A scouting report on new Detroit Lions DT Daylon Mack, acquired off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens
The Detroit Lions have themselves a big new addition to the defensive line. Daylon Mack is the newest member of the Lions defensive tackle group.
The team claimed Mack, 23, off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens. He was Baltimore’s fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Texas A&M.
The first thing you notice about Mack is his rather generous posterior. He’s 6-foot-1, 340 pounds and most of that weight seems centered around the backside. Or as I said after watching him at the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl practices in 2019,
He was an underwhelming performer during his time at Texas A&M, flashing occasionally but never dominating. His production perked up as a senior after coaching changes, both at head coach and his positional coaches. The incredible lower-body strength and surprising quickness — quick enough that he played some option RB in high school at 300 pounds — for a guy of his considerable girth produced 5.5 sacks and caused a lot of disruption against a lot of good offensive linemen in the SEC that year.
He built upon that momentum at the postseason all-star games. From my notes on the Shrine Game week,
He underachieved relative to his recruiting hype for the Aggies, but Mack came alive in St. Pete. From a heavy DE spot he has remarkable quickness to crash the B-gap. He’s a player I can verify the Lions watched intently throughout the week.
Their interest then was in using Mack in the A’Shawn Robinson role in Matt Patricia’s defense, a heavy DT that can maintain a gap against the run but also line up outside the guard in a 3-man front and attack.
Mack didn’t see the field in Baltimore other than on special teams. They drafted a couple of lighter-type players in this offseason while also letting Michael Pierce, who Mack sat behind as a rookie, leave in free agency. Their changing taste in D-linemen gives Mack an opportunity to prove himself to a coaching staff that liked him a lot heading into the 2019 NFL Draft.
Outlook
Mack has to be in shape, something he battled at Texas A&M. If he is, he can definitely crack the Lions 53-man roster. His ability to play as Danny Shelton’s primary backup but also kick outside to Da’Shawn Hand’s role gives him a very good chance to stick. With John Atkins opting out, Mack is competing for rotation spots with Kevin Strong, Olive Sagapolu, Jonathan Wynn and rookie John Penisini. Figure on two of them making the Lions final roster.
