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The Detroit Lions Draft Tyrell Crosby In The 5th Round Of The 2018 NFL Draft.

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn is nothing if not thorough. When the offseason began Quinn said that improving the running game was his top priority. One of the major faults in the 2017 team was the lack of depth at their offensive line positions. Frank Ragnow created depth on the interior by pushing everyone down a slot, the team has also added Tyrell Crosby in the fifth round.

Why Did The Detroit Lions Draft Tyrell Crosby?

Crosby was earned a rating as a top-five offensive tackle in this draft class. Clearly, the NFL did not agree with that assessment; Crosby was the 14th tackle to go in the draft. The Detroit Lions may have pulled off the steal of the 2018 draft with this pick. Crosby is a 6’5″ 309 lb mountain of a man. He doesn’t have the foot speed to translate as an NFL left tackle, but his reach offsets that deficiency effectively enough that he may serve as an excellent right tackle in the future.

His pass blocking efficiency was, well, perfect in 2017. He did not allow a single quarterback hit or sack. Oregon’s quarterbacks are an athletic bunch, so don’t get too excited, but that is still an impressive feat. Crosby has a tendency to lean on his opponent and may have difficulty with veteran speed rushers who use his own momentum against him with secondary inside moves.

Crosby hits like a truck, his punch is incredible, and that may serve him well if the team intends to forego an attempt to keep him outside. The fallback position for Crosby is at guard. His main mechanical difficulty moving inside is that his feet tend to go dead when he impacts an opponent. If he overcomes that deficiency, he is a valuable asset.

Tyrell Crosby may turn out to be the best pick the Lions make in the 2018 draft.