MOBILE, Ala. -- The Detroit Lions could be in the market for a safety this offseason given Louis Delmas' status as a potential cap casualty. If the team decides to go through the draft to fill the void, Baylor's Ahmad Dixon could be an option.

If you ask Dixon, he'll tell you he models his game after All-Pros Ed Reed and Eric Berry. But in a lot of ways, Dixon and Delmas are similar.

They have nearly identical builds, both standing 5-foot-11 and weighing a shade over 200 pounds. Both also have reputations for playing downhill and being big hitters.

"I'm a big hitter, but I can tackle as well," Dixon said. "I can make the usual wrap, just to make the tackle. I realize every hit won't be a big hit. Sometimes you have to get nasty and grab an ankle or jump on a back, whatever it takes to get a guy down."

Dixon's hits have got him in some trouble. He was ejected from a game last season for targeting TCU's Trevone Boykin on a route over the middle. In the NFL, Dixon would have been flagged for a 15-yard penalty and likely faced a hefty fine from the league.

He's also had some off-field issues. He was arrested in September for assault, although charges were never filed for the incident.

"I'm god-fearing," Dixon said. "I operate under respect and loyalty. Some things happened in my life where those two things were broken. I didn't handle the situation the right way. But that's just not how I normally operate. I'll let those guys know that, and move forward."

Dixon, projected to be drafted anywhere from the second to the fourth round, met with the Lions while at the Senior Bowl in Mobile last week.

Beyond dispelling concerns about his character, his primary on-field goal during the week was proving he wouldn't be a liability in coverage.

"We don't do very much man-to-man coverage at Baylor," he said. "We're more of a quarters-based team. We're more in zone a lot, but that's what I'm here for, to show everybody that I can cover and I'm not afraid to do so."

During the week of Senior Bowl practice, Dixon lined up at strong and free safety, as well as taking some snaps at nickelback. Prior to moving to safety full-time in 2013, he played a safety/linebacker hybrid at Baylor.

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