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Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn has gained himself a bit of a reputation after four years of drafting. Especially in the first round, Quinn seems to go with the safer picks in the draft. Taylor Decker, Jarrad Davis, Frank Ragnow and T.J. Hockenson were all extremely high-character guys in college with solid resumes. Quinn chose them over perhaps more risky players like Reuben Foster, who also came with higher ceilings. So far, that strategy has been somewhat sound but not perfect.
However, that strategy hasn’t held for every single round of the draft. Quinn has taken some risks, and selected some high-ceiling players, as well. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions 2019 draft pick has the highest ceiling?
My answer: While I don’t think third-round pick Will Harris will necessarily contribute a lot in his rookie season given how crowded Detroit’s secondary is, he has a chance to develop into a key player in this defense.
The Lions traded up to get Harris, indicating they really liked the guy, and it’s easy to see why. The guy is crazy athletic, and perhaps more importantly, he’s extremely versatile:
I like Will Harris, a lot actually. He is a move piece at safety that can just flat out fly. Can easily play the "McCourty" role in the Lions defense if he develops a bit.
— Brett Whitefield (@PFF_Brett) April 27, 2019
In 2018 he played:
38.1 % at Deep Safety
30.9% in the Slot
27.4 % in the Box
Matt Patricia likes to move around his secondary pieces perhaps more than any other position based on matchups. With Harris’ combination of height, length and speed, he has the potential to match up against just about anyone, and Detroit will hope to harness that ability by throwing him all over the field.
Of course, his playmaking skills are still in need of development, so there’s a good chance he spends much of the 2019 season on the sidelines or on special teams—where Bob Quinn mentioned his value, as well. But three or four years down the line, we may be looking at Harris as one of Detroit’s sneakier picks in this draft and one of the essential moving parts to this defense.
Your turn.
Poll
Which Lions draft pick has the highest upside?
This poll is closed
-
31%
T.J. Hockenson
(450 votes) -
9%
Jahlani Tavai
(140 votes) -
4%
Will Harris
(64 votes) -
9%
Austin Bryant
(129 votes) -
37%
Amani Oruwariye
(530 votes) -
2%
Travis Fulgham
(38 votes) -
2%
Ty Johnson
(40 votes) -
0%
Isaac Nauta
(11 votes) -
1%
PJ Johnson
(19 votes)