The 2024 NFL Draft is just over a week away. Everyone is rightly wondering who the Detroit Lions could win up with the draft. But we’re also wondering who they may wind up with for their International Pathways Player. The Lions now have an open spot after they decided to part ways with offensive lineman Max Pircher and he signed with the Seahawks.
Well, here’s a very intriguing option for the Lions. How about a tackle that that’s 6-foot-8 and 290 pounds and runs a 4.88 40-yard dash? A guy that averages six points and four rebounds per game. Wait, these are basketball stats. That’s because this player has never played football before. Sort of.
I’m talking about South Florida’s Bayron Matos. The giant from Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic moved to America at 16 and got a scholarship to play Divsion 1 basketball at New Mexico. In 2023 he transferred to South Florida to play for their basketball team and wound up walking onto the football team as well.
Matos was with the team through camp and during the season as both an offensive and defensive lineman, but he never took the field during a game. Despite that, NFL teams are interested in him. 12 teams sent offensive line coaches to take a look at him at the South Florida pro day and now one NFL team is bringing him in for a visit.