2020 NFL Draft, Day 3, Detroit Lions are on the clock.

The final stretch

On day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft the Detroit Lions the Lions had the 3rd pick of round 4 (109th overall) which they traded to the Raiders for the 121st overall pick (12 spots lower in round 4) and gained the 172nd pick (towards the end of round 5). That brought their total draft picks back up to 9 in all.

With the 121st pick of the draft the Lions selected Offensive Guard Logan Stenberg. This gives the Lions two new guards to compete for roster spots on the offensive line. With neither Dahl nor Wiggins winning a starting spot outright last year, and with the Lions not re-signing Glasgow, this makes sense. I had thought maybe they'd draft a tackle and move big V to guard but that isn't the way they played it.

Logan has an RAS score of 6.18 and (like most 4th round picks) needs some quality NFL coaching. I had him ranked as the 107th player on my board. Here is what the draft network has to say about Logan:

PROS: Physical and nasty mauler that works to finish every block. Violent, well-paced and properly timed punch that can jolt pads and create opportunities to accelerate his feet and bury opponents. Has tremendous grip strength which helps him sustain. Assignment driven player that understands his role. Effective puller/trapper. Thick, burly frame to match his play style. Exploits leverage points on his opponents. No question about his ability to widen gaps and generate vertical push in the run game. Started every game over the last three seasons.

CONS: Only average foot speed, that combined with his tall pass sets creates some challenges in pass protection. Lateral mobility is disappointing and staying square to twitchy interior rushers requires him to work overtime. Has to play with better bend. Committed way too many penalties in 2019 (14). Has only ever played left guard.

BEST TRAIT - Power

WORST TRAIT - Bend

RED FLAGS - None

Kentucky guard Logan Stenberg enters the NFL after starting every game across the last three seasons for the Wildcats at left guard. Stenberg shines in the run game where his power and tenacious mentality lead to considerable movement. While no pass rusher is simply going through him, Stenberg’s tight hips, slow feet and sluggish lateral movement skills will create problems maintaining the depth of the pocket on passing downs in the NFL. Stenberg has the upside to start in a gap-power run scheme but his modest range isn’t ideal and consistency in deeper pass drops could be problematic.

In summary, he's a mauling run blocker that needs to work a lot on his pass protection. That gives the coaching staff something to work with and work on. Assuming he makes the roster, and I've no reason to suspect he won't, he should end up a backup guard at a minimum for the team.

The Lions and fans then have to wait until pick 166 in the 5th round for their next pick. With the 166th overall pick the Lions select WR Quintez Cephus. Cephus has an RAS score of 4.54 and was ranked 197th on my board (the 6th round). Now I mocked Cephus to the Lions multiple times leading up to the draft so was kind of excited about this pick until other fans started throwing various items at me. The first issue was he has 8 3/4" hands (which to me is small, more prone to fumbling as I said yesterday). The next issue was his forty time, which is only 4.73 seconds. He has great explosion, good size, but doesn't have the second gear or break-away speed. He does have great body control and can block himself open though, plus his yards after the catch makes him a promising prospect. I wanted to compare him to Golden Tate, but Tate has poor size and great speed... so I'm not sure how well Cephus' game will translate into the NFL. The Lions must feel more confident though. Here's what the draft network has to say about him:

Route Tree - I like his releases, shows balanced and intentional footwork to create freezes and false steps off the LOS vs. press. He's not the most dynamic on hard angles but he's a deliberate mover and if he's not impacted in the contact window, he'll build speed and can create/roll through shallow breaks for separation.

Hands - He's got plucky hands and snatches the ball out of the air with confidence — really like his work in traffic, high point situations and in uncontested scenarios. He has illustrated some good hand-eye coordination on hot throws that test his catch radius to tip himself the football.

Contested Catch - Has mistimed a few opportunities to elevate but he's got a fair amount of bounce and typically will still win favorable positioning when he's got to go above the rim. He's tough and shows good timing with back shoulder balls and timing routes that require body control along the sideline to peel back to the football.

RAC Ability - Doesn't have a lot of explosive cuts in his game, he's more sudden and fluid than he is dynamic unless you give him a notable runway to build speed and accelerate. Good toughness — but he's lost his footing on light contact a few too many times to write off and say he'll rip through light contact down the field.

Football IQ - Was really impressive to see him step back into offense in 2019 after missing full season and be as effective and polished as he was. Innate feel for the position and appreciate his timing, ball skills and nuance. He's a cerebral player whose got a terrific foundation to build upon.

Vertical Receiving - Play him off or in bump and run, he'll challenge you — his flying 20 is effective and he's shown some easy separation beyond 10-15 yards as he opens his strides. He's pretty effective with his releases against press but hand fighting is where he'll really burn DBs and he's got tracking skills and body control to win in tight space.

COD Skills - He's not super explosive with his cuts and hard angles aren't the easiest for him to transfer speed through — he loses his appeal some when he's got to fold back across his momentum. He's fluid at the LOS and does have effective release ability to slip contact — just don't expect dynamic speed cuts.

Speed - Long speed is better than short area burst. Quick game has to feature slants or shallow breaks — he'll allow DBs back into his body on hard breaks because he can't really sell vertically vs. off coverage inside 10 yards. He's got effective open field juice, but not a burner by any means.

Competitive Toughness - He's scrappy and when he flips the switch, he can be pretty tenacious in just about every measure of a WR. Whether that be as a blocker, at the catch point, at the LOS or in RAC scenarios, he's got a good blend of quickness, strength, balance and intensity that blend for a fun mix.

Blocking Skills He can be hit or miss here, not because of effort but rather there are some angles that are too flat pressing into a challenge and he'll leave himself out to dry and let DBs shoot across his face when he's stalk blocking or looking for inside leverage. Mobility and hand strength is effective.

Best Trait - Route Running

Worst Trait - Short Area COD

Best Film - Ohio State (2019)

Worst Film - Michigan (2019)

Red Flags - Missed 2018 season facing sexual assault allegations (case was dismissed)

Player Summary - Quintez Cephus is one of the more undervalued receivers in the class of 2020. Cephus can win from the outside, he can win from the slot and if he played in about 100 other offenses in college football he'd have had drastically better production. Significant off-field allegations (since cleared) kept him off the field in 2018 but Cephus bounced back with a strong 2019 campaign, showing effective releases, strong hands and an assertive mentality with the ball in the air. Potential starter.

At pick 172 in the 5th round the Lions select running back Jason Huntley. Huntley has an RAS score of 8.08 with great speed, elite explosion, okay agility, and poor size... because he's all of 5' 8 1/2" tall. He also only has 8.25 inch hands. He's not known for fumbling though, so he must also work on it constantly. Huntley was the fastest RB at the combine... which may be why he was picked up despite already drafting a RB in round 2. More info and a video; https://nfldraftrite.com/2020/04/08/stop-sleeping-on-jason-huntley/ That article speaks of his ability to break tackles, that could also come in handy when you don't want to be held up and have the ball stripped out from your small hands. This is not my favorite pick, but he is an intriguing pick none the less.

At pick 197 in the 6th round the Lions selected NT John Penisini. He does not have a RAS score as his pro day was canceled as well. I wonder if more players will now participate fully at the combine just in case pro days are canceled again. Anyway, Penisini is a huge run stuffing DT. Think Snacks Harrison only younger (and cheaper). He'll start out backing up Danny Shelton. Here's what the draft network has to say on John:

PROS: Dude is tank against the run. Squatty frame with built-in leverage that is difficult to move. Anchor is stout and he’s aggressive when competing for his gap(s). One guy isn’t moving him off his spot. Doesn’t have great length but he’s deliberate about getting his hands fit and playing with extension. Hands are violent with a ton of pop. Contact balance and leverage are terrific. When he fires into the neutral zone, he does so with urgency and frequently resets the line of scrimmage. Holds his own against double teams.

CONS: Wish he offered more as a pocket pusher on passing downs but his bull rush isn’t that effective. Could use a bit more length. Is not consistent in clearing contact and finishing. One-dimensional player. How will his anchor fare against NFL blockers? Phone booth guy with minimal range.

BEST TRAIT - Run Defense

WORST TRAIT - Pass Rush

RED FLAGS - None

Utah John Penisini is a stout run defender that projects best to the NFL as an early down run stuffer, serving as a nose tackle. His squatty and powerful frame is tough to uproot for blockers and Penisini plays with a hot motor. Overall, he’s simply a load to deal. With that said, his pass rushing profile is underwhelming, even as a pocket pusher. Penisini shouldn’t have trouble finding work in base defense but his pass rushing upside is minimal at best.

In the 7th round at pick 235 the Lions selected DT/EDGE Jashon Cornell. The third Ohio State player. He hasn't yet got an RAS score but he will eventually. Here is his bio from Ohio https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/roster/jashon-cornell/ and here is what pro football network has to say:

Jashon Cornell, DT Career Snapshot: First-year starter who was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and made 30 tackles (6.5 for loss) with four sacks as a senior in 2019. Combined to make 29 tackles (5.5 for loss) with three sacks during his sophomore and junior seasons. Positives: Quick, explosive three-technique prospect who comes off a terrific season. Flashes athleticism and displays the ability to get down the line of scrimmage and make plays in pursuit. Plays with leverage, works his hands throughout the action and gets the most from his ability. Shows great quickness and the ability to make plays in any direction. Negatives: Lacks bulk. Easily out-positioned from the action by opponents. Did not move into the starting lineup until his senior season. Marginally productive. Analysis: Cornell comes off a terrific senior season after he was not even graded by scouts coming into the year and performed well as a starter. He must get bigger, but his quickness, ability to change direction and movement skills lend well to the three-technique tackle spot at the next level.

That for a 7th round pick isn't bad. If he makes the roster he'll be backing up Nick Williams and maybe some of the other DL jobs, depending on how coachable he is and how long it takes to learn all involved.

So, to summarize the draft, the Lions got the best corner back in the draft in Jeff Okudah, a decent RB in D'Andre Swift, and Jack/OLB/DE in Julian Okwarea, a guard in Jonah Jackson that can in a pinch play center, another run mauling guard in Logan Stenberg, a body control WR in Quintez Cephus, the fastest RB at the combine in Jason Huntley, a huge run stuffing nose tackle in John Penisini, and a inside/outside DL 3t DT in Jashon Cornell. It did not address all the needs, and some of the picks won't be looked upon as good choices by fans who wanted someone else (what's new there) but the Lions did address a lot of roster spots that I spoke about before the draft started.

By the way, speaking of before the draft... I had by draft board (posted at http://www.thenetrat.com/draft.html) and 98 of the first 100 were selected in the 2020 draft. In addition, the huddle report keeps track of how many picks of a top 100 list get drafted with the first 100 picks. Mel Kiper, who I always want to beat but have only once, got 81 this year. I got 83 for my second win. ESPN still pays me nothing so I guess it doesn't really matter.

One final tidbit, here is the CBS grade for the Lions draft:

Round Overall Player Selected Grade
1 3 CB Jeff Okudah, Ohio State B
2 35 RB D'Andre Swift, Georgia C+
3 67 EDGE Julian Okwara, Notre Dame A-
3 75* G Jonah Jackson, Ohio State A
4 121* G Logan Stenberg, Kentucky D+
5 166* WR Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin B+
5 172* RB Jason Huntley, New Mexico State D+
6 197* DT John Penisini, Utah A-
7 235* DT Jashon Cornell, Ohio State C+

You may not agree with CBS, or me, or the Lions, but this is what we have to work with on the roster, now it's time to see who they sign as undrafted free agents. Then let the competition (for roster spots) begin!