Top players from Conference Championships to be drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2024
The top players from this year’s Conference Championships will be examined in this Saturday’s Detroit Lions 2024 NFL draft watch.
This week’s Detroit Lions draft watch looks on the top prospects from Saturday’s 2023 Conference Championship games. We will look at at least one player from each matchup in depth for each game and add links to any players we have previously highlighted.
Before we get started, it’s worth noting that the PAC 12 kicked off this year’s conference finals on Friday night, with a duel between two top-five teams: Washington (3) and Oregon (5). While this game will not be on our Saturday watchlist, there were many players from it who we featured throughout the season, including…
“With his power and play strength, Ugwu was able to push the pocket from 3-technique despite being only 6’3″ and 246 pounds.” On the edge, he demonstrated enough burst to rush into contact and rocket around the corner. The RedHawks have another EDGE to keep an eye on after losing Dominique Robinson to the NFL Draft in 2022.”
How he would fit in with the Lions:
Ugwu is a position-flexible pass rusher who has lined up all over Miami’s defense. He plays with athleticism and aggressiveness. For a Lions club that should be turning over every stone this offseason in search of pass rushers, sending a scout to Ford Field to watch the MAC conference championship game would be a good idea.
Linebackers with size who can hit and cover appear to check all of the major boxes, don’t they? Ford has excellent coverage instincts and an undeniable ability to attack the football. There is space for improvement in his football angles and run support work, but his coverage skill set is difficult to overlook as the NFL continues to improve as a passing game.
How he would fit in with the Lions:
Linebackers are unlikely to be a priority for the Lions this summer, but they are worth examining due to their rarity in the NFL. If his run defense brings his stock down to a respectable level, his coverage talents will be too fantastic to pass up at some point.
