It’s NFL Draft season! While free agency is still happening and the Lions could very well sign some more players, the focus is beginning to shift. Now it’s time for pro days and top 30 visits. Part of those pro days include teams taking the time to get to know players. One way to do that is to take them out to dinner and chat.
We learned this week that the Lions took one prospect out to dinner and that’s Fresno State cornerback Morice Norris Jr.
Norris is not one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s slated to be a late round draft pick. He’s a small school guy that the Lions went to see in California.
His versatility has to be what drew the Lions to him. Norris has played outside corner, inside corner and safety in his two years at Fresno State. In 2023 he had a big season at nickel corner for the Bulldogs. He had two interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 3.5 sacks in 13 games.
One of the big things with Norris is his story. He was a basketball player before the football team at Sanger high recruited him to play. He then broke records for the team. He went to Orange Coast community college and played football there before tearing his ACL.
Morris was then given a walk on spot at New Mexico State. This was a chance for him to play divsion one college football. Then the coaching staff changed their mind and took that spot away from him.
Morris then went to a prospects camp and it was there that Fresno State noticed him. They brought him in and the rest is history. Now he’s an NFL prospect and the Lions are buying him dinner. He’s a classic case of a guy that finds a way.
We’ll see where any of that leads soon when the draft happens. The Lions could also decide to bring him in for a top 30 visit at some point. Lions GM Brad Holmes has a good history of finding players that other teams are overlooking. Norris could be that next guy.