Each Saturday during the college football season, we’ll highlight five prospects with locally televised matchups who could be a fit for the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, based on projected needs.
The list aims to highlight early-, mid- and late-round prospects. This will give you a chance to watch the players performing live, instead of playing catch-up in the weeks before the draft.
Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson (No. 98)
No. 14 Syracuse at No. 5 Clemson, 12 p.m., ABC
While many of the top edge players coming out of college are undersized pass rushers, Murphy is the complete package, with a 6-foot-5, 275-pound frame and equally impressive credentials as a run stopper.
A consensus top-10 prospect and the No. 2 edge rusher behind Alabama’s Will Anderson, Murphy has continued to get more productive each of his three seasons with the Tigers. A second-team, all-conference performer in 2021, he finished with 14.5 tackles for a loss and 8.0 sacks in 10 games. This year, through seven contests, the disruption is at a similar pace, with 8.5 tackles behind the line and 5.0 sacks.
Highly athletic, he checked in at No. 3 on Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List,” thanks to a 405-pound bench press, 35-inch vertical and a 40-yard dash that’s been regularly clocked under 4.6 seconds. When getting after the quarterback, he can win with speed, he can win with power and he offers a good array of pass-rush moves, including a particularly effective spin.
Murphy also possesses good length, which helps him effectively set an edge when defending the run.
Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU (No. 99)
No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Another first-round talent, Roy has effectively transitioned from a reserve to a starting role as a junior. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder lines up across the defensive interior for the Tigers and could be a good fit for Detroit’s penetrating front.
Roy’s best asset is his burst, allowing him to get into the backfield and disrupt a play in a hurry. Interior offensive linemen struggle with his first-step suddenness at the snap, which has allowed him to rack up 47 pass-rush pressures across 19 games the past two seasons.
When taking on a single blocker against the run, Roy keeps his legs churning through the whistle, clogging up lanes, although he can be sluggish to disengage from his blocks to make a stop. Against double-teams, his leverage and play strength aren’t nearly as consistent as you’d like to see, given the frame. That should be viewed as an area of developmental focus early in his career.
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon (No. 0)
No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon, 3:30 p.m.
There’s a whole lot to like about Gonzalez’s profile. As it often does with outside cornerbacks, it starts with size. He brings a prototypical frame to the party, at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. He pairs that with elite athleticism, with a vertical jump that’s been measured at 42 inches.
And according to Feldman, Gonzalez has been clocked running at 23.3 miles per hour by the school, which is probably exaggerated, given no NFL ball carrier has recorded a speed above 21.6 this season, but you get the idea. Gonzalez, sibling of two pro sprinters, is fast, fast, fast.
As a football player, he’s still a little raw, particularly with his footwork, but he has the speed and fluid athleticism to match routes, and the size and length to disrupt receivers coming off the line. That’s helped him hold opposing quarterbacks to completing just 55.6% of passes his direction between his two seasons at Colorado and this one with the Ducks.
Gonzalez’s biggest deficiency is his ball skills. Sure, he’s broken up 15 passes in 24 games, but only recently recorded his first interception. He does a solid job keeping plays in front of him, never allowing a reception of 40 or more yards to go with minimal YAC, but his inability to consistently locate the ball is all that’s holding him back from being an elite prospect at the position.
Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU (No. 1)
No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU, 8 p.m.
The Lions went from bare cupboards to a wealth of talent at receiver, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the market for more talent in 2023, particularly a big-bodied “X” receiver to replace what DJ Chark was brought in to provide this year as a likely stopgap free agent.
Johnston, either at the back end of the first round or in the early stages of the draft’s second day, could be Detroit’s answer. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder got off to a sluggish start to this season, but rounded the corner in a hurry, hauling in 22 passes for 386 yards and two scores in victories over a pair of previously unbeaten teams, Kansas and Oklahoma State.
A vertical threat with adequate speed to take the top off defenses, Johnston can also do damage underneath, proving to be a tough tackle in the open field on slants and curls. And with his size, length and leaping ability (reported 42-inch vertical), he has the makings of a go-to option in the red zone if any team dares to leave a cornerback isolated with him on the perimeter.
The reports on Johnston’s blocking aren’t great, but sometimes it’s a matter of it being emphasized. The size is there and the rapid development of the skill would be emphasized by coaches and teammates alike in Detroit.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama (No. 1)
No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama, 7 p.m., ESPN
A transfer from Georgia Tech, Gibbs entered the season with second-round buzz, and through seven games, he’s solidified himself as the No. 2 running back in this class behind only Texas’ Bijan Robinson.
Gibbs’ skill set was on full display last weekend, when he racked up 165 yards from scrimmage and scored three times in Alabama’s instant classic against Tennessee. As a ball carrier, he possesses impressive vision, footwork, patience and acceleration, a combination that allows him to set up his blocking and explode through a hole or get to the edge.
Out of the backfield, Gibbs offers an advanced route tree and good hands (2.3% career drop rate). In 26 games between the two schools, he’s chipped in 86 catches for more than 1,000 yards and eight scores. And to top it off, he also has kick-returning on the resume. He hasn’t necessarily been a game-changer in that role, averaging a good-not-great 25.2 yards on 38 kickoff returns.
With Jamaal Williams’ contract set to expire and D’Andre Swift unable to stay healthy, it wouldn’t be outlandish for the Lions to swing for a top-tier back in the draft, given the team’s clear commitment to the run. With some improvement to his pass protection, Gibbs has true three-down potential and plenty of tread on the tires, having only logged 320 carries in his college career.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers