https://x.com/Easton__Butler/status/2037364155275980851?t=u9dVK5GfTbrWJB8uQJpgIA&s=19
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It would be so Bradlike to draft another DT early again this year
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If the plan is to use one at edge/3T and play a rush-LB next to him instead, I could see it
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Lions are in the market for a nose for sure. I’m glad they brought Banks in. They use those for guys they don’t have a clear opinion on.
Alim and Tyleik aren’t NTs, but they aren’t your traditional 3Ts either. Pass-rushing 1s I suppose, but are we really adding a NT into that pairing? I was thinking someone who was more of a run defender though not necessarily a NT, like a Lopez type, and you can usually find those guys a little more cheaply. I think Tyleik is the replacement for Reader.
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Could be switching to a more 3-4 look.
We lost Reader AND Lopez. No replacements. We have Alim, TyLeik Williams, Wingo and Levi signed. Myles Adams too I believe. I don’t think we can count on Levi in general but certainly not in 2027.
This defense looked best when Levi was a flex guy in 2024. A healthy Levi/rookie depth there is critical. I have been focused on adding two DTs this draft because of this need. One late DT but a guy with DT/DE flexibility. The Levi role. OR…a big DE who can flex inside.
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I would like to add at least three defensive lineman.
Absolutely one pass rushing EDGE and one more run stopping NT late. I would like to add a 3T with juice but supply is scarce. Then I’m always interested in the super twitchy light in the pants DPR. But I don’t think the Lions are.
But I anticipate that DL investment will be significant.
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Levi is very trustworthy…as depth. But not as a starter. He can’t get 2/3 of the snaps. He’ll only hold up with playing at the same rate as Lopez. That’s why they’ve kept him. He has starter talent. But not starter durability. He’s gonna pop during the season at times. But that’s it. I’ll take it!
Half the time
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Yeah, I think we need a NT as a rotational piece to go with Levi and Wingo who play more of a 3tech/5 tech role. I am not sure we have to use 50 on it, but then again I could see a NT making more sense if the board fell in a certain way. Like if the DE prospects are gone, or they don’t see value there. Same with other positions. My problem with looking at NTs is that I want them to be more so I start liking guys that can pass rush etc.and it gets me off track. Like Hunter doesn’t totally thrill me but guys like Woods, zHarris, Banks, C Miller do more.
I’m OK adding one late I guess, but Alim + Tyleik + NT just seems like beef overkill to me. And none of those guys you listed are NTs, though in fairness I suppose you admitted you tend to get off track. But what I don’t think we need is another 1T or non-pass-rushing 3T, and to me that’s what almost all of those are. Well I suppose Woods is a true 3T, but we won’t be into him for character reasons, but the rest wouldn’t offer us anything we don’t already have…
UNLESS we go to that glorified 5-man front I keep mentioning in the Banks comments on the draft thread. Then you could play the power edge as more of a 4/5T, and have the SAM as your pass-rusher on that side. But that’s not the way we’ve done it before, we prefer the 6/7T edge like Davenport out there, though certainly we’ve been forced into changing it up. That doesn’t seem to be our preference though, so we’ll see.
I kinda agree:
He’s played 16 games twice. (2021, 2024)
Levi’s also missed all season twice. (2022, 2025)
He played most of the season once. (2023)
Which means: He’ll likely play all season this upcoming season.
As DT3…He’ll improve the pass rush from the middle and as a 5T. He’s had an entire season plus last and this offseason to get all the way healthy. He was the starter or anticipated starter all of those seasons. Now, it’s different.
I’m cautiously optimistic.
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We need more good players. If we can add a A level run defending, replacement level pass rushing NT very late then we absolutely should IMO.
I still have Brandon Cleveland circled. He put on weight moving from DE so he’s got that Grover Stewart element in terms of being rangy when scraping down the line and he’s hard to move. I wonder if given his DE background he may be an ideal candidate to align wider in short yardage and goal line. He won’t help the pass rush but in Round 6. Absolutely. He will give you contract one value provided good health.
Oh, and he’s a Lions kind of person and we did meet with him at the combine.
https://x.com/unnecroughness/status/1949170960592171273?s=46
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What we seem to be missing this year is an updated tracker that is updated in real time. Anyone have the time and ability to pull one together. I find it odd that places like PrideofDetroit don’t have one set up yet this year. Maybe it’s because we basically meet with Al prospects in some manner and the top 30 visits always are only partially disclosed?..therefore, it’s usefulness has run its course?
First kicker to lead team in kick coverage tackles.
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That link at the top has always been the best one, and while it’s seemed slow to update, I check every day for new visits and there’s just not a lot of rumors swirling around. So perhaps there’s been a lockdown at Allen Park, though I think it’s more likely they’ve asked the players/agents not to mention we’ve met with them. That’s where most of the links come from. There are reporters for pretty much every team who go around during the interview portion and only ask “have you met with the Lions/Jets/Bengals, etc (depending on what team they cover).” So we typically get more info there, but since then they’ve kept a lid on things.
Yeah I’ve got no problem there cause he’s likely a late pick. I just don’t think typically you get replacement level pass-rushing from a late NT, or he goes earlier, though some fall through the cracks. Honestly on day 3 I’d be happy with a 2-down run stuffer, but they still aren’t like to earn snaps over Alim or Tyleik, which is why I’m not overly concerned with it. If we do, great, if we don’t, that’s fine too. I don’t think it was all on the players that caused our downturn in run defense.
Oh, got it. I thought it was a one time article from the 4th. Didn’t know it was updating in realtime. Thanks for that insight.
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