The Detroit Lions had two defensive prospects at their facility on Tuesday and both were at potential need positions for the franchise.
One, Steven Nelson from Oregon State, is a cornerback on the shorter side of things, but a player who has a bunch of potential as a mid-round pick. The other, Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, is an intriguing prospect.
He has good size and strength at 6-foot-5, 329 pounds, but there are questions about his health and his work ethic. Considering what the Lions lost at the position during the offseason and the players they have brought in -- Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker -- drafting a tackle for the future is a spot the team can't afford to miss on.
I reached out to one of ESPN.com's Big 12 bloggers, Brandon Chatmon, who spends a lot of time covering Oklahoma to get some more information on Phillips. Here's what he wrote in response.
Strengths: Phillips was the anchor of a Sooners defense which finished first in the Big 12 and eighth nationally in rushing yards per game allowed (106.38) as well as second in the Big 12 and fourth nationally in yards per carry allowed (3.02). His numbers won’t wow you (38 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2 sacks), but his athleticism will. He moves like a much smaller man with the fluidity of movement of a linebacker yet strength of a defensive lineman. There are few players who can match his physical gifts.
Weaknesses: Phillips doesn’t step onto the field to dominate every time. All the physical skills were in place for him to dominate every game he played at OU but his dominance was sporadic. He had plenty of dominant moments but it wasn’t the consistent dominance that would make him a no-brainer as a first-round selection. Now that his NFL dream becomes a reality, will his new dream become cementing a spot among the league’s top defensive tackles or is achieving the NFL dream enough?
Overall: Phillips is a risk-reward prospect that will likely go lower than his physical gifts would dictate because he isn’t as dominant as he could be. Thanks to his unique quickness and athleticism for a 330-pounder, Phillips could develop into a really good NFL player, maybe even dominant one if he develops the killer instinct that most elite players possess.
And now, a look at Lions news from around the Interwebs:
Calvin Johnson gets engaged. The Lions bring in two players for pre-draft visits. Where Detroit's own free agents stand. Reviewing the first week of free agency. A quick look at the Detroit salary cap.
How Tevin Coleman could help the Lions, from Marlowe Alter of the Detroit Free Press.
The core of Detroit's 2015 roster is set, writes Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
There is pressure on Martin Mayhew in the draft, writes Kyle Meinke in MLive.