It’s no secret the Detroit Lions drafted a lot of Pro Football Focus’ favorites in this draft class — they gave the Lions an “A” grade overall — so it also shouldn’t be overly surprising that several of the Lions’ rookies also landed on a handful of PFF’s pre-draft articles.
One collection of articles that featured several Lions, was PFF’s 2020 NFL Draft superlatives series. These articles are always solid reads ahead of the draft, but it’s also fun to review them to better understand some of the Lions’ new players.
Note: keep in mind the questions below were asked and answered by PFF and cover the entire 2020 NFL Draft class.
Best CB in man coverage: Jeff Okudah
“Okudah’s combination of physicality at the line of scrimmage and makeup-burst out of his cuts is second to none in the draft class,” PFF’s Michael Renner said. “He’s so darn consistent snap-to-snap that it’s difficult to see him ‘busting’ in the NFL.”
The Lions feature a ton of man coverage in their scheme and landing the top player in this skill set has to make Lions fans feel warm inside.
Okudah also landed honorable mentions in several other PFF superlatives categories including, “Best CB in zone coverage”, “Best CB in press coverage”, and “Most fun to watch”.
Best receiving RB: D’Andre Swift
“Swift is the modern do-it-all running back,” Renner said. “His ability to torch linebackers one-on-one as a route-runner is what we here at PFF covet more than any other skill at the position. Over the course of his Georgia career, he hauled in 73 passes for 666 yards and five scores while breaking 19 tackles and dropping three targets.”
D'Andre Swift has one speed: FAST ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/PnZDcJKdKt
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 7, 2018
Best pass setting OL: Jonah Jackson
“This is a hotly contested superlative and quite easily the one you want to win on this list,” Renner said. “. At the end of the day, though, Jackson’s consistency takes the cake. The Ohio State guard uses his hands exceptionally well already and gets on guys immediately at the snap with his short sets. Of his 10 pressures allowed this past season, only one came one-on-one in pass protection. The rest were on stunts, miscommunications or pulling. That secures him the top spot for us.”
Jonah Jackson, Guard, Ohio State:
• Underrated name to monitor
• Rutgers transfer
• Has played LG, C, and RG (+)
• Light feet/heavy hands in his area
• Zone-blocking scheme fit
• Nasty finisher (++)
• Highly aware with seeing stunts pic.twitter.com/Zs7pq8gwfp— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) February 23, 2020
Most fun EDGE rusher to watch: Julian Okwara (honorable mention)
Chase Young won this category for PFF but Okwara was number two on the list. With Okwara’s recognition here, each of the Lions’ first four draft picks were highlighted by PFF pre-draft. But it wasn’t just drafted Lions’ players who were recognized, some undrafted players also made superlatives lists.
Best TE after the catch: Hunter Bryant
“This is where the Washington tight end is head-and-shoulders above the rest,” Renner said. “He broke 18 tackles on only 85 career catches and turned into a hulked-up wide receiver with the ball in his hands. He can not only pinball off would-be tacklers, but also shake defenders in the open field.”
Best tackling DB: Jeremiah Dinson (Honorable mention)
Dinson’s addition has flown a bit under the radar as the Lions appear loaded at safety, but if he is going to make the 53-man roster, his elite tackling ability could be his ticket.