He showed good techniques and pick things up quickly.
- Pad Level: He has a tendency to stand straight up off the snap thus losing leverage. Once he learns how to lower his pad level, he'd be nearly unblockable.
- Hand usages: He showed flashes of it, but often hand fight against OL instead of disengage blocks quickly.
- Pass Rush Productivity: 4.5 sacks in his senior season. However, JPP and Aldon Smith also had 4.5 sacks in their final year at college. A cause for concern? Yes, but may not be a big deal considering both are outstanding pass rushers in the NFL.
Overall Thoughts:
There is a reason why he is a highly regarded prospect in the NFL circles. He has tools that you cannot teach like size/athleticism/strength/instincts. A classic Boom/Bust prospect. Needs work on pad level/leverage and hand usages. Both are coachable traits. He couldn't have come into a perfect team as a prospect because the Lions have two of the best DL coaches in the league in Kocurek and Washburn, and they have Suh and Fairley to draw OL attention so Ziggy can have freedom to work one on one. As inexperienced Ziggy is as a player, he pick things up quickly and apply it on the field. He gets more freedom at DE in wide 9 scheme where the Lions can tell him to go after the QB which is scary once he figures it all out. I believe that he is closer to a boom prospect than a bust prospect for the reasons I stated above. The Lions had to take the best talent available since the top 3 OTs plus Dion Jordan are gone before #5 overall pick. Despite the perception that he is not ready to start, he is ready to start at Day 1. If the Senior Bowl game is any indication, Lions fans should be extremely happy with the pick. He fills the talent and needs in which the Lions desperately need help at DE especially on pass rush.
Pro Comparison: Bruce Smith
Darius Slay
Strengths:
- Size: Tall CB (6’) with a good body, not frail unlike his ex-teammate, Johnathan Banks. Long arm to lock up WRs at LOS
- Athleticism: Ran 4.36 at the combine, explosive corner who can run with WRs step for step
- Physicality: Very physical corner who is adept at press man coverage. Willing to come up and tackle at the boundry
- Ball Tracking: Does a great job of turning his head around to locate the ball
- Return Skills: Very good returner. Have ran back for a TD via INT twice
- Coverage: Displayed smooth backpedal, transition out of back pedal quickly and run with WRs
Weaknesses:
- Run: For a physical corner, he struggles to get off blocks. Has a tendency to dive and swipe at ball carrier’s legs.
- Off-Man Coverage: As athletically gifted Slay is, he tends to give up too much cushion on off-man coverage. Needs to get tighter in the next level or WRs will eat him alive
- Diagnosis: He is sometimes a bit slow to diagnose plays and come up a beat too late. That is a direct result of lack of playing time experience.
- Injury: Has knee injury (meniscus tear), but not as big of a deal as ligament injuries
Overall Thoughts:
Darius Slay fits the profile of big, physical and athletic CB that Mayhew/Schwartz covet after trying to trade up for a couple years to get Patrick Peterson, Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, etc. He will start immediately at #2 CB opposite Chris Houston. The cornerback unit is now the strength of the defense with Bentley, Green, Greenwood and Bartell manning up at CBs. The Lions have 4 legit starting CBs in Houston, Slay, Green and Bentley. Like Ziggy, Slay only played football for 5 years, but he outshined over his more hyped/highly touted teammate, Jonathan Banks. Last season, opposing QBs tried to avoid Banks and pick on Slay, but Slay more than held on his own. Slay possess a 1st round talent, but is inexperienced. 2nd round is exactly where he is supposed to be drafted. Mayhew/Schwartz liked him enough to make the pick immediately at #36 overall.
Larry Warford:
Strengths:
- Size: Massive OG with thick lower body. Long arm at 34”
- Strength: Once he locks on you, it’s pretty much over especially on running plays. Rarely get pushed back due to strong anchor
- Run Blocking: Dominant in-line blocker who wins his battles with size/strength/length.
- Well Rounded: Very solid in pass protection and a dominant run blocker
- Mobility: For a big guy, he has light feet and can run. Kentucky asked him to pull, kick out, trap and lead runner through the hole.
- Intangible/Character: 4 year starter at Kentucky who was a captain in his SR year. No known character issue.
Weaknesses:
- Weight: Has a tendency to get bigger. Ballooned to 350 lbs. Needs to be at 320 to be effective.
- Hand punch: For a guy in his size/strength, he has a soft hand punch. Needs to be aggressive to jolt defender upright
- Quickness off the stance: Relates back to weight. When he’s heavy, he is slow to get off the stance and build momentum slowly.
- Athleticism: Poor combine workout and will never wow you in shorts.
- Blocking in space: He struggles to readjust to moving targets once he gains momentum
- Techniques: Plays with poor techniques. Has a bad habit of getting off high. Waistbender who tends to lean onto the target instead of attacking the defenders
Overall Thoughts:
The Lions got a great value at 3rd round in Warford. Warford, IMO, is an early 2nd round talent, but due to the interior OL runs at mid-1st round, it pushes Warford down into 3rd round where the Lions happily take him at 3rd round. He will start at RG, replacing Stephen Peterman. Warford is a mauler with nimble feet. I expect the Lions to use him a lot in running game. Weight is a concern so the coaching and training staff has to be on top of Warford. Warford is at his best at 310-320 lbs instead of 330-350 lbs. He is basically Warmack-lite in terms of ability/talent level. Warford will be a 10 year starter for the Lions which is a good new because Stafford struggled with perceived and actual pressure up in the middle.
Overall Impression of the draft:
I loved what Mayhew/Schwartz have done in this draft. Given the top 4 picks have played out, they picked the right player in Ziggy Ansah. Off all the team, Lions is a perfect fit/situation for Ziggy because of DL coaches and Suh/Fairley commanding OL’s attention. Slay fills the talent as well as team need in bolstering the talent and depth of the secondary. The secondary is now one of the stronger unit on the team. Warford is a steal at 3rd round and would be an instant starter at RG for years to come. With day 3 draft coming up, I am hoping the Lions can come away with a #2 starting WR which strangely still have a lot of quality WRs left on board like Quinton Patton, Chris Harper, Da’Rick Rogers, etc. They do need another DE to bolster depth because Willie Young and Ronnel Lewis are depth players at best. Quanterus Smith is recovering from ACL injury but when healthy is one of the better pass rusher in the draft. He would be a nice value at 4th/5th round. They could take a chance at Xavier Nixon who has the talent to be a quality starting LT in the NFL, but biggest question is focus and consistency. If lights ever come one for Nixon, he could be a steal.
A Jets' fan, I take it?
I wish. The Jets have set themselves up for a super bowl run. Sanchez, Tebow, and Geno Smith on the field at the same time? All they need now is Denard.
Ziggy is unproven and has not produced at a high level in college. He is at least a 3 year project before he becomes an even servicable if not effective DE in the NFL.
Once again the Lions brass got caught up in the pre draft buzz and tried to make the sexy and splashy, arrogant, finess draft pick. Did they hire Millen back?
Slay... good corner with speed, but coming off a torn minuscus that the Lions brass somehow believes that he can play through.
High draft pick with a recent injury history...that seems familiar too doesnt it?
Warford is a servicable, journey man like OG who may be able to make a roster and play a few seasons, but nothing on his tape shows that he is an explosive athlete capable of dominating at his position. This pick is push or maybe even a slight negative for as high of a pick that it is.
Conclusion: Another draft bust by the soon to be fired next Lions front office (except Lewand who somehow staley outlives every firing like a 12 year old dried up big mac sitting on a shelf) ....
This is a Lions team coming off of 4-12 and with massive holes across the roster. ...and they pulled this crap draft out of their hat. Typical Lions. One star player on a bad team.... hype the local press (which they control via the Fords)... and sell out every week anyway to the Det. football sheep fans. ... i used to be one of them.
Not sure what your definition of serviceable is, but that's a little harsh on Ansah. I think he has enough tools to start as a rookie and could be elite in three years. There weren't very many great options in this draft.
this draft will allow the Lions to continue their previous level of success in the NFL!
"who knows if he'll ever reach those heights..."
Ansah had very limited experience playing in a second-tier conference, and picking a guy like that at #5 is the classic Boom or Bust selection. To assert that it's not a huge gamble is silly.
As for Warford, he sounds like a decent prospect, but it'll be interesting to see how he turns out in comparison to DJ Fluker, who the Lions could have taken instead of Ansah. I know that Warford's a guard and Fluker's a tackle, but it's not like Gosder Cherlius has been a perennial All-Pro.
And I don't know why anybody who's followed the Lions wouldn't be skeptical of anything that front office does until it's proven capable of putting together a truly competitive team.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:12 AM ^
April 27th, 2013 at 10:26 AM ^
April 27th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
Cherlius signed with the Colts in March, which means taking Fluker would have been a strong move.
As for BYU, their independent schedule is a mix of teams like lesser programs like Weber St., Idaho, San Jose St., New Mexico St., Hawaii, and Utah St. mixed in with a handful of quality teams like ND, Oregon St, and Boise. It's hardly the kind of opposition that a program in the PAC 12 or the SEC faces.
April 27th, 2013 at 11:47 AM ^
Ansah has elite talent. Yes, he is a boom or bust pick. But guess what, if he busts Schwartz and Mayhew are gone. I will admit that I preferred Cooper or Womack, but since they got Warford it makes the Ansah pick look a hell of a lot better.
From reading snippets from the first day with Mayhew and Schwartz, it seems like they were set to take one of three OT's if they were available. The Lions went with the BPA. They are sticking with their philosophy even in a time of desperation for the Coach and GM.
just need to get some good players, then the lions will be good. no systemic problems, just a rough 40 or 50 seasons
So, you like the cooler talk GM that likes the Lions draft but not the cooler talk GM's that don't?
What's your problems with it?
Ah, Leon McFadden. He went to SD State so I'm gonna go ahead and credit all of his success to the mighty Brady Hoke. Him and Gavin Escobar are both former two-star recuits that were drafted in rounds 2-3. I'm not sure if Hoke offered them, but they both committed there after Hoke became the coach.
What is fast twitch?
of Black athletes in the NFL, NBA, etc. We tend to have more quick twitch muscle fibers that are responsible for agility, speed. Specifically West African descended people tend to excel at short burst speed. Europeans tend to have more slow-twitch fibers that lend themselves nicely to brute strength building. Link
April 27th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^
Mike Glennon is a nice insurance policy, and officially puts Freeman on notice. Or maybe it's that he's entering the final year of his contract. Well, in the event that Freeman has another Jekyll and Hyde type season, I think this was an overall good pick. He's got the arm, but some accuracy issues. I also wish we could have grabbed someone that has some mobility. Freeman at least has the ability to move around and extend some plays. But with this year's extremely weak QB class, I suppose you have to take what you can get.
Hoping next we go after a tight end, some D-Line depth, and maybe a slot receiver, cough Denard cough cough.
Just wish we could've picked one of the TE that have already been taken. I think Banks isn't as slow as his combine time. Probably had an off day. Didn't he win the Thorpe trphy? Hard to do that while playing in the SEC with no speed. As much as I love me some Denard, I'd rather have Ace Sanders or Ryan Swope. I'm thinking as a Buc fan here not a U-M fan. But I agree with TE and DT next for sure.
April 27th, 2013 at 10:28 AM ^
still out there... Any takers?
Lions seem to be doing good in the draft.
1.) Ziggy will be a top DE in about 3 years. I think he may help out a bit this season just due to the talent we have at DT.
2.) I was surprised Slay dropped this far in the Draft. He should be a good CB for years to come.
3.) Warford looks to be a 3rd/4th round pick. I like his size and strength but he probably does not have the quickness to become an elite guard. Though, I think he will be very serviceable and should be a starter for years.
I'm not sure if there are any immediate OT starters left in this draft. May be pick up a project guy who could add depth and in a few years be in the position for a possible starting role.
The lions better trade or get a FA OT or else Stafford could have a long year on his back...though if the running game can develop, this may help.
So far I would give the Lions a grade of B in this draft. I hope they finish the late rounds well.
April 27th, 2013 at 11:58 AM ^
He had a second round grade on him. As for the tackles. I assume that Reiff will protect Stafford's blindside and that Fox will handle the other spot. I think we will see a lot of tight end help on Fox's side.
Williams - huge DT w a high motor and set strong.
Ball - bowling ball for a RB and hope he pans out as they passed on Lacy for him so time w tell. Not a huge fan of Lacy at the next level as I don't see him being great but he w be good for a couple years
I was ecstatic when GM Thompson was able to get Lacy with the 61st(!) pick. With Rodgers running the offense, we don't need to ask our RB to win games for us, but having a threat like Lacy will prevent teams from dropping 7 into coverage every play. Throw in extending Rodger's contract yesterday and life is good in green and gold nation.
April 27th, 2013 at 12:01 PM ^
He has turned out fine. If we applied your logic the Lions could not draft 80% of the guys who are available as pretty much college player needs development and many have injury problems.
As for proven coach. They have had proven coaches. Bobby Ross and Steve Mariucci come to mind. How did they turn out?
My hope was that the Lions, at least in the beginning, would go with straight needs-based picks and do so in a logical order. It seems that they have done just that, and that at least is nice to see as a Lions fan, I think.
Overall, I think the upside for Ansah is potentially huge - they'll have to really work with him if they want him to be an immediate impact player, I believe, because of the experience deficit. Still, for a team that needed an effective pass rush, someone of Ansah's stature and athleticism at DE is an upgrade. I liked the Darius Slay pick - a good, fast and physical CB is something that Detroit needs desperately. Larry Warford looks like someone who will fit well in the OL here in Detroit.
(Cardinals) I saw an interview with him last night. OMG.
The Steelers and Ravens have nailed their draft again. They just have great people in charge, and it shows year in and year out.
STeelers: 1rst: Jones, 2nd: Brown, 3rd: Wheaton
Ravens: 1rst: Elam, 2nd: Brown, 3rd: B. Williams
well the entire Rutgers secondary is now on the Pats, take that how you will
I like the Chargers' draft. They've gotten 3 first-round type talents without having to trade up for them. Say what you will about Te'o, to get him there in the second was a no-brainer.
If there was ever proof that college kids shouldn't listen to scummy coaches with only their own necks on the line, look at Matt Barkley. Kid was a top-10 selection last year, came back to chase a pipedream of a championship by Lane Kiffin, and now won't even be drafted until the 4th round at best. Some of that has to do with injuries and the like, but hopefully kids realize that listening to crappy head coaches is a bad idea.