Latest news with #TyleikWilliams
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tyleik Williams gives the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle
It may have surprised some people that the Detroit Lions opted to select Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Taking a defensive tackle may not be the highest of needs when you glance at the depth chart but the more you dive into the situations, it does make more sense. There's a lot of doubt on whether defensive tackle Alim McNeill will be available to start the 2025 regular season. He's recovering from a torn ACL he suffered against the Buffalo Bills in December. With recent data suggesting a 10 to 11 month return-to-play is expected. There could be a chance that he returns a game or two after the Lions week-8 bye. Advertisement In addition to the injury to McNeill, the Lions also don't have much long-term depth. DJ Reader is on the final year of his deal and has battled through injuries in the past. The Lions did sign nose tackle Roy Lopez to a one-year deal this off-season and they did bring back Levi Onwuzurike on a one-year deal. With question marks beyond this season, Williams gives them a long-term answer to pair with McNeill for the future. Contracts and the depth chart aside, let's dive into some film to see what Williams can provide the Lions defensive line. During my preparation for the Senior Bowl, I watched two games of Tyleik Williams from last season. One of the first games I watched was the regular season matchup between Oregon and Ohio State. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams (DT #91) highlighted and aligned as a 3-technique. Prior to the snap, one of the skilled players was sent into motion and you can see Williams communicate to the defensive end next to him. Once the ball is snapped, the right tackle attempts to cross the face of Williams on this zone run. However, Williams does a great job maintaining separation while working laterally. In the process, you'll see him peek into the backfield more than once. As he continues to pursue to the football, he ends up making the tackle. Moving to the next play, I want to focus on Williams showcasing his ability to play with violence. This will be a steady theme for him on film. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams (DT #91) highlighted and aligned as a 3-technique. Advertisement Once the ball is snapped, Williams immediately asserts his dominance by maintaining a square base and executes a push-pull move perfectly to break free from the right guard. As the play continues to develop, Williams finds himself in a good position to either tackle the running back or the quarterback. Navigating to the football, he discovers that the quarterback has the ball and he works his way towards him. Despite not being able to make the tackle, he does slow the quarterback down and forces him to go another direction. With how much zone read, read-option and play-action plays the Lions have seen from teams such as the 49ers, Eagles and Commanders, having a player such as Williams should be beneficial. He plays under control with plenty of power to disrupt plays and timing in the backfield. Whether we see Williams play as a 3-technique, 1-technique or even a zero shade is yet to be determined. However, one thing is for sure, at 6' 3" and 334 pounds, Williams will see multiple blockers. Potentially having to face double teams consistently. Advertisement Focusing on the next play, we look at the play above between Ohio State and Texas. While this play doesn't showcase Williams being able to split a double team and make a tackle for loss, it does just show the type of power and navigation skills he possess for a defense. On the reverse, the play goes away from Williams but that's not important. Watch how he swims over the right guard and holds his ground at the point-of-attack (POA) against the right tackle. Had the ball been ran in his direction, I feel confident in thinking that Williams would have clogged any openings for the running back. As I mentioned previously, it's more likely that Williams will face multiple blockers than being left one-on-one with an offensive lineman. Fortunately, he's shown on multiple occasions that he'll be just fine. Using the play above as another example, you'll see Williams show off his strength, flexibility and feel for handling multiple blockers. Advertisement Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams aligned as a 3-technique again. Once the ball is snapped, he's met by multiple blockers. Following behind that is the backside guard pulling and the tight end (H-back) wrapping on this designed Q G/H Counter play. Fortunately for Williams, the two inside linebackers (LB #20 and LB #0) do a good job scraping and meeting the two pullers. This gives him time and he capitalizes on it. In the process, you'll see Williams drop to his knee and show off his play strength against the left guard and left tackle. As he navigates to the backfield, he meets the quarterback in the hole and stuffs him for no gain. With how linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell play, the addition of Williams could do wonders for them. Lastly, I want to focus on Williams crossing face and ripping under a block to make a tackle for loss. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams highlighted as a 3-technique. Once the ball is snapped, he quickly crosses the face of the right guard and rips underneath to ensure he remains free. As he locks onto the running back, it's game over from there on this attempted GT Counter run from Oregon. Advertisement Overall, it's easy to see why Tyleik Williams was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He shows great pre-snap communication on every play, he has the desired play strength to disrupt or hold his ground at the point-of-attack and there's violence with the way he plays. There's been some debate on whether he plays as a 3-technique or 2i-technique, zero shade, etc but in today's NFL, you have to be versatile. Despite my thought process of Williams being a plug-and-play starter as a 3-technique in Detroit, he will provide versatility from day one. In addition to that, he provides experience. In college, he started 25 games with 51 games played and he played against some of the top offensive lineman in the country on a weekly basis. This selection may not move the needle for every fan but it's a move that will give the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle of their defense. This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Tyleik Williams film study: Lions drafted a consistent, physical DT
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tyleik Williams gives the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle
Tyleik Williams gives the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle It may have surprised some people that the Detroit Lions opted to select Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Taking a defensive tackle may not be the highest of needs when you glance at the depth chart but the more you dive into the situations, it does make more sense. There's a lot of doubt on whether defensive tackle Alim McNeill will be available to start the 2025 regular season. He's recovering from a torn ACL he suffered against the Buffalo Bills in December. With recent data suggesting a 10 to 11 month return-to-play is expected. There could be a chance that he returns a game or two after the Lions week-8 bye. In addition to the injury to McNeill, the Lions also don't have much long-term depth. DJ Reader is on the final year of his deal and has battled through injuries in the past. The Lions did sign nose tackle Roy Lopez to a one-year deal this off-season and they did bring back Levi Onwuzurike on a one-year deal. With question marks beyond this season, Williams gives them a long-term answer to pair with McNeill for the future. Contracts and the depth chart aside, let's dive into some film to see what Williams can provide the Lions defensive line. During my preparation for the Senior Bowl, I watched two games of Tyleik Williams from last season. One of the first games I watched was the regular season matchup between Oregon and Ohio State. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams (DT #91) highlighted and aligned as a 3-technique. Prior to the snap, one of the skilled players was sent into motion and you can see Williams communicate to the defensive end next to him. Once the ball is snapped, the right tackle attempts to cross the face of Williams on this zone run. However, Williams does a great job maintaining separation while working laterally. In the process, you'll see him peek into the backfield more than once. As he continues to pursue to the football, he ends up making the tackle. Moving to the next play, I want to focus on Williams showcasing his ability to play with violence. This will be a steady theme for him on film. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams (DT #91) highlighted and aligned as a 3-technique. Once the ball is snapped, Williams immediately asserts his dominance by maintaining a square base and executes a push-pull move perfectly to break free from the right guard. As the play continues to develop, Williams finds himself in a good position to either tackle the running back or the quarterback. Navigating to the football, he discovers that the quarterback has the ball and he works his way towards him. Despite not being able to make the tackle, he does slow the quarterback down and forces him to go another direction. With how much zone read, read-option and play-action plays the Lions have seen from teams such as the 49ers, Eagles and Commanders, having a player such as Williams should be beneficial. He plays under control with plenty of power to disrupt plays and timing in the backfield. Whether we see Williams play as a 3-technique, 1-technique or even a zero shade is yet to be determined. However, one thing is for sure, at 6' 3" and 334 pounds, Williams will see multiple blockers. Potentially having to face double teams consistently. Focusing on the next play, we look at the play above between Ohio State and Texas. While this play doesn't showcase Williams being able to split a double team and make a tackle for loss, it does just show the type of power and navigation skills he possess for a defense. On the reverse, the play goes away from Williams but that's not important. Watch how he swims over the right guard and holds his ground at the point-of-attack (POA) against the right tackle. Had the ball been ran in his direction, I feel confident in thinking that Williams would have clogged any openings for the running back. As I mentioned previously, it's more likely that Williams will face multiple blockers than being left one-on-one with an offensive lineman. Fortunately, he's shown on multiple occasions that he'll be just fine. Using the play above as another example, you'll see Williams show off his strength, flexibility and feel for handling multiple blockers. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams aligned as a 3-technique again. Once the ball is snapped, he's met by multiple blockers. Following behind that is the backside guard pulling and the tight end (H-back) wrapping on this designed Q G/H Counter play. Fortunately for Williams, the two inside linebackers (LB #20 and LB #0) do a good job scraping and meeting the two pullers. This gives him time and he capitalizes on it. In the process, you'll see Williams drop to his knee and show off his play strength against the left guard and left tackle. As he navigates to the backfield, he meets the quarterback in the hole and stuffs him for no gain. With how linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell play, the addition of Williams could do wonders for them. Lastly, I want to focus on Williams crossing face and ripping under a block to make a tackle for loss. Looking at the play above, you'll see Williams highlighted as a 3-technique. Once the ball is snapped, he quickly crosses the face of the right guard and rips underneath to ensure he remains free. As he locks onto the running back, it's game over from there on this attempted GT Counter run from Oregon. Overall, it's easy to see why Tyleik Williams was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He shows great pre-snap communication on every play, he has the desired play strength to disrupt or hold his ground at the point-of-attack and there's violence with the way he plays. There's been some debate on whether he plays as a 3-technique or 2i-technique, zero shade, etc but in today's NFL, you have to be versatile. Despite my thought process of Williams being a plug-and-play starter as a 3-technique in Detroit, he will provide versatility from day one. In addition to that, he provides experience. In college, he started 25 games with 51 games played and he played against some of the top offensive lineman in the country on a weekly basis. This selection may not move the needle for every fan but it's a move that will give the Lions defense a physical and consistent presence in the middle of their defense.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions sign Day 3 draft picks Frazier, Hassanein, Jackson, Lovett
The Detroit Lions signed all four of their Day 3 draft picks before the start of rookie minicamp. The Lions announced the signing of fifth-round pick Miles Frazier, sixth-rounder Ahmed Hassanein and seventh-rounders Dan Jackson and Dominic Lovett. Advertisement First-round pick Tyleik Williams, second-rounder Tate Ratledge and third-rounder Issac TeSlaa remain unsigned for now. All rookie draft picks receive slotted four-year contracts under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, and the Lions' will have a fifth-year team option on Williams once his deal is finalized later this spring. Lions general manager and executive vice president Brad Holmes, new first-round defensive lineman Tyleik Williams and coach Dan Campbell on Friday, April 25, 2025 at the Lions' headquarters in Allen Park. Frazier's four-year deal is worth a total of $4.52 million and includes a signing bonus of $320,216, according to Hassanein's deal is worth $4.429 million and includes a signing bonus of $229,892. Jackson's deal is worth $4.332 million with a singing bonus of $131,624. And Lovett's deal is worth $4.037 million and has a signing bonus of $106,772. Advertisement More: Boise State coach breaks down what Detroit Lions are getting in DE Ahmed Hassanein All four are expected to compete for backup jobs this fall. The Lions also announced their 10-man undrafted free agent class that includes three Michigan-born players, Grand Valley State safety Ian Kennelly (Macomb), Ohio running back Anthony Tyus (Portage) and Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn (Lake Orion), and have four first-year players and 19 tryout players in rookie camp this weekend. First-year players safety Erick Hallett, linebacker DaRon Gilbert, edge rusher Isaac Ukwu and center Kingsley Eguakun spent time on the Lions practice squad last season. Ex-Michigan cornerback Aamir Hall, former Michigan State defensive lineman Raequan Williams, ex-Eastern Michigan quarterback Cole Snyder and former Ferris State receiver Malik Taylor are among the tryout players in camp. Advertisement Rookie camp runs Friday-Sunday at the Lions' Allen Park practice facility. Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@ Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions sign 4 draft picks, kick off rookie minicamp
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Lions rookie minicamp: Big praise for Tyleik Williams, a glimpse of the new coaches, and more
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Lions rookies took the field for rookie minicamp Friday morning, their first taste of NFL action. The real test will begin later this summer, when the pads go on and the competition increases. Some will be fighting for starting jobs, and others will be fighting to simply prove they belong. But right now, they're just trying to get their feet wet. And even though it was a light day of work, Friday offered a solid glimpse of the class and why they're here. Advertisement Let's discuss. Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew was here this morning to preview the new draft class, as he does each year before rookie minicamp. Agnew and Holmes came up together with the Rams organization — Agnew as a player before joining the front office, Holmes as a scout and talent evaluator. They see the game the same way, as one would imagine. 'It started with Brad and Dan being on the same page, and the rest of us, we follow their lead,' Agnew said. 'We're not going to be pressured about what anybody says. If the guy doesn't fit what we're looking for, we're just not going to take him. At the end of the day, when a guy's playing for you and he's making plays, …they'll forget that you took him over whoever they wanted you to take. We just stick to what we believe. No special formula or anything — just stick to what we believe.' No surprise there. And no surprise that a former NFL defensive tackle like Agnew had nothing but praise for 2025 first-round defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. He shared his scouting report of Williams Friday morning. 'As we watched Tyleik throughout the year, the kid just got better and better and better every time you watched him, he got better and better. I think there's a lot more growth with this kid. This kid's got a lot of upside. I don't think he's reached his full potential yet. He's got a chance to be a really, really good player for us. We were excited he was there for us to pick him. Great player. He's got a chance to be a really, really good run player. I think he's underrated as a pass rusher. …This kid has a chance to be a force in the middle. As a defense, if you're not good in the middle, you're not very good. This guy will help us, man.' How about the other side of the trenches? Agnew went against interior offensive linemen for the majority of his career. He knows which guards gave him trouble and which ones he loved facing. Does it shape his evaluation of the position, in a year where the front office that employs him drafted two of them in Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier? Advertisement 'Obviously, you want a physical player, tough, aggressive,' Agnew said. 'The guys you hated the most when you played against them were those pricks, man, that would hit you after, and they played with that grimy attitude. They would hit you after the play and all that. You hated those guys, and you knew you had to come to work when you played against those guys. Those are the types of guys you look for, those gritty guys, those guys that compete and finish blocks, they block through the whistle. I would just say those guys — the guys that you hated to play against.' The biggest surprise of the Lions' draft was the trade and selection of Arkansas WR Isaac TeSlaa, but the more you hear about his story, the more it makes sense why the Lions coveted him the way they did. Agnew confirmed as much Friday. 'Isaac TeSlaa, you talk about a tough, physical, competitive human being,' Agnew said. 'What stood out in his Senior Bowl is like when you go into team period and he's blocking, he was just wearing those DBs out. I mean, just wearing them out. And then the guy catches the ball. Everything is with his hands, he barely ever uses his body. Tough kid, good run after the catch. We're excited about him. I think he's got a ways to go. I think the upside this kid has, he's got a chance to be a really good player for us. …Glad we were able to get this kid. He was born to be a Lion.' That sentence — 'born to be a Lion' — has meaning now because of the way this organization has drafted the last five years. They believe they've added to their impressive collection of homegrown talent with this group. And there's reason to believe they're right. It's weird to say at an event that's supposed to be player-focused, but it was hard not to notice the new coaching staff. After having so much continuity on staff, this was a change of pace. It was our first time seeing them in a practice setting, and man (yes, that was intentional), these are all Campbell guys. Advertisement Both coordinators, John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard, were active and involved in today's practice. Morton is more of an active participant in practice than Ben Johnson was. Not to say one is better than the other, but this is consistent with what I've heard about Morton. He's always coaching. That doesn't change as a coordinator. Same thing for Sheppard. I watched Sheppard give tips to a draft pick like Hassanein and even a tryout invitee like Corey Flagg Jr. They're all getting coached the same, and it doesn't matter how you got here. Friday was our first chance to see RBs coach Tashard Choice — a former NFL RB hired away from Texas to coach RBs here in Detroit. By all accounts, Choice is an excellent coach. He worked with Bijan Robinson at Texas and Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech, with the pair now reunited in Detroit. He takes over for former Lions RBs coach Scottie Montgomery, who's now coaching wide receivers. If you'll recall, Montgomery took over for Duce Staley in 2023. Staley made his presence known every time he stepped on the field with his booming voice and trash talk — as seen on the 2022 season of 'Hard Knocks' — while Montgomery was a bit more reserved by comparison. It's hard to match Staley's fire, but Choice feels closer to Staley than Montgomery on the sliding scale. His energy is infectious out there. He seems like a coach who's going to relate well to players, while still coaching them hard on the details. Really liked that move. Montgomery — while not as, uh, animated as Staley — did a great job coaching Detroit's running backs, and now finds himself coaching receivers with Antwaan Randle El off to Chicago. It's a place of comfort for him as a former receiver who had coached receivers in the NFL at various stints prior to his time in Detroit. It was good to see him working with the group. He's a coach who really emphasizes details and is a true teacher on the field. Feels like he's going to be a great fit in the WR room. Montgomery was working with former NFL QB Bruce Gradkowski, who joined the staff as an offensive assistant this offseason. Very active and vocal. The whole staff was, really. There will be time to observe the entire coaching staff, but this was a nice introduction. • Williams was limited at rookie minicamp. He participated in the walk-through period but was spotted jogging up the hill off to the side during individual drills before going inside the building. He said it was part of a plan the Lions have for him after coming off an extended college season. He said he's all healed from his Pro Day tumble, so doesn't sound like there's anything to worry about here. No reason to push him on May 9. • TeSlaa looks the part of an NFL receiver. He's got size, he accelerates quickly, has second-level speed and strong hands. The Lions were moving him around, playing in the slot on some looks and out wide on others. I spent the majority of time watching him on Friday. He was separating with ease on crossers and out routes, using speed and footwork to create space. He made a toe-tap catch on the sideline during one period, and was targeted on three consecutive routes during the final team period — catching two of them. On a comeback route, TeSlaa created separation, worked back to the ball, adjusted to a low pass (former EMU QB Cole Snyder was throwing) and caught it — with six-year veteran Duke Shelley in coverage. That's the sort of stuff that Jared Goff will love. He's a QB-friendly receiver in a lot of ways. It's not hard to see the vision here. • Ratledge is cross-training at center in addition to guard. Somewhat of a new development, though Ratledge did say he repped there in practice at Georgia. He still projects as a guard long-term but if he can add center responsibilities to his plate, he could make himself even more valuable. Advertisement • Ahmed Hassanein had a nice day, from what I saw. More importantly, he seems like a guy who takes coaching well. I watched Sheppard pull him aside and give him a pointer after a rep. Hassanein nodded and went right back to line up again. What stands out about Hassanein is just how grateful he is to be here. He was even grateful for the snacks and food available at the team facility. It kinda speaks to how far he's come. Speaking of food: Hassenein said he hasn't explored the area much and is more focused on football right now, but he did hear there's good shawarma here. He heard correctly. • Former Georgia S Dan Jackson was born to play special teams for Dave Fipp. That's his best path to making the team, and a role he could thrive in as he works his way up the defensive depth chart. Smart player the Lions will like. • Jackson's Georgia teammate, WR Dominic Lovett, will also have to play special teams to make the roster. But he's excited about the opportunity, and an easy guy to root for. Lovett's a character. Quick-witted, good personality and sense of humor. Some of the beat writers likened him to former Lions RB Jamaal Williams, if that tells you anything. • Former Houston edge Keith Cooper Jr. was among the standouts defensively. Big guy at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds. Got in the backfield on more than one occasion before plays were blown dead. Keeping an eye on him. • Former Indiana UDFA FB/TE Zach Horton has a ways to go before he puts himself in roster contention, but I'm a fan. Throwback player. Excellent blocker. Kinda looks like a longsnapper running around wearing No. 40 but he's gritty. • UDFA RB Anthony Tyus III — who began at Northwestern before finishing at Ohio — had a very nice day. He's got a presence to him at 6-foot-1, 226 pounds. A bigger back who moves well. Got some love from the coaching staff on a few runs. A local product from Portage, Mich. • Speaking of local products — former Michigan State DT Raequan Williams and former Michigan S Aamir Hall were among the list of tryouts attending rookie minicamp. Other local players there for tryouts included Snyder and Ferris State WR Malik Taylor. UDFAs Ole Miss TE Caden Prieskorn (Lake Orion, Mich. native) and Grand Valley State S Ian Kennelly also have ties to the area. (Top photo of Tyleik Williams: Junfu Han / USA Today)
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions rookie minicamp observations: Notes on each draft pick
The Detroit Lions rookie class took the field on Friday morning for the first of three rookie minicamp practices. This was the only of the three that will be opened to the media, so I took as detailed notes as I possibly could. Here are my biggest takeaways from practice, particularly with Detroit's seven 2025 draft picks. Advertisement Note: For a full list of participants, check out this earlier story on the UDFA signings and tryout players. DT Tyleik Williams As pointed out in an earlier article, Williams was quite limited in his time on the field due to a plan laid out by the Lions. He only participated in a handful of sped-up walkthrough reps before working with a trainer on the hill at the back of the practice field. In what limited action we saw, Williams did stand out because of his size. Listed at 334 pounds on the Lions' roster, no one else on the field looked even close to matching his size. He did line up at both nose and three tech from what I saw. G Tate Ratledge Most notably, Ratledge was the primary center when the team began practices with full-team walkthroughs. It was hard to tell definitively, but I would say he came close to splitting those reps with undrafted rookie Leif Fautanu. During the other half of his time, Ratledge played right guard. Advertisement Here are the two offensive line lineups I noticed during the opening walkthrough—the only time the offensive line did full-team work: Team 1: LT: Bryce Benhart LG: Leif Fautanu C: Tate Ratledge RG: Miles Frazier RT: Mason Miller Team 2: LT: Bryce Benhart LG: Kingsley Eguakun C: Leif Fautanu RG: Tate Ratledge RT: Miles Frazier WR Isaac TeSlaa While TeSlaa did get some work in the slot, the high majority of his playing time was spent on the outside during Friday's practice. During walkthroughs, the Lions did not throw the ball, but he was heavily featured when Detroit went to 7-on-7 drills. In fact, all three of the first passes of practice went to him, with the rookie catching two. The first catch was a nice adjustment from TeSlaa, coming back on a ball that was thrown back shoulder on the sidelines. On the other, he cleanly beat the cornerback on an out route, where he took a stab inside that slowed the corner down. The one incomplete pass was broken up by the defender, although there was a pretty clear jersey tug during TeSlaa's break. Advertisement What was most interesting was how the Lions challenged him defensively. For most of practice, they lined up six-year NFL veteran Duke Shelley opposite him, and it's clear the Lions coaching staff wanted him to play press-man coverage on TeSlaa—something he didn't deal with much at college. It was a strong start to practice for TeSlaa, but it was overall an up-and-down day for him. He had another pass his way broken up after not creating separation, and he fell down on a couple of routes as well. That said, there were a couple of instances where he was able to beat his press coverage and flash his speed, even though the ball didn't necessarily come his way. G Miles Frazier As pointed out above, Frazier played both right guard and right tackle. That's nothing new for Frazier, who backed up both tackle spots at LSU while starting (mostly) at right guard. Based on limited reps on Friday, he was more successful inside. Frazier admitted there are some things he's already learning at tackle. Advertisement 'At tackle, you have to have a lot more patience and just more read and react than start the fight. Here, now I'm learning to switch up my sets instead of going at a vertical angle. Jump set, flash set, just have different sets at tackle, so I feel like that's definitely going to help me play tackle here, as well,' Frazier said. EDGE Ahmed Hassanein While Hassanein looked noticeably small for what the Lions typically like in an EDGE (he's 6-foot-2 compared to Marcus Davenport's 6-foot-4), it was also easy to see the motor that endeared him to Detroit. Several times, he made his way into the backfield during walkthroughs, and he even displayed a pretty impressive long-arm against an interior lineman—despite relatively short arms. Perhaps the most Hassnein-like moment happened during individual drills, where players were working on an edge bending drill that finishes with a tackling of a dummy. The horn sounded to rotate to the next drill, but Hassanein pleaded to coaches to give him one more shot. They obliged, and Hassanein finished the drill. S Dan Jackson It was hard to give any insightful analysis of Jackson when so much of practice was focused on run fits. Jackson did blitz once and get to the quarterback, but the play I noticed him most was when he was near the box, lined up in man coverage against tight end Zach Horton. Advertisement Horton ran a difficult route to match, cutting all the way across the field on a shallow crosser. Jackson immediately recognized the route and worked through all of the traffic to stay on him. Had the pass been thrown (this was walkthroughs), Jackson would've been all over it. That matches some of the intelligence and instincts that are on his college tape. WR Dominic Lovett Lovett is the one draft pick I didn't have any notes on. Other standouts: Undrafted rookie WR Jackson Meeks made the offensive play of the day, catching a deep ball—with tryout cornerback Tavian Montgomery draped all over him—for an impressive contested catch. He high-pointed the ball perfectly. In an early battle between the two, Meeks also came away with the contested catch in tight coverage. Another UDFA who stood out was Vanderbilt cornerback Tyson Russell, who logged back-to-back pass breakups in the final sessions of 7-on-7s. On one, he showed strong closing speed, aggressively attacking the hands of a receiver on a comeback route. Friday was our first opportunity to see several new Lions coaches in action, and none stood out more than running backs coach Tashard Choice. He was the loudest and most energetic coach on the field, and was equally intense and playful. More from
