Allen Park — Each Saturday during the college football season, we’ll highlight five prospects with locally televised matchups who could be a fit for the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft, based on projected needs.
The list aims to highlight early-, mid- and late-round prospects. This will give you a chance to watch the players performing live, instead of playing catch-up in the weeks before the draft.
Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State (No. 1)
Michigan at Penn State, 12 p.m., ABC
A few weeks back, Lions safety Tracy Walker offered a vague and generic response when asked whether he and the team had engaged him in contract extension talks. If the Lions don’t re-sign Walker, their need at safety becomes one of the roster’s most pressing.
The well-rounded Brisker, who is naturally suited for a split-safety scheme because he doesn’t possess elite speed, would be a strong start to addressing the issue.
A JUCO transfer in 2019, he’s been a consistent force in the back end of the Nittany Lions’ defense since his arrival. In 31 games across three seasons, he’s established himself as equally adept in coverage and playing the run, racking up 131 tackles, 13 pass defenses and five interceptions.
Coming into this season, Brisker hadn’t allowed a touchdown in coverage and was one of the nation’s most sure tacklers in the back seven, failing to bring down the ball carrier just once in nine games during the 2020 season.
And at 6-foot-1, 204 pounds, he’s an eager hitter who sets a tone with his physicality.
Zach Harrison, Edge, Ohio State (No. 9)
Purdue at Ohio State, 3:30 p.m., ABC
You can never have too much talent on the edges, and if the Lions miss out on the No. 1 pick and the opportunity to select Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, Harrison could be a consolation prize in the second round.
Unlike Thibodeaux, or elite pass-rushing talents Nick Bosa and Chase Young who proceeded Harrison out of Ohio State, he doesn’t have the same flexibility to consistently bend around the edge. Despite possessing a prototypical 6-foot-6, 268-pound frame, his game is more predicated to speed and power.
When Harrison doesn’t win with his initial burst, he has the length to get into the chest of an offensive lineman and the power to drive them back into the pocket with an effective bull rush. The rest of the pass rush move set needs continued development, but there’s plenty of untapped potential.
His muted production this season — 3.0 sacks in eight games — is a valid concern. Whoever drafts him will need to trust the developmental capabilities of their position coach.
In Detroit, Harrison would most likely play as a 5-technique defensive end, as opposed to an outside linebacker. He has minimal experience dropping into coverage and while he might post an impressive 40 time at the combine, his tape doesn’t showing nearly as much change-of-direction quickness.
Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky (No. 70)
Kentucky at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN2
With more than $14 million in dead cap space tied to his signing bonus and a contract restructuring, it seems highly unlikely the Lions will look to move Taylor Decker this offseason. But during a rebuild, few pieces are safe.
If the team were to decide to move forward with Penei Sewell at left tackle, and put Decker on the trade block, there would be an immediate need at right tackle. In that unlikely scenario, Kinnard would be an appealing option.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and a whopping 345 pounds, there aren’t many better run blockers in college football. If Detroit is determined to make this a core element of their identity, having the nasty demeanors of Sewell and Kinnard on the bookends is enticing.
Pass protection would be a concern. The Lions have drafted a pair of guards from Kentucky in recent years, with both Larry Warford and Logan Stenberg having to make significant adjustments to their technique at this level. That could potentially be a bigger challenge for an offensive tackle. Speed rushers might be a real issue early in his career.
Carson Strong, QB, Nevada (No. 12)
Romeo Doubs, WR, Nevada (No. 7)
Nevada at San Diego State, 10:30 p.m., CBSSN
We don’t normally lump in two prospects from the same game, let alone the same school, but as we’re nearing the finish line on the college regular season and we didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to highlight the Wolfpack’s dynamic connection.
Let’s start with Strong, who has followed his breakout 2020 campaign with a similarly impressive 2021 season. He’s once again completing better than 70% of his throws, while averaging more than 350 yards per game. He’s thrown a few more interceptions this year, but still has a healthy 25-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Strong has a good frame for the position. He doesn’t offer dual-threat ability, but he has one of, if not the best arms in this draft class. He pairs world-class strength with a quick release, allowing him to effortlessly make any throw. Given weapons to properly utilize the skill, his deep ball accuracy should be an immediate asset at the next level.
Doubs has been Strong’s favorite target the last three seasons, with a skill set that make him a likely Day 2 selection. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is good off the line of scrimmage, impressively accelerates out of his breaks and is a consistent threat to get behind the top layer of the defense.
Doubs had a coming out party during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, topping 1,000 yards in nine games, while hauling in nine touchdown passes. He hasn’t been nearly as explosive this season, with his yards per reception dipping from 17.3 to 13.2, but he’s still managed to rack up 726 yards and five scores in eight games.
If you’re looking for a flaw, Doubs puts too many passes on the ground. He dropped 7.2% of catchable targets last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers