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 2023 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.
Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas (No. 42)
LSU at Arkansas, 12 p.m., ESPN
After starting his career as an edge rusher at Alabama, Sanders is playing a more versatile defensive role with the Razorbacks, primarily playing off the ball pre-snap, while still producing some of the biggest pocket disruption of anyone in the SEC, including leading the conference with 8.0 sacks.
For a creative defensive coordinator, Sanders could be deployed in a number of ways, depending on down and distance. He’s not big enough to consistently play on the edge, but in clearer passing situations, there’s enough burst and flexibility to cause problems for an offensive tackle.
Lined up in the second level, he plays aggressively downhill, has a nose for the ball and loves to deliver a bit hit. Through nine games, he’s tallied 74 tackles. And while he’s not a finished product in coverage, his length and closing speed are adequate for playing in shallow zones.
Nick Broeker, G, Ole Miss (No. 64)
Alabama at Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m., CBS
A starting left tackle the past two seasons, Broeker returned for his senior year to showcase his abilities at guard, the position projected as his best fit at the next level. So far, so good. Through nine games, he’s allowed 11 pressures and zero sacks playing inside.
In addition to his ability to keep his quarterback clean, Broeker is an above-average run blocker with a nasty side, playing in a scheme that mixes both zone and gap-blocking concepts. That mentality and versatility should ease his pro transition, particularly having faced some of the best defensive linemen college football has to offer in the SEC.
The Lions figure to be in the market for an interior lineman next offseason, with Halapoulivaati Vaitai a potential cap casualty and Evan Brown set to be an unrestricted free agent deserving of a bigger and better payday than his current rate.
Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State (No. 13)
Georgia at Mississippi State, 7 p.m., ESPN
Lions rookie safety Kerby Joseph is proving that ball skills have a way of transferring from college to the pros and Forbes has been one of the nation’s best ball hawks the past few seasons. His five interceptions are currently tied for the most in the FBS and he has 13 picks across three seasons for the Bulldogs.
Forbes isn’t the biggest cornerback, listed at 6-feet, 180 pounds, but his length, leaping ability and fiery competitiveness more than make up for it. Obviously exceptional at tracking the ball and making plays on it in the air, his experience playing in both man and zone coverage concepts increases the chances he sees the field early.
Where his size can be detrimental is tackling and run support. He’s whiffed 20 times in the past two seasons and can get overwhelmed by blocks on the perimeter. Physical limitations aside, there are also some question marks about his eagerness to play the run. The Lions won’t like that, but the ability to generate turnovers, something the team is lacking on the outside, might be enough to overlook it.
Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest (No. 0)
North Carolina at Wake Forest, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Interior pass rush remains a massive deficiency for the Lions, so don’t be surprised if they go hunting for some help in the draft. Assuming they don’t address the need in the early rounds with someone like Georgia’s Jalen Carter, Turner offers some potential in the later rounds.
After four seasons at Richmond, Turner transferred to Wake Forest, providing him a chance to show his all-conference production translates to playing against higher-caliber competition. Through nine games, he’s not posting the sack numbers he did the past three years with the Spiders, but he’s still affecting the pocket, generating 21 pressures and batting down a trio of passes. Additionally, he’s tallied 7.5 tackles for a loss and forced two fumbles.
Stout and thickly built, Turner pairs pro-ready play strength with a hot-running motor.
“You watch the film, you can take six to eight clips of him every single game and it’s how the game should be played,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said earlier this season. “Effort and pursuit. He’s been a huge addition.”
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah (No. 86)
Stanford at Utah, 10 p.m., ESPN
Following the trade of T.J. Hockenson, the Lions will spend the remainder of the 2022 season evaluating the young tight ends on the roster. That group is headlined by Brock Wright, who is initially seeing most of the playing time, while rookie James Mitchell’s role is expected to increase weekly as he continues to ramp up following last year’s ACL tear.
Depending on how the Lions feel about that group at the end of the year, they could easily find themselves looking for an injection of talent in the offseason. Kincaid has been a steadily improving pass-catching threat for the Utes, having already recorded personal bests in receptions (46) and receiving yardage (614) through eight games this season.
His route-running has been particularly valuable in the red zone. He’s impressively hauled in 15 touchdowns in 21 games the past two seasons. And he’s sure-handed, putting just one catchable throw on the ground on 129 collegiate targets.
He’s spent far more time lined up off-tackle than flexed into the slot, but at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, run-blocking is a struggle. He’s been good enough when asked to pass protect, but given the talent jump from Pac-12 to NFL edge rushers, he’ll likely have early issues there, as well.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers