Injuries derailed the Detroit Lions season and their defense. That’s well documented. As the Lions enter the off-season, there should be an emphasis for them to spend draft capital on adding pieces to their defense. As of now, the Lions have 17 defensive players scheduled to become free agents.
Certainly, some of those players were practice squad players that got elevated to one-year contracts to fill the spots for the injured players. However, not all of those practice squad players were bad. For example, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Pat O’Connor did enough to earn a chance to compete for a spot on the roster this upcoming summer.
Regardless, it’s always good to have depth on your roster. Specifically, it’s good to have good depth. Does that make sense? So with that, I’d like to look at five defensive prospects from the 2025 Senior Bowl that could be worth adding to the Lions roster in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Texas A&M DL Shemar Turner
Earlier today, I talked about Turner’s teammate, Shemar Stewart. As I mentioned earlier, I think Stewart will end up being a first-round pick, and with that, I think that means he won’t be available for the Lions when they are on the clock with the 28th overall pick.
Despite that, the Lions could use a player such as Turner. He’s a veteran defender as a 35-game starter at Texas A&M and he’s extremely versatile. He’s got the ability to play in multiple alignments and most importantly, his motor is always running hot.
Turner is consistent against the run and is more than capable of rushing the passer. He’s listed at 6’4″ and 290 pounds and he displays good burst and effective first step. As he gets double teamed on run plays, he will look to get skinny and will drop his shoulder trying to split defenders. Meanwhile, he shows no issues when dipping his shoulder and trying to turn the corner as a pass rusher.
Much like his teammate, Shemar Stewart, there’s been limited production for both prospects. For Turner, he’s only recorded 24 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his career. If he’s able to pile up good days this week in Mobile, he could be a player that starts to move up draft boards, specifically the Detroit Lions.
Syracuse DB Justin Barron
This one may come as a surprise for some folks but I’ll be honest: I don’t think Ifeatu Melifonwu will be back in Detroit next season. He’s been injured too often, and his spurts of production are just not enough to justify a long-term extension that he’s probably going to seek.
With that, I think the Lions could look to replace him in this draft. If they do, Justin Barron from Syracuse could be a potential fit. He’s a former receiver who converted to a box safety role for the Orange.
Over the last four seasons on defense, Barron has recorded 289 tackles with 3.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Adding to that, we’ve seen two interceptions and 10 pass deflections over the last two seasons. Additionally, he’s played over 1,000 snaps on special teams in his career.
Down in the box, Barron can blitz or contribute in stopping the run. When he drops into coverage, he should be able to play man coverage against running backs and tight ends. However, he should win teams over with his ability to make big hits on pass catchers when attacking downhill.
Teams will want to see how fluid he is in space this week but if Detroit wants to keep Brian Branch at a deeper safety alignment, Barron could be a player that steps up in the box for them.
Nebraska DL Ty Robinson
Going back to the defensive line, there was a specific player that caught my eye a few times on tape. That was Ty Robinson from Nebraska. He’s played 60 games for the Cornhuskers and was redshirted in 2019.
On tape, he displays a versatile skill set with the ability to play in multiple alignments upfront. Playing with a good blend of power and speed at 6’6″ and 310 pounds, Robinson seems destined to play as a nose or 3-technique in the NFL. However, a team such as the Lions could look to bump him out as wide as a 4i-technique or 5-technique.
When rushing the passer, he’s effective with a club-rip and swim move to collapse the pocket. Which really helped him become more productive last season with 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks. The Lions could be intrigued with how well he moves laterally for his size and much like Alim McNeill in high school, Robinson also played baseball.
Oh, and fun fact, there were times that Robinson would play fullback for the Cornhuskers, too.
South Carolina LB Demetrius Knight
The Lions will have an interesting decision to make with their linebacker room despite adding to it several years in a row. We all know what they’ve got with Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell. But I’d have to assume that new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will want to ensure he’s got good depth and the option to play three linebackers in the Lions’ “base” defense.
There’s some uncertainty about the availability of Malcolm Rodriguez to start the season, and the same could be said for Derrick Barnes. In addition to both players coming back from knee injuries, Barnes is also scheduled to be a free agent. I’d have to assume he’ll be back, but it’s always tough to say.
So if the Lions are looking at linebacker depth, one player that consistently catches my eye is Demetrius Knight II from South Carolina. He checked into the Senior Bowl at 6012 and 246 pounds with 3328 arms. Right around the same size as Barnes (6’0″ | 238 pounds | 33 3/8″ arms), Knight could provide the Lions a healthier option at the position.
On tape, he’s a physical defender that is willing to take on blocks and shows good range and athleticism. He does have lapses in coverage at times but overall, he could be rotate between the ‘SAM’ and ‘MIKE’ linebacker spot for the Lions defense.
There will be some concerns surrounding Knight’s age as he’s already 25-years old and he did get dismissed from Georgia Tech. If those boxes are checked off, he’ll provide depth and potential starting ability at linebacker while being able to contribute on special teams.
Oregon EDGE Jordan Burch
Lastly, I want to talk about a player that I think really fits the Detroit Lions profile for a defensive lineman. Listed at 6’6″ and 268 pounds, it wouldn’t be surprising if Burch checked in slightly bigger than that at the Senior Bowl.
Regardless, that shouldn’t change what teams think of him because the tape speaks for itself. On tape, Burch is a versatile edge defender that is best suited to play as a 4i-technique to a 5-technique. Can play in a 3-point stance or with his hand in the dirt but needs to get more comfortable in either stance prior to the snap. There are times that he tends to rock with his hand in the dirt and that forces him to be slower off the snap.
Most importantly, Burch has plenty of tools to work with as a pass rusher – his best move is the long-arm technique. If he can’t get home on his pass rush, he will look to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage.
It’s unclear if the Lions will bring back Levi Onwuzurike or not but if they move on, I could see a player such as Jordan Burch being an ideal replacement for Detroit.
