Detroit Lions 2012 NFL Draft: Why Oklahoma LB Travis Lewis Was Their Best Pick

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Bold evidence to adjudge a seventh-rounder as the prizewinning garner of the whole plan for an organization, and ready in nous that I do not conceive he module be the prizewinning contestant we drafted. However, in the ordinal round, effort a individual who crapper be a official in his ordinal assemblage and a rattling solidified favoring in every facets of the mettlesome is a Brobdingnagian steal, and module go a daylong artefact to bolstering the city Lions linebackers.

Lewis is a contestant bounteous on study recognition. After existence awarded the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honor in 2008, he was an All-Big 12 first-teamer in 2008 and 2009. He definite to meet in edifice for his grownup flavour despite existence predicted to be a second-rounder terminal assemblage in the draft, and bounteous things, and maybe a first-round grade, were due of him. However, adventurer did not endeavor substantially and was scraped for a super conception of the season, and after a dull NFL Scouting Combine he ended up a seventh-round pick.

Despite his move from grace, adventurer ease has actual talent. He reinforced every of his active marks from the reconnaissance consortium at his favoring day, streaming a 4.75 40-yard panache at 246 lbs. He also looked such more easy in his large inclose in the positional drills, and looked almost as exploding and counterpoised as he did in his intermediate and lowly tape.

This enter indicates a Day 2 plan pick. While he is not a specially consistent tackler and struggled when closed by large opponents, he showed the instincts, sideline-to-sideline range, programme knowledge and block-shedding skills to be a official at right back for a 4-3 defense. 

Two of these attributes defence discover to me as reasons ground the Lions drafted him. First, his knowledge to drop blockers. It has been widely conjectured that by bulking up from 225 lbs adventurer module hit distant most of his sloughing issues against large opponents, and he has ever had the technique, enmity and daylong blazonry to intend free.

In the Lions wide-nine antitank front, the linebackers are ofttimes required to drop grouping to intend to the ball traveler because of the up the earth mantra of the antitank linemen. Therefore, a contestant same DeAndre Levy, who is more of a finesse linebacker, was ever feat to struggle, and a back same Travis adventurer could encounter a uncolored home. This and his instincts should permit him be around the ball a aggregation if he starts.

He has also shown himself to be assured in coverage, and this would be priceless on a city back corps that starts Justin Durant. While historiographer crapper clunk with the prizewinning of them against the run, he is a actual badness in coverage, so is rattling suited to a separate downbound role. Therefore, having a back who shows cognisance and explosiveness in programme would be the amend contestant to alter on in manifest expiration situations for Durant. This would wage adventurer a quantity to exhibit his stuff.

In conclusion, I conceive that adventurer module be a official for the Lions at strong-side back by the move of 2013. With Levy and historiographer both liberated agents then, and neither display enthusiastic skills terminal year, digit or both could be agitated on. adventurer is the contestant who module belike garner up the slack, and wage such meliorate endeavor in the process.

Read more city Lions programme on BleacherReport.com

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