College Players That Detroit Lions Fans Should Pay Attention To On Saturday.
Devin White
(2) Georgia vs (13) LSU (3:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 13)
Devin White is the best college linebacker in the country right now. He does it all, he’s fantastic in pass coverage, good against the run, and can get to the quarterback. He has the size to get off of blocks (6’1″ 240 pounds) while maintaining the speed to chase down ball carries or cover receivers.
Devin White would fill a massive hole on the Detroit Lions defense. While Jarrad Davis has been improving at linebacker for the Lions, none of their other linebackers have been very good at all.
Pairing White with Jarrad Davis would make for an amazing linebacker tandem that could be the staple of the Lions defense for years to come. Davis would metaphorically be the thunder, while White would be the lightning.
On Saturday, White is facing Georgia, the number two ranked team in the country. If he continues to be an elite player against Georgia in the national spotlight, he may be taken before the Lions even pick in the 2019 draft.
Taylor Rapp
(7) Washinton vs (17) Oregon (3:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 13)
Taylor Rapp is a do-it-all safety for the Washington Huskies. He has been a good starter for them since day one as a freshman. Over two and half seasons, he’s recorded 134 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles and 6 interceptions.
With Glover Quin nearing the end of his career, the versatile Taylor Rapp could be a fantastic replacement. New head coach Matt Patricia’s defense highly values versatility in the secondary, and that would be exactly what Rapp brings.
With Rapp on the Lions defense, their nickel formations could look something like Darius Slay, Quandre Diggs, Quin, Taylor Rapp and Tracy Walker in 2019. There is a lot of creative things Patricia could do with that defensive backfield.
This Saturday, Rapp takes on the top quarterback in college football, Oregon’s Justin Herbert. Herbert has thrown 15 touchdown passes in just five games and has the potential to be the first overall pick in the 2019 draft.
It will be interesting to see how Rapp holds up against another high-level NFL prospect on Saturday.
Chase Winovich
(15) Wisconsin vs (12) Michigan (7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, Oct. 13)
Many Lions fans are already familiar with Chase Winovich, who is a stand out outside linebacker for the Michigan Wolverines. Winovich has been a strong presence for the Wolverine defense over the last three seasons.
At 6’3″ and 250 pounds, Winovich easily has the size to play in the NFL. He could potentially be a perfect fit to replace Ziggy Ansah, who is presumably leaving in free agency.
The Lions currently have the last ranked run defenses in the NFL. Besides being able to help pressure quarterbacks, Winovich is very stout against the run and could be a big help to the Lions defensive front in that area.
Besides his 16.5 sacks in the last two and a half seasons, Winovich has also racked up 37 tackles for loss.
On Saturday, Winovich goes against NFL caliber offensive linemen David Edwards, Beau Benzschawel, and Michael Deiter. If Winovich puts in a good performance, it could be huge towards his draft stock.
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