Well there’s also the chance that our FO disagrees - a lot of smart people do - and he could stay at tackle. But if so, I’m just not sure he’s our type of tackle.
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People aren’t paying attention enough to this guy IMO… Super smart, good athleticism, good strength, won best center award in 2024… Dude is a sleeper, he could start this year
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I think he’s still got some recovering to do from the torn achilles yet, but I do think you’ll start to see him get reps over the back half of the year. I don’t think he’ll really be ready to compete to start until next year though. Of course that’s why we were able to get him for so cheap.
Kentucky fans ■■■■ their cousins so I’m happy to disregard their observations.
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There was plenty of optimism in the initial thread. Tough injury but even if he gets back to 95% of his former self I think we may have something. Much of his strengths were cerebral.
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I haven’t found any MSU fans that thought Gulbin was bad. They all seem complimentary but the complements are muted by a disgust with the overall program last year.
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Maybe this gives the more insight, you don’t know. I doubt there’s been any studies saying one way or the other.
It’ll be like 18 months since the injury by the time OTAs start… Obviously I have no insight as to his progress, but that seems like more than enough time to get back to playing.
Oh I like Gulbin quite a bit too, it just felt like his stock was getting a little over its skis early in the process. That has calmed down now. If we’re talking 4th round range I’d be all for him, he’s the type of guy that tends to hit.
Again though, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we spent at C in FA, and then what does that do to our draft approach?
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Back to playing perhaps, but not back to his best. It’s like the ACL guys the first year back (think Alim last year). They’re cleared, but they’re not anywhere near their best. It’s only over the past 5/6 years or so that people actually started returning to their best following achilles tears at all.
I just don’t think we’ll see enough of him at his peak in 2026 for him to unseat any of the guys in front of him. I’m basically looking at him as a redshirt this year.
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That’s fair… He’s an ERFA in 2027, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do there… I really think he’s a starter in the league if he can recover. But if the Lions go with a more permanent solution at C, he’s sort of a wasted roster spot bc he’s a center only… Juice would be the swing interior backup.
I think the highest upside player in this draft that might be there at 17 is Caleb Banks. If Dan has to have a DE that can crush the can well this guy can crush a six pack. I just reviewed a bunch of his tape from the last 2 years and I think he could be a 2 down DE that moves inside on pass downs. He has lined up as a 5T a lot with great success. they even lined him up as a stand up end to get match ups. Since we refuse to change our philosophy of no 250 LB pass rushers I would have no problem taking Banks in round 1. Actually keeping him over the OT eliminates the leverage problems he has inside.
I think it’s Reese but Banks is up there for sure.
I see no chance of Reese being there at 17 but yes the upside is there. Although I would say Banks has been a freak for his career where Reese has only started 1 year.
The only reason I think Banks could be there is because of the injury this year but Brad seems to love discounts.
I like him much better than most of the edge prospects thrown around after Bain and Bailey. I’d take him over Faulk for sure. There’s also the upside that he’s Chris Jones 2.0, but without the work ethic questions entering the draft. Plus if we pass, my hunch is he goes to Minny with the next pick.
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I can’t see 16 other teams passing on him after he showed at the combine he is fully recovered from the injury. It may be a little outside the box thinking to fill that DE but I see the Chris Jones 2.0 ceiling.
Jones has been his comp since last off-season, I don’t think we’re in the minority here. They’re basically the exact same size and have that ability to seemingly teleport sideways that most guys that size just don’t have.
But if you read DJ’s synopsis of him, I think you’ll see why he might fall, there is a viewpoint out there that he disappears for long stretches and doesn’t impact the game as much as he should. And there’s some truth to that, but I’m more forgiving especially for college DTs.
Actually I just looked and DJ had him at 36. What I see on tape is that he is much better with a little space between he and his blocker like in the 5T. The OTs set much deeper than the C and OGs inside. I think he is just too tall to line up over the nose every down.
I think our staff would have to decide if it was lack of effort which would be a huge red flag or what I see is he just gets ineffective inside against the run due to leverage.
I don’t think it’s an effort thing, I think he just needs more experience honestly. He’s too easily neutralized by smart offense/blockers/schemes.
Of course with the release of Decker I think it will be really tricky not to go OT in the 1st now.