Tag: positional flexibility

Jamie Collins’ confidence, positional versatility could be a game changer for the Lions

Linebacker Jamie Collins’ confidence and positional versatility could be a game-changer for the Detroit Lions in the 2020 season.

After our media Zoom call with Detroit Lions linebacker Jamie Collins, two things were abundantly clear: He is incredibly confident and he enjoys playing all over the field.

When studying Collins game film from 2019, he rarely lineup up at the same linebacker spot on back-to-back snaps and he played at a high level regardless of whether he was dropping into coverage, stopping the run, blitzing, or pass rushing off the edge.

That positional versatility makes Collins a very rare player and his effectiveness playing at multiple spots gives the Lions plenty of options on how to set their defense.

Because Collins is a non-traditional player, trying to project him into a traditional linebacker role in the Lions scheme tends to be a fruitless effort as he will likely see snaps at every linebacker spot.

With that in mind, Collins was asked if fans wanted to go back and watch a game of his to get a better understanding of who he is as a player, Collins confidence shined through.

“Any game for me,” Collins said. “I feel like I’m doing what I gotta do every year, every game, every season. You can go check my stats, my stats are through the roof.”

He would go on to expand on his positional versatility, noting that he is willing to play anywhere and do anything coaches asked of him.

“Inside, outside, it’s my job,” Collins continued. “I’m here to do what’s best for the team. I just want my teammates to know that I got their back whenever they need me, I’m there and hopefully, I can say the same about everybody else… If they put me inside, I’ll play inside. If they put me outside, I’ll play outside… I like to switch it up every now and then and hunt for the ball. I like to rush the passer, but a lot of times I like to catch interceptions too.”

He even suggested that if it was in the team’s best interest and coaches wanted him to play safety, he would “drop some weight and play safety.”

Collins’ confidence and versatility could completely change the Lions approach to the linebacker position and we could see a ripple effect run through the entire position group.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai’s positional flexibility gives the Lions options in the draft

Halapoulivaati Vaitai’s positional flexibility gives the Detroit Lions options in the 2020 NFL draft, allowing them to take the best offensive lineman available.

The Detroit Lions front office and coaching staff put a premium on versatility and offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai’s ability to play both tackle and guard at a high level was a big reason they targeted him early in free agency.

As general manager Bob Quinn noted in his video conference with Detroit media on Friday, Vaitai’s positional flexibility allows the Lions to keep their options open in the types of players they add in the future.

“Yeah, Vaitai is a guy we obviously like a lot,” Quinn said. “One of the best things about him is we feel like he can play two positions and he has played two positions. Does he have the ability to play right tackle? Absolutely. Can he go inside and play guard at a high level? We think he can. So, that’s one of the reasons why he was kind of a target for us because depending upon what happens in the Draft and the rest of free agency, we feel like we can plug him into either spot.”

The Lions are expected to bring in more competition on the offensive line via the draft before settling on a spot for Vaitai.

“We’ll kind of see where the roster shakes up here in another three, four weeks and kind of solidify the depth chart going into the offseason.”

Draft impact

The Lions need a starter at both right tackle and right guard, and Vaitai’s ability to play at both spots gives the team options in the draft. He allows the team to take the best offensive lineman available, rather than be forced to focus on only one position group.

This doubles the draft pool for potential starting offensive linemen.

First-round

The offensive tackle group is very strong at the top, with potentially six tackles likely being selected before the first interior offensive lineman. Four of those six — Tristan Wirfs (Iowa), Jedrick Wills (Alabama), Andrew Thomas (Georgia), and Mekhi Becton (Louisville) — could hear their name called in the top-16 picks and are considered by most as potential All-Pro level players.

With left tackle Taylor Decker in a contract year and four potential stud offensive tackles there to be taken, if the Lions trade back from pick No. 3, Wirfs, Wills, Thomas, and Becton are very much in play — likely playing right tackle as a rookie and then potentially shifting to left tackle in 2021.

If the Lions draft defense in the first round, the second round opens up several more opportunities to grab an offensive lineman who can contribute early.

Second-round

Left tackles Josh Jones (Houston) and Ezra Cleveland (Boise State) are potential first-rounders but if either fall to pick No. 35, they could be in play. Jones was on the Lions squad at the Senior Bowl while Cleveland hits all the athletic markers for the Lions.

Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz is another potential first-rounder who the Lions could consider is there in the second. He has the range to play both center and guard, hits every athletic benchmark for the Lions, and is a plug-and-play level player.

Austin Jackson (LT, USC), Isaiah Wilson (RT, Georgia), and Lloyd Cushenberry (C, LSU) all have day one starter level potential but each has a few traits that need to be cleaned up.

Third-round

The tackle market is getting thinner fast, but players like Lucas Niang (RT, TCU) and Prince Tega-Wanogho (LT, Auburn) — who have seen their stock fall due to injury — offer upside value. Matt Peart (RT, UConn) is a sleeper name to keep in mind here, he was the Lions starting right tackle at the Senior Bowl.

This could be the sweet spot of the draft for an interior offensive lineman, with eight names that could challenge to start at right guard for the Lions — Robert Hunt (RT/G, Louisana), Matt Hennessy (C, Temple), Damien Lewis (RG, LSU), Ben Bredeson (LG, Michigan), Nick Harris (IOL, Washington), John Simpson (LG, Clemson), Jonah Jackson (LG, Ohio State), and Ben Bartch (LT/G, St. Johns). The sleeper here is Hakeem Adeniji (LT/G, Kansas) who saw reps at both left and right guard for the Lions at the Senior Bowl.

Of the 22 players listed above, not all of them will be selected in the top-100 picks which could afford the Lions the opportunity to land one of these players at pick No. 109 in the fourth round. If the Lions still haven’t selected an offensive lineman at that point, it will be challenging to find another player in the draft capable of challenging for a starting role in their rookie year.