Alex Reno

Special to the Detroit Free Press

We’re over a month into the NFL free agency period, and the Detroit Lions have only three defensive ends under contract (Ziggy Ansah, Devin Taylor and Wallace Gilberry). To say that the Lions could use some depth at the position would be an understatement. But luckily enough, the NFL draft still looms.

One defensive end who consistently has been linked to the Lions in the first round is Clemson's Shaq Lawson, who is visiting with the team.

Let’s take a closer look at Shaq Lawson’s game film from last year.

Pass Rushing

Lawson’s versatility and ability to play in any scheme makes him an intriguing prospect. For Clemson, he often was used in both a two-point stance like a linebacker and a three-point stance like a lineman.

Although Lawson was more effective while in a two-point stance, I don’t see that being his natural stance in the NFL. Lawson lacks the quick first step and flexibility in his lower half to make him a legitimate threat as a pass-rushing linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

Watch the highlight

Just like you see in the play above, Lawson often was the last player to react off the snap for Clemson. He doesn’t show the ability to time the snap well.

Watch the highlight

Rather than speed, Lawson wins with his advanced repertoire of pass-rushing moves and counter moves. Lawson’s most impressive performance last year came against one of the top-tier offensive tackles in Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley.

Prior to the game, Stanley had been flawless on tape -- and is still regarded as one of the top OTs in this year’s draft. But Lawson made Stanley look like an undrafted free agent.

In the previous GIF, Lawson uses his go-to spin move and makes a fool out of Stanley, who is forced to tackle Lawson and draw a holding penalty. Lawson’s spin move is as deadly as they come, and it’s just one of the moves in his arsenal.

Run Defense

Lawson widely is considered a great run defender in the draft community. In fact, most media outlets will tell you that he’s just as good of a run defender as a pass rusher. Lawson is disciplined, showing a fantastic understanding of his run responsibilities. He led the NCAA with 24.5 tackles for a loss and can blow up a play in the backfield at any moment.

Watch the highlight

Here’s a perfect example where Lawson stays true to his containment and puts himself in a perfect position to force Alabama QB Jake Coker inside and finish with a TFL. It’s a shame that Lawson gets flak for his athleticism. He might look like a stiff-hipped athlete with limited flexibility, but his agility scores at the NFL combine were remarkable for a 270-pound lineman.

Concerns

There are several concerns I have with Lawson on tape. The first is easily correctable but frustrating, nonetheless. Of the six games I watched, Lawson was flagged four times for lining up in the neutral zone, with at least another three occasions that didn’t draw a flag.

These are the types of inexcusable mental errors that have plagued the Lions. It’s one thing when it happens a couple times a season, but this was a common occurrence for Lawson during his one year as a starter.

Another concern of mine was Lawson’s issue with conditioning. Toward the end of each game, there was an obvious drop-off in his production. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawson earned a Pass Rushing Productivity* (PRP) score of 6.0 in the fourth quarter, which ranked 82nd among all edge defenders. That’s a severe drop from his overall PRP of 11.7 (ranked 32nd).

*For a better understanding of Pro Football Focus’ Pass Rushing Productivity metric and others,click here.

Part of why Lawson was able to rack up an ACC-leading 12 sacks despite having such a low PRP score is because the stacked Clemson defense was able to drive the occasional cleanup sack in his direction.

Watch the highlight here

You have to love the motor and determination from Lawson in this play, but unless he has the Denver Broncos' secondary behind him next year, quarterbacks will only be getting rid of the ball sooner than this and preventing Lawson from getting as many coverage sacks in the NFL.

Lawson benefited from pass coverage quite a bit last year. According to PFF, the amount of pressure he created in 2.5 seconds or less earned a score of 4.5 (ranked 46th).

My final critique of Lawson probably is the most important when projecting him into the Lions’ defense. Despite his impressive discipline and production as a run defender, I was left unimpressed by Lawson’s instincts and ability to two-gap from the 5-technique. There were plenty of instances in which Lawson either would disengage away from the play on an inside run or simply would decide to lean on defenders late in the game and take a play off. I would have liked to have seen some more consistency from Lawson in the run game.

Pro Comparison

Lawson’s size and athleticism closely match New England Patriots defensive end Chris Long coming out of Virginia in 2008. I see him having a similar career trajectory, averaging about seven sacks per year and being a reliable 4-3 DE.

Bottom Line

Shaq Lawson is an extremely tough evaluation.

While I do believe that he can become a very good player in the NFL, I’m not quite certain that Detroit is the best destination for him. In Teryl Austin’s 4-3 under scheme, Lawson can fit on either side as a pass-rushing or run-stuffing specialist, but the Lions are going to have to ask themselves whether Lawson is better than what they have.

He obviously is not going to challenge Ansah for a starting role on the weak side, and I can’t say that I’m confident that Lawson can be a better closed end than Taylor. If the Lions are purely looking for the best DE available, Lawson might be their guy. If they’re strictly looking for a starter opposite of Ansah, then Lawson’s teammate, Kevin Dodd, is a much better fit with even better instincts in the run game and might be available by the time the Lions are on the clock in the second round.

General manager Bob Quinn and Co. are going to have a tough decision in front of them and should, at the very least, consider Lawson for the No. 16 overall selection. But if it were up to me, I’d be looking in the direction of the more talented defensive and/or offensive tackle prospects left on the board before I reach.

Many of the stats provided in this article were taken from Pro Football Focus’ 2016 NFL Draft Guide. You can purchase a copy for yourself for $9.99.

Film study: Appalachian State DL Ronald Blair would be 3rd round steal

Film study: Ronnie Stanley would upgrade Detroit Lions offensive line

Film study: Notre Dame WR Will Fuller would add speed to Detroit Lions

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.