A Look At 2018 Draft Prospect Tim Settle

Why Tim Settle For Detroit?

Tim Settle is a huge man that would fit a huge need for the Detroit Lions this off season. Detroit’s defensive line as a whole needs an upgrade. If the Lions miss out on Vita Vea or go a different direction with their first round selection, they may look to fill this need in the second round where Settle will likely fall.

Settle looks to fit the 1′ role better at 6’3″, 334 lbs. However, he has displayed very good balance and moves very agile for his size. That is not to say he is not strong. Settle has great strength and has used it to explode off the ball on his first step. Lions new head coach Matt Patricia was great at putting players in the best position to succeed in New England as their defensive coordinator. Settle’s physical tools would give Patricia quite a bit to work with inside.

Settle Is Stout Against The Run

This play against Clemson is a great showcase of Settle’s prowess against the run. He explodes out of his stance, staying low and maintains inside leverage. His immense strength keeps him driving up the field to blow up the 3rd down run.

Settle makes a very athletic play here, especially for a man of his size. As the offensive lineman reach out to engage, Settle bursts to his inside with a quick swim move, instantly freeing himself from the Boston College guard. He shows great burst to close off any path for the the running back and made the strong tackle in space.

One way teams have limited bigger interior defenders is to go low and cut block them. However, Settle consistently avoids these blocks and uses his short area burst and agility to make the play.

The defensive tackle shows this ability against Clemson. He fires off quick and does a good job maintaining balance throughout the cut block. Settle immediately regains balance and closes in on the quarterback in two steps for the sack. An underrated part of his game is his ability to finish tackles. Rarely does he miss when he gets the opportunity to finish a play.

While Settle has used his strength and quickness to dominate at the college level, he needs to develop hand fighting technique and counters. He has all the physical tools to be looked at in the late 1st round. His ability to run stuff right away and collapse the pocket against the pass will be coveted. However, because of his poor hand fighting technique displayed so far, he will likely be a day two prospect. With the Lions new head coach being so defensively minded and the need on the interior defensive line, Settle would provide great value if they do not address the position in the first round.

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