Off-ball linebacker is an area where the Detroit Lions tend to feel better about their team than fans or national pundits do. It’s a position group the Brad Holmes regime has not emphasized in the draft or prominently in free agency in his two-plus years on the job.
Detroit runs a base 4-2-5 defense and sticks with two LBs on the field the vast majority of the time. The Lions ran more offensive plays with a sixth offensive lineman on the field than they did defensive snaps with more than two off-ball LBs in both 2021 and 2022.
The Lions brought back top tackler Alex Anzalone on a 3-year free agent contract that indicates the team’s level of trust and respect in No. 34. Last year’s rookie, Malcolm Rodriguez, outplayed his sixth-round draft status as the other primary off-ball LB. He shared that role with 2021 fourth-rounder Derrick Barnes. The Lions brought back Jalen Reeves-Maybin after a year in Houston and vet Anthony Pittman, though both are in Detroit more for special teams than defense.
Lions 2023 draft: A defensive tackle for every round
Here is one linebacker prospect that fits the Lions from (almost) every round of the draft. Detroit doesn’t currently have any picks in the fourth or seventh rounds, but players from those ranges are included because trades happen all the time during the draft weekend.
1st round: None
It’s not even worth entertaining the notion that the Lions would remotely consider an off-ball linebacker in the first round, for two reasons.
1. The regime has proven time and again that they simply do not value the linebacker position as a premium spot, either in Detroit or in previous stops.
2. There aren’t any off-ball LBs in this class worthy of (legitimate) first-round consideration, certainly not at No. 18 or above.
2nd round: Drew Sanders, Arkansas
Sanders will be the top off-ball LB on many draft boards, in part because he offers the ability to also play as a stand-up pass rusher, a la Micah Parsons of the Cowboys.
The 6-4, 235-pounder transferred from Alabama to Arkansas for 2022 so he could start — something he never did for the Crimson Tide. Sanders was at his best attacking the quarterback through D-line gaps, something Lions fans have seen from Anzalone in the last two years. The athleticism and straight-line speed are NFL-ready, and the versatility to play any LB spot is valuable.
There are more than a few instances on game film where Sanders reminds you he’s a one-year starter; he’s often lost in blocking, and his missed tackle rate of 20 percent is astronomical. Sanders is a high-upside prospect with emerging skills but not necessarily one who would play ahead of Derrick Barnes or Malcolm Rodriguez a lot as a rookie.
3rd round: Daiyan Henley, Washington State
Henley is arguably the best coverage linebacker in the draft. It makes sense considering he arrived in Pullman as a safety and never lost touch with seeing the field more as a defensive back than a linebacker.
At 6-1 and 225 pounds, he relies on his speed and surprising tackling power to make plays. Henley’s playing speed is outstanding, and he can turn and run in man coverage with any TE or RB on the field. The quick reactions are important because Henley isn’t the most instinctive LB in run defense, and he doesn’t anticipate blocks well, though that has shown improvement.
Where Henley might gain a real edge for the Lions is with his special teams prowess. He glows when talking in interviews about playing on punt and kick coverage units, and that’s something Detroit clearly values in the off-ball LB position.
4th round: DeMarvion Overshown, Texas
Overshown was projected higher than this entering the season after having a dalliance with the 2022 NFL draft before returning to the Longhorns. He had another solid season, showing real improvement at anticipating plays pre-snap, yet he now projects as a middle-rounder.
Some of that is because of his size, or lack thereof. Overshown is lanky at 6-3 and 225 pounds, and his play strength is much more in line with a safety (which he used to be) than a linebacker. Getting off blockers is a major issue, but Overshown is effective when he’s free to run. His closing burst and body control in getting to the point of attack are very impressive, and Overshown has good spatial awareness and route recognition in coverage situations.
5th round: Owen Pappoe, Auburn
Pappoe earned the nickname “Freak” due to his incredible athletic prowess, a status he affirmed at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Here’s what I wrote in the scouting profile on Pappoe from just before the combine,
Pappoe is a reliably smart, physical off-ball LB. He’s at his best playing in the middle of the field and behind two stout DTs, cleaning up anything that gets past the line. His speed and quick processing allow Pappoe to chase down tackles all over the field, and he’s proven he can be an asset in coverage situations.
He often plays like he’s a bigger player, for better and for worse. Pappoe needs to move through the blocking and traffic better to take advantage of his speed, and he’s not as effective downhill as he is reading/reacting and patrolling the second level.
6th round: Dorian Williams, Tulane
Williams is another swift, hustle-and-flow type of backer who can strike with some power behind his pads. He’s rangy and aware in coverage, though he doesn’t quite have the open-field speed or closing burst to merit being selected much above the final two rounds. Williams doesn’t get off blocks well and is not a pass rusher at all, not even on an unblocked blitz opportunity.
During his solid Senior Bowl week, Williams reminded me more than a little of Jalen Reeves-Maybin. He’s got a budding future as a sub-package backer and special teams fixture just like the current Lions vet in that role.
7th round: Nick Hampton, Appalachian State
Hampton was more of an EDGE for the Mountaineers, but he doesn’t have the play strength or size (6-2/236) to play as more than a subpackage pass rusher in the NFL. Like Derrick Barnes, he does have some traits that portend a move to more of an off-ball LB.
Hampton has the quick feet and spatial awareness to handle himself in short-area coverage. He’s a good tackler who can reliably find the quickest path to the ball, too. Hampton might need a year on the practice squad to fully convert to off-ball backer, but there is upside and football character to work with.
