Anthony Dixon: A Sleeping Giant at One of Detroit's Late Picks

At 6'1" and 233 lbs, Anthony Dixon is a truly a beast of a player. Mississippi State's Senior running back ran for 3,994 yards in 48 games as a Bulldog, and could fill a very specific need on the Detroit Lions as a power back. 

If you are a fan of LeGarrette Blount's aggressive running style, you will love Anthony Dixon. He stacks up very well against Blount in size and speed, without nearly as many off field issues. It should be noted though that he was suspended one game for a DUI arrest before the 2009 season, but had no other legal issues. His 40 yard time at the scouting combine was slightly slow at 4.65, which kept him just under the radar, improving his time to 4.61 at his pro day. (Blount ran 4.62 and 4.53 at the combine and his pro day respectively) 

He won't beat you with speed, but that's not the point. His strength is straight ahead, downhill running.  He has shown repeatedly that in short yardage situations, he can power forward for the touchdown. He moves well enough in tight spaces to make a few initial defenders miss, and is a good blocker with decent hands. Starting every game but one over the past three seasons, Dixon has shown he is extremely durable. He played very well behind a lackluster offensive line, while competing in the SEC, known as one of the toughest college conferences.

The Lions new management and coaching staff have made a few things very clear since they were hired: They want to get bigger at nearly every position, they want to establish a run game, and they are looking at every possible running back option. 

Dixon fits this philosophy perfectly, and would be a steal since he is projected to the 3rd or 4th round or lower by most analysts. Some will argue that the lions need the typical "bell cow" back that can play every down, but I disagree. The trend for most teams in the NFL has been to acquire multiple starting running backs. As the game continues to evolve, it is becoming apparent that there are too many endurance and durability requirements to bestow upon a single back.

The Lions have too many needs to use a first round pick on a running back, and the top tier all-purpose backs will most likely be gone within the first few rounds. This leaves a few running backs in later rounds that do not warrant selection over players with much greater draft value talent-wise. Later round selections also may not show a significant difference in talent level to current starter Kevin Smith to warrant such a pick.

I feel Anthony Dixon has the potential to be the ultimate sleeper of the 2010 NFL Draft. The Lions would go a long way in improving the half back position by making this pick in one of the later rounds.