8 Late-Round Sleepers Who Would Be Perfect for Detroit Lions
One of the keys to NFL success is finding contributors in the later rounds of the draft. Scoring with picks in rounds 4-7 of the draft is a great, inexpensive way to build depth and perhaps even find some unexpected gems.
The Detroit Lions have steadily improved at hitting on late-round picks recently. Guys like Sam Martin, Corey Fuller, Devin Taylor, Willie Young and Caraun Reid (pictured) have all parlayed third-day draft status into legitimate contribution.
This year's draft is not as stacked at the top as some recent classes, but I'm genuinely excited about the prospects deeper in the draft. General manager Martin Mayhew and his scouting staff have a chance to find several useful contributors on the draft's final day.
Here are eight players commonly projected to rounds 4-7 who I believe merit strong consideration as worthwhile sleepers for the Detroit Lions.
Jalston Fowler
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Today's NFL fullbacks must be more than just the sledgehammer lead blockers of the past. While that's an important part of the job, they must also be able to catch reliably, perform flawlessly in pass protection and even tote the rock as a short-yardage back on occasion.
The Lions have a decent incumbent in Jed Collins, but he is an expiring contact and might not be back. Alabama's Jalston Fowler would make an excellent replacement.
He received lots of positive buzz during the Senior Bowl, where he stood out in practice drills for his affable enthusiasm and his well-rounded game. Several in attendance tweeted similar takes:
"Name I've heard a good bit when talking to scouts this week -- #Alabama RB Jalston Fowler. Much more than a fullback.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 22, 2015"
"Had Jalston Fowler ranked as a borderline top 100 guy coming in here. He's going to be a swiss-army knife in the NFL. Useful player.
— Mike Loyko (@NEPD_Loyko) January 21, 2015"
"Phil Savage says he thinks RB Jalston Fowler is Alabama's top prospect at #SeniorBowl and could go as high as 3rd round due to versatility.
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) January 21, 2015"
Using a fourth-round pick on the relatively unknown Fowler instead of a more prominent running back a round or two earlier might pay better dividends in Detroit.
John Crockett
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One of the unquestioned winners of the Shrine Game week was North Dakota State running back John Crockett. The loquacious Crockett was easy to hear on just about every play, shouting encouragement and congratulating West teammates for jobs well done.
Being Mr. Congeniality is great, but it doesn't mean anything if Crockett can't back it up with legit NFL skills as a runner. He showed those in St. Petersburg as well.
Chris Kouffman of Sporting News observed,
"Crockett, a mainstay for the FCS champion Bison, measured 5-11 3/4 and 217 pounds, with 10-inch hands. His physique passed the eyeball test. All of that could be observed in a number of settings, but his limitless energy and enthusiasm could probably only be observed in an all-star setting. His competitiveness was infectious, and other players in his position group responded to it.
Then there's the football side. Crockett is very strong and explosive into contact. He cuts well and shows good vision. Observers may be surprised by his speed, given his size. West linebackers were helpless against him during one-on-one coverage drills. It seemed that everything he tried against them worked.
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His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and quickly turn it up the field should appeal to the Lions. While running back is not a pressing need with Joique Bell, Reggie Bush and Theo Riddick all under contract and fourth-string George Winn a valuable special teams contributor, the injury rate is so high that having a depth of insurance at the position makes sense.
For a look at him in action, Tony Wiltshire posted his FCS playoff game against Sam Houston State.
"▶ North Dakota State RB John Crockett vs Sam Houston State (2014 FCS Playoffs) - YouTube https://t.co/YGPoCeQi7H
— Tony Wiltshire (@TonyWiltshire) January 18, 2015"
Crockett rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns against one of the premier teams at that level. He projects as a sixth- or seventh-round pick in this year's draft.
Ryan Russell
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The Detroit Lions clearly covet length at defensive end. The shortest end on the current roster is Jason Jones...all 6'5" and 276 pounds of him. George Johnson checked in at "just" 6'4", though he's now a free agent.
Purdue's Ryan Russell certainly fits the bill. It's easy to see his outstanding arm length in the above picture. He measured in at 6'5" and 265 pounds at the Shrine Game, and he used those to his advantage in drills. Emory Hunt of Football Gameplan took notice:
"#ShrineGame West Notes: I think #Purdue's DL Ryan Russell can play multiple spots up front. Complete understanding of how to play w/length
— Emory Hunt (@FBallGameplan) January 13, 2015"
The Texas native wasn't overly productive for the Boilermakers, but Purdue has a long history of churning out quality NFL defensive linemen who didn't necessarily stand out in college. With Detroit's proclivity towards selecting long defensive ends from the Shrine Game in the fourth round (Devin Taylor, Larry Webster), the next in line could be Russell.
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Chris Bonner
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If you've even heard of Colorado State-Pueblo, you probably don't think of it as a breeding ground for a future NFL quarterback. I'll even admit to having to look up their mascot (they're the ThunderWolves).
Yet out of the relative obscurity of D-II, quarterback Chris Bonner has made quite a name for himself on the scouting trail. He led the ThunderWolves to the national championship and also impressed many observers at the recent Medal of Honor Bowl.
Dane Brugler of CBS Sports sums up what a lot of folks in Mobile were talking about last week, the largely underevaluated gunslinger and his potential:
"Hearing a lot of great things about QB Chris Bonner at @MOHbowl practices this week. Needs work, but his tape is encouraging. NFL traits
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 9, 2015"
Some who have seen him play are even loftier in praise, including Jordan Plocher of GM Jr., who believes the 6'7" Bonner is the best senior quarterback in the country...
"Reminder my top rated Senior QB was not at the Senior Bowl. CSU-Pueblo's Chris Bonner.
— Jordan Plocher (@StarvingScout) January 25, 2015"
The Lions have not drafted a quarterback since selecting Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009. With backups Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore both free agents, the time is right for Detroit to restock the cupboard with a high-upside developmental pick in the fifth or sixth round.
Darrian Miller
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Yet another impressive Shrine Game product is Darrian Miller, who played offensive tackle at Kentucky.
While he held his own in the SEC at tackle, his NFL future is inside at left guard. When I spoke to Miller after a practice session he indicated a willingness to slide inside, with the acknowledgement he would need to get a little stronger in the upper body.
Miller impressed many, including Optimum Scouting's Eric Galko, with his reach blocks and mobility to get out and successfully engage linebackers in space.
"#shrinegame Kentucky OT Darrian Miller showing a lot of fight getting way downfield and taking out Maryland LB Cole Farrand
— Eric Galko (@OptimumScouting) January 14, 2015"
Those are qualities which mesh nicely with what offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi requires of his guards. Detroit frequently uses lots of line movement, and that's Miller's strong suit.
Miller is enough of a sleeper that he's not even rated by B/R's Matt Miller in his latest big board. Rotoworld tags him as a mid-round talent, and because he's played out of position in college he could make for a nice fifth-round steal for the Lions.
Keep in mind Detroit needs both an eventual—immediate if Rob Sims departs— starter at left guard as well as a top interior reserve going forward. Miller makes a lot of sense.
Dean Marlowe
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Many Detroit fans were dismayed when the Philadelphia Eagles swooped in and swiped The Osprey, aka safety Jerome Couplin, off the Lions' practice squad. Couplin was an undrafted free agent out of William & Mary who made quite a positive impression in camp and preseason with his size, speed and tantalizing potential.
There is another physically impressive safety from Couplin's FCS-level conference who fits the seventh-round or undrafted free-agent bill in Detroit this year. Dean Marlowe from James Madison isn't quite as long as Couplin, but at 6'2" and 210 pounds he definitely shows up big in the secondary.
He plays the same sort of style as current starting strong safety James Ihedigbo, a downhill hitter with good instincts for the ball and great closing burst.
During Shrine Game practices, he struggled in one-on-one coverage drills. In 7-on-7 drills and team sessions, he fared much better.
"The best two defensive backs on the East team today @Shrine_Game were CB Craig Mager (Texas State) and S Dean Marlowe (James Madison).
— NFL Draft Blitz (@NFLDraftBlitz) January 13, 2015"
One of the reasons he's a marginal draft prospect is his issue with targeting, which got him ejected three times. As noted by Matt Jones of Dukes of JMU,
"Marlowe - one of three JMU captains - hasn't thrown a punch or done anything egregiously outside the rulebook. He's been penalized for targeting, which carries an immediate ejection with the penalty, and Marlowe said it's been extremely frustrating.
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If Marlowe can fix his target point and keep his head up, the Lions could have themselves an intimidating presence in the late rounds of perhaps as a priority undrafted free-agent.
Stephone Anthony
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One of the players gaining momentum as the draft seasons starts to kick into high gear is Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony. He's been largely under the radar as the focus tends to go to the more highly touted Tigers up front, Vic Beasley and Grady Jarrett.
After his week at the Senior Bowl, people are starting to wake up to what the rangy linebacker offers. Charles Davis of NFL Network is one...
"Senior Bowl game today, 4pm ET on @nflnetwork. One of my new favorite players? LB Stephone Anthony of Clemson...Wow!
— Charles Davis (@CFD22) January 24, 2015"
He also earned special mention from his Senior Bowl coach, Gus Bradley of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
""He's really showed up as a linebacker. He's caught our eye." -Gus Bradley on #Clemson LB Stephone Anthony. pic.twitter.com/3HGiV4ZeLv
— Patrick Woo (@P_Woo) January 22, 2015"
Josh Collacchi of eDraft compared him to "a quicker DeMeco Ryans," and that's a fair evaluation. While he's not a thumping presence in the middle, Anthony is smart, instinctive and moves well enough to handle most basic coverage assignments. Collacchi also notes his sure tackling, which definitely stands out on game film.
He might not make it to the third day of the draft, but if Anthony does fall the Lions would be smart to run to the podium with his name on the draft card. With many questions at linebacker going forward, adding a talent like Anthony makes a lot of sense.
Donald Celiscar
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The Lions have found some success in recent years by looking to the west side of the state for talent. Tony Scheffler and Louis Delmas both parlayed impressive stints as Western Michigan Broncos into successful years with the Lions.
Another Bronco who could continue the lineage is cornerback Donald Celiscar.
While he doesn't have the ideal size Detroit often looks for at cornerback at 5'11" and 185 pounds, Celiscar does have the ball skills the Lions covet. In fact, no player had more passes defended in 2014 than his 21, which includes four interceptions.
In his final three years in Kalamazoo, Celiscar got his hands on 49 passes. Seven of those were interceptions, and he also forced three fumbles. That's consistent productivity at attacking the football. He also notched more than 200 tackles in that time.
He recently played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in hopes of boosting his prominence. Alas, the national media still hasn't caught on; he's unlisted by ESPN as a prospect and ranks 393rd on CBS's current list.
Celiscar might go undrafted with concerns about his slender frame and questionable deep speed coming out of the Mid-American Conference, but he held his own in games against Virginia Tech and Michigan State. He's someone the Lions need to consider in the seventh round.
All collegiate stats are from CFB Stats. Draft round projections and scouting notes are the work of the author.
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