Alex Reno

Special to Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions have plenty of needs to fill with the NFL Draft looming, none being more pressing than improving the offensive line. Specifically, they could really use an upgrade at right tackle -- a position that was essentially a revolving door for the Lions last year.

The front office has yet to improve a leaky offensive line in free agency that allowed 44 sacks and was part of the league's worst-ranked rushing team in 2015. Therefore, general manager Bob Quinn could be seriously considering drafting an offensive tackle with the No. 16 overall pick in April's draft.

One player that could be available when the Lions are on the clock is Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley. The Lions sent a large contingency to Notre Dame's pro day Thursday, including offensive line coach Ron Prince.

Could Stanley be a fit in Detroit's offense? Let’s take a closer look at his game film.

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Quickness, footwork and length

Despite his towering figure, Ronnie Stanley (6 feet 6, 312 pounds) is as smooth as can be in pass protection. His quick reaction time off the snap and swift lateral movements make him nearly impossible to beat around the edge.

Looking at Stanley’s numbers from February's NFL combine, his freakishly long arms are in the 91 percentile of NFL offensive tackles, and his enormous hands are important contributors as to why he’s able to fend off speed rushers with ease. Here’s an example from a game vs. USC last season:

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Stanley gets a great jump off of the snap, sets his feet and times his punch perfectly. He uses his length to keep his distance, while also controlling the defender and mirroring his movements. The USC pass rusher had no chance of beating Stanley around the edge, and that would hold true for the duration of the game.

Recoverability

Something that often gets overlooked when evaluating offensive linemen is whether they’re able to recover after their initial efforts do not succeed. For instance, can the player keep his composure and re-position himself after initial poor hand placement? Can they recover in time after a late jump off the snap?

What I love about Stanley’s game is he never panics. He’s calm and collective and always gives himself a chance to recover and finish the play.

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In the play above, Stanley immediately gets his hands on the outside shoulders of Clemson’s No. 94 and leaves his chest exposed. This allows the Clemson defender to get his hands inside and gain leverage over Stanley. Instead of holding on for dear life and giving up on the play, Stanley does a nice job of keeping his feet moving and re-positioning himself to set his anchor and give his quarterback enough time to complete a pass.

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In the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, Stanley was caught daydreaming on this particular play and was the last player to react after the ball was snapped. Despite giving Ohio State’s No. 6 a head start, Stanley recovers with his quick feet and a well-timed punch to eventually stymie the defender’s efforts.

Lack of functional strength

When the Irish traveled to Death Valley last year to face Clemson, it was a wake-up call for Stanley. He was completely exposed against star defensive end Shaq Lawson, a projected 2016 first-round pick.

We’ve seen Stanley win with his quickness, but that’s not always going to get the job done when a brute like Lawson is running at you full speed.

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The spin-move was working all game long for Lawson and Stanley had no way of stopping it. In this particular play, Stanley puts himself in perfect position to stuff Lawson, but gets too upright in his stance and lets Lawson get into his body, driving him back in the pocket resulting in a sack.

Although Stanley has some of the best hand placement I've seen in this year’s class, he doesn’t have the desired pop in his hands to jolt defenders. He’s content with catching his blocks rather than delivering them.

Finesse style blocker

What I tend to look for when watching offensive linemen is whether they have a “mean streak” in them. I want someone on my team that shows tenacity and is going to play through the whistle on any given play. Stanley is not that type of player.

He is an average to above-average run blocker that wins with his technique and positioning by turning defenders away from the play, rather than driving them into the ground and wiping them out entirely.

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Pro comparison

Stanley reminds me of a less athletic D’Brickashaw Ferguson (New York Jets) or Cedric Ogbuehi (Cincinnati Bengals) with much better hand placement. Stanley's easy movement skills and poor functional strength will make him a prime candidate for any team with a heavy dose of zone running.

Bottom line

Stanley is going to hear his name called on the first night of the NFL Draft. Whether he’s still on the board by the time the Lions are picking is up for debate, but it’s entirely possible. Given the severity of the Lions’ issues at OT, I think Stanley can step in and become a Day 1 starter at left or right tackle depending on where the coaching staff would like incumbent left tackle Riley Reiff.

Stanley’s quick feet, consistent hand placement and long arms allow him to hang with the best speed rushers, but his lack of core strength worries scouts.

I can see Stanley being a very productive starter for the Lions, and even in a worst-case scenario he’ll be a huge upgrade over Michael Ola at right tackle. If Stanley were to fall into the lap of the Lions, this pick would be a huge step in helping to patch a leaky offensive line that allowed 44 sacks and was part of the league's worst-ranked rushing team.

Alex Reno is a staff writer for SB Nation's Detroit Lions blog: Pride of Detroit. He has been studying and writing about the NFL Draft since 2013.

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