Who Does NFL.com Have The Detroit Lions Taking? Who Doesn’t Love Fullbacks?

The Detroit Lions needs in round three are pretty much what they were in round two, which I covered on Day Three of the draftmas celebration. I feel like I should now type the numbers five and one for no reason but to add to the confusion. I may need to change how I do things next year so that makes more sense. Back to the matter at hand if the Lions have not already taken one, they need pass rushers, defensive tackles, interior offensive linemen, running backs, and maybe linebackers.

Arden Key starts to look good for me at this point. His potential, if a team can get him back to his 2016 tape, is too good to pass up. The defensive ends available leave a lot to be desired as pass rushers in this draft but Da’Shawn Hand out of Alabama does fit as a two-gapping defensive end in the Lions new scheme. Hand is a plus athlete for a 300 lb man. He had a ten yard split of 1.70 in his 40-yard dash. That is a number typical for 280 lb players, Hand weighed 297 at the combine.

Of the players the Lions have spoken with, Deadrin Senat out of South Florida is the most likely defensive tackle to go in the third round. He is short at 6′ and has arms under 32″ long. The success rate for that kind of player is not good.  Trenton Thompson out of Georgia is a good player but would need to add ten to twenty pounds to hold up in the NFL as an interior defender. We’re in the third round so there are few locks left, but the defensive tackles have run out here. I don’t like this part of the draft for the defensive tackle position. I am hoping the Lions have picked up their man before here because the rest of this draft may grow into a role, but they do not fill one now.

The third round of the interior offensive line can still yield a day one starter potentially. I have ten players in the tier of “could start for the Lions due to positional need” on the interior offensive line. No offense to Joe Dahl, who actually played decently in the final two games of the year. An instant of near success in games that meant nothing does not inspire me to anoint him a starting level player. Cole Madison or Scott Quessenberry could challenge Dahl and the Lions crop of free agent additions for an immediate role.

Cole Madison is a tight end turned tackle who will need to move inside at the NFL level. he is an athletic and powerful player who may be able to move to the right tackle spot in a pinch. On the rare occasions where the had to run block, he looked good doing it, and how quickly he improves in that regard will determine how quickly he gets on the field.

Scott Quessenberry is more of a “gain position” than a “hit him in the mouth” run blocker. He uses his quick feet to make sure that he is between his man and the ball carrier. Quessenberry finds targets when asked to pull, trap, or find guys at the second level. He doesn’t have the difficulty some of this draft’s players do in that regard.  This is where the immediate help ends on the interior offensive line as well.

Running backs are plentiful in round three. Rashaad Penny and Royce Freeman fit the modern mold of running backs that use their size and agility to avoid direct hits and run through arm tackles rather than truck defenders. Penny is the more explosive of the two, and Freeman more powerful. Both are poor pass blockers, with Penny ranking as pathetic, and Freeman just bad. They each have receiving ability out of the backfield that will make them three-down backs in the league if they can develop their blocking. I think Penny may be gone when the Lions pick, but Freeman would be a great consolation prize.

Nyheim Hynes is this year’s best scat back. He is a pure finesse player at 5’8″ 198 lbs. He has legitimate 4.38 speed and he is a hands catcher. Hynes doesn’t truck players at that size, but he does bounce off would-be tacklers who rely on impact to take him down. This would be doubling down on a type for the Lions, but none of the Lions running backs are potential home run hitters. Both Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick are quicker than fast, Hynes is all of the above. Next season when Abdullah has left in free agency and Riddick has an incredible cap number compared to his production, having Hynes on the roster would look like a much better pick than the day after the draft.

Dorian ODaniel is the linebacker in the Third that I am a huge fan of for the Lions. He is a bit small, but he doesn’t play weak. His coverage ability is among the best among the linebackers. At Clemson, he was essential as a linebacker/slot coverage player. His three-cone and 20-yard shuttle were good enough to believe that in a big nickel formation he is an ideal player to have on the field. He is quick enough to deal with slot receivers near the goal line and big enough to deal with tight ends in the middle of the field. ODaniel has the potential to develop into a very important player in the future of the NFL.

Two Detroit Lions Late Round Gems

Ryan Nall is the direction I have long believed the fullback position would go if it continued to exist at all in the NFL. Nall is 6’2″ and 232 lbs. His pass blocking is very physical, which bodes well for his future as a run blocker. He has 4.58 speed and crushed the agility drills at the combine as well. He catches the ball away from his body, even in traffic. In short, a creative offensive coordinator is going to be able to turn Nall into a problem for teams looking to cover a fullback with their worst coverage player.

Nick Bawden started his college career as a quarterback. He is a less athletic version of everything I just said about Ryan Nall, but with more experience as a blocker. His 4.72 speed is good enough for special teams work at that size, he can catch the ball, and he is a very good run blocker. This smart, and multi-talented archetype is the NFL’s new fullback position. The Lions have met with both of these players this offseason. The team’s decision to move on from fullback Michael Burton was a terrible one if they intended to continue using the position. It is a mistake they need to remedy.

Four Mock Drafts

Today we will take a look at the nfl.com draft community. sure, the food is supposed to go here, but it’s at the bottom so that the people who don’t care, or at least find it mildly amusing, can avoid it.

Daniel Jeremiah has the Lions taking UTEP guard Will Hernandez.

Bucky Brooks has the Lions taking Marcus Davenport

Charlie Casserly has the Lions taking Derrius Guice

Maurice Jones-Drew has the Lions taking Marcus Davenport as well.

The running total is Marcus Davenport in the lead with two selections, Derrius Guice and Will Hernandez with one each.

Three Snack Foods

Are hotdogs sandwiches? These ones are! While the Detroit Lions Podcast won’t waste your time talking about such inane garbage, I will. It’s only in an effort to make the question one that never needs to be discussed anywhere again for any reason.

Hot Dog Clubhouse Sandwich

• 2 pork wieners
• 2 chicken or turkey wieners
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, or two cheese slices of your choice.
• 1 tsp of virgin coconut oil
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 leaf of lettuce
• 1/2 tomato
• mustard and mayonnaise to taste
• 3 slices of your favorite sandwich bread

Put a saute pan on over medium heat. Slice the wieners lengthwise until so that they open like two flaps. Melt the coconut oil in the pan and spread it to cover the bottom of the pan. Pan fry the wieners with the inside facing down for 2-4 minutes. Toast your bread slices, they need to be browned to hold their form well in the final product. Slice the tomato thinly enough to cover one piece of bread.  Flip the wieners over, with like meats side by side. Cover the wieners with cheese. Dump the water into the pan and place a lid on it for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese melts. remove them from the pan and put them on a plate retaining as much of the cheese as possible.

Apply the mustard to the bottom slice and cover it with the tomato slices. Place the cheese covered chicken wieners next, and cover them with the second bread slice. Next in the stack are the pork wieners,  place them on top of the stack, again retaining as much of the cheese as possible. Cover that with the Lettuce slice. Spread the mayo on the third slice and put it on top.

Quarter the sandwich by cutting diagonally from corner to corner, pierce each wedge with a toothpick to maintain the structural integrity of each piece. If you were to replace the wieners with bacon and a butterfly cut chicken breast cooking the bacon first, and then the chicken for 4-6 minutes per side in the bacon grease, you would probably get a better sandwich.

Hot Dog Sloppy Joes

• 1 pkg of wieners
• 1/2 chopped red onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• crackers, bread, or buns of some kind.

If you have a food processor, shred the wieners. If you do not have a food processor, then dice them. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. While the pan is heating chop the green pepper and onion and mince the garlic. Dump the olive oil into the heated pan and swirl it around until the bottom is covered. Add the garlic, bell peppers and onion to the pan. Shortly after the odor unlocks (the 15-30 seconds it takes for the smell of cooking garlic, onions, and bell pepper to hit you in the face) add the shredded wieners. Mix the contents fully and leave that way for 2-3 minutes. Now add the mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir until fully mixed and reduce to low heat for about 7 minutes until it starts to thicken. Remove the pan from heat and move the contents to a bowl.

Place your crackers, croquettes,  or dinner rolls cut in half and toasted on a tray or plate. Scoop the contents onto the roll and serve hot. Of course if instead of shredded wieners you were to use 1 lb of extra lean ground beef that had been browned and drained as the first step, the result might be more appealing.

Hot Dog Reuben

• 4 beef wieners split into quarters lengthwise
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 TBSP chopped ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 medium head of green cabbage
• Swiss cheese to taste
• mustard to taste
• 1-1/2 TBSP of kosher salt
• 1 TBSP of Caraway seeds

Equipment to have, and clean extremely well, not kidding. And make sure all soap residue is off everything too. Also, if you’re living in your parent’s basement, get their permission, or just don’t do this.

• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• mixing bowl
• 2-quart mason jar
• a smaller jar that fits inside the mason jar
• something to weigh the smaller jar down, like rocks or marbles
• a cloth to cover the jar
• a rubber band to hold the cloth in place.

Discard any wilting cabbage, then cut it into quarters and trim out the core. Split each quarter lengthwise, then slice those 1/8th pieces crosswise. transfer the cabbage to a mixing bowl, and sprinkle the salt on top of it. gently, but firmly massage the cabbage. Do this for 5-10 minutes until it is watery and limp like coleslaw. This is where you can add the caraway seeds if you like. Put the rocks in the little jar. Transfer the cabbage and any liquid from the bowl to the larger jar, and place the smaller jar inside the larger jar. Use the smaller jar to push down the cabbage. Cover the mouth of the jar with the cloth and secure it in place with the rubber band. Store it in a relatively cool room out of direct sunlight.

Do all of the following or risk foodborne illness. 

Every couple hours for the first day, visit your jar and push the little jar down until it is tight against the cabbage, the cabbage should become progressively limper. If after the first day the liquid that collects is not covering the cabbage, make a solution of 1 tsp to a cup of water. Remove the small jar, and fill the large jar until the liquid completely covers the cabbage. put the small jar back in and press the cabbage down. Put the cloth and rubber band back over it.

Check it every day to ensure that the cabbage is below the liquid, and press it back down with the small jar if it’s popping up to the top. After three days, taste it. If it tastes like Sauerkraut, you’re good. every day you leave it, the flavor will grow stronger. Don’t leave it for more than ten days or so.

Back To the Sandwich at Hand

Set a pan over medium heat. Drop the coconut oil in and swirl the pan until the oil melts and covers the bottom. Put the ginger and garlic in the pan until it is fragrant, then add the wiener strips. Toss the contents to mix, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Now pour the vinegar in. Cover the pan with a lid and when the vinegar begins to boil lower the temperature to low. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Put the wieners on the bread, put the cheese on the wieners, put the mustard on the second piece of bread and put that onto the cheese. Quarter the sandwich in a similar fashion to the clubhouse above. Alternatively, you could just buy some sauerkraut at the grocery store and make a corned beef brisket. That would probably taste better. I would do that.

You can find me on twitter @a5hcrack and on the Lions subreddit. Tomorrow we’re ditching the late round gems since we’ve hit day three and literally everyone I am talking about from this point qualifies. In their place will be five relevant draft rumors.