Continuing our post-draft film study on the Detroit Lions’ draft class, let’s explore the tape of defensive tackle Brodric Martin, the team’s third-round selection out of Western Kentucky.
▶ Games watched: @Indiana (Sept. 17), @UTSA (Oct. 8), vs. Rice (Nov. 12), @FAU (Nov. 26)
▶ Statistics: 2018 (North Alabama): 10 games, one start, 27 tackles, 3.0 for a loss, two batted passes
2019 (North Alabama): 11 starts, 43 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, 2.0 sacks, two batted passes
2020 (North Alabama): Four starts, 11 tackles, 1.5 for loss
2021 (Western Kentucky): 14 games, one start, 31 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, one batted pass
2022 (Western Kentucky): 14 starts, 31 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 23 quarterback pressures, two batted passes, one forced fumble
▶ Durability: Martin impressively didn’t miss a game in college.
▶ Athletic profile: Martin has elite size, measuring 6-foot-5, 330 pounds with position-best 35-inch arms. As with many nose tackles, he didn’t test particularly well in the standardized drills, scoring below the 20th percentile for interior defenders in the vertical and broad jumps, 40-yard dash and agility drills. He also posted below-average reps (20) in the bench press, but some of that can be attributed to his arm length.
▶ Usage: Martin played almost exclusively over the center, whether directly on top in a 0-technique, or between the center and guard in a 1-technique. On very rare occasions, he moved to an edge alignment (seven of his 532 defensive snaps in 2022).
▶ Run-stopping: There are three things Martin does well when playing the run. First and foremost, his hand usage is advanced. He plays with active hands and uses his length to keep offensive linemen off his frame and unable to lock on between his pads. This allows Martin to be able to quickly disengage, shedding a blocker to make a stop.
Martin also does a nice job keeping his head up and eyes in the backfield. This helps him consistently diagnose the play as it’s developing, react, and make a stop when the ball is in his vicinity. Interestingly, when facing a mobile quarterback, Western didn’t hesitate to have Martin playing on his heels to clog the middle of the field. When needed, he showed adequate athleticism in pursuit to drive a scrambling QB wide, funneling them to help defenders on the perimeter.
Finally, Martin almost never misses a tackle he should make, using his length to engulf a ball carrier with minimal to no yards after contact.
Where Martin struggles is anchoring against double-teams. Some of his issues are awareness-based, seemingly not sensing the second block, which allows him to be driven back at the desired angle to create a run lane.
Martin’s leverage is also inconsistent, which particularly shows up in short-yardage situations. At his size, he needs to be able to hold the point of attack, but he gives up precious ground to offensive linemen who get low on him.
Martin frequently logged more than 40 snaps in a game for Western Kentucky last season, and conditioning and fatigue would occasionally show up in the second half, but rarely more than a play or two.
▶ Pass rushing: There’s probably a bit more than I expected with Martin as a pass rusher. It’s inconsistent, but when he times the snap, he does have an explosive first step and can get surprisingly narrow when shooting a gap.
His bull rush is average, but could rapidly improve with a year in an NFL program, which should improve both his strength and technique. There are instances where you can see his length/power combination overwhelm a blocker.
His best move might be his arm-over, which he used to slice past both guards and centers.
He’s too slow to impact the pocket as a looper on stunts, operating better as the one creating the lane for a quicker edge defender or blitzing linebacker. Martin’s impressive run-game awareness doesn’t cleanly port to the screen game, where his recognition of the blocking letting him through is a beat slow.
One trait that does carry over from Martin’s run defense is keeping his head up and eyes in the backfield. When his rush has stalled, he will look to get his hands into the passing lane, resulting in seven pass breakups during his college career. He does occasionally leave his feet when attempting to bat a ball at the line, an act that will get punished by NFL offensive linemen.
▶ Conclusion: General manager Brad Holmes’ words from a radio interview last week rattled through my brain while watching this tape. To summarize, Holmes said the Lions didn’t draft Martin for the player he is, but the player he can become. Assistant general manager Ray Agnew added a layer to that, stating the team feels all of Martin’s flaws are correctable.
Obviously, the foundation is promising, with a premium frame and some strong fundamentals to build upon with his hand usage, awareness in the run game, quality tackling and impressive first step.
Where Martin can make rapid gains is with his physique and strength. In terms Lions fans will understand, Martin is built more like Nick Fairley than Ndamukong Suh. With an improved diet and a focused strength program, Martin should be able to quickly transform some of his bad weight into leaner muscle, making him a stronger, better-conditioned, more-explosive athlete.
With better conditioning and improved flexibility, he should also be able to improve the consistency of his leverage, making him a more viable piece to the short-yardage defense. And while Martin projects as more of a two-down lineman in Detroit’s scheme, don’t be surprised if he develops to a point where he can occasionally affect the pocket in passing situations.
In limited, in-person exposure, Martin’s passion and enthusiasm for the game are apparent, providing optimism he will embrace any and all improvement plans presented to him.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers