On the one hand, this checks off a major item on my offseason wish list, someone who can split snaps with Alim and stack beside him on goalline and 3rd and short.
On the other hand, Ika was sitting there and I’m trying to trust that Martin was worth passing over Ika, who has better film against a higher level of competition. This coaching staff is going to be put to the test.
To be fair, there were some snaps where Martin looked absolutely dominant, and I can see how tantalizing it is to contemplate unlocking more of that potential.
My gut says this pick is going to end up on the other side of the 50 50 crap shoot that is the draft every year. That’s okay, too. Nobody should expect a perfect class, that’s fantasy land stuff. However, take a look at this analysis from the Rams folks.
Brodric Martin: When a team wants to run the football against you, I find that to be disrespectful. They think they can just run the ball down our throats? They think they can do whatever they want? That’s disrespectful. I take it personally
I feel better that we’re seeing some of the same things. I almost felt like I was getting gaslit when voicing my concerns about him.
I think he has the physical tools - which you can’t teach. You either have them or you don’t. He’s raw and I think with coaching he will improve. I’m just very concerned about a guy his size not eating up OL who won’t sniff NFL rosters.
You should definitely try and watch some of his Shrine Bowl reps, it will make you feel a lot better about him. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the first time Brad saw him was out there in Vegas during Shrine Bowl practices.
Ok, I’m just going to say it. I played defensive line in high school, at a small school, and even in pee wee they tell you the same message over and over ad nauseum, low man wins . You drill, over and over and over again to get down and get leverage. Some of this stuff isn’t the rocket science its made out to be, and I just have a hard time believing that he hasn’t had the same message across high school, six years of college ball, and who knows how many coaches.
You see it in spurts where he gets down, voila, he wins. Miracle of miracles.
Here’s where I think the value is. You limit his snaps and convince him to make those snaps count. You do that and he can make an impact, and games like the Panthers last year don’t happen.
I guess I’ll be the koolaid kid on this one. I love what I see so far and I really don’t give a rip about how many 5ths it took to get him in a draft that was said to fall off sharply after the 3rd round.
I’m definitely with you on this, I don’t care about the number of picks. Getting the guys you want is a luxury the Lions have seldom been afforded. The roster is, rarely for us, in a position to do this. We’re not taking guys in the third and penciling them in to the starting lineup, that’s huge in and of itself.
