A Look At The Detroit Lions Signing Of UDFA Guard John Montelus.

The Detroit Lions have yet again added depth to the offensive line in the 2018 off-season with the signing of UDFA John Montelus. Montelus spent his first three years at Notre Dame, plus a redshirt season. He was not sure about whether or not he would continue to attend after his freshmen year because of skinny he still was (about 200 lbs at the time). But the summer going into his sophomore season he stuck with the program and gained 50 lbs.

However, with an overabundance of talent on the Notre Dame offensive line, he was on the outside looking in. So Montelus transferred to Virginia his senior season, where he played in all 13 games, starting 10 of them. He was moreso known for his run blocking ability and strength at the point of attack, however his game was marred by a lack of experience with hand fighting. This is a large reason why he went undrafted. He was an absolute liability with his lack of lateral quickness and poor hand usage.

At 6’4, 325 lbs, Montelus is on the bigger side of interior lineman on the offensive line. His length, strength, and athletic ability point to a future as a guard in the NFL, if he is to make it. Like his first couple seasons at Notre Dame, he will need some time to develop, however this time it will need to be technique. Both footwork and hand work are sloppy, often not mirroring each other. Which has really hurt his ability in pass protection.

On a team like Detroit that passes as much as the Lions do, it will be an uphill battle for Montelus to make the team. Not only does he need to worry about improving fundamentals, but like his senior year, there will be plenty of bodies competing for the same job he is looking for.

With all the offensive lineman Quinn and Patricia have added this off-season makes his prospect of making the team even more difficult. Especially considering they got great value with their 5th round selection of Tyrell Crosby. When looking at this roster, it is clear he will need to have a really good camp to prove he is worth the roster spot in Detroit. If they do, the Lions would be getting a raw, but high ceiling prospect in Montelus.

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