A Look At 2018 NFL Draft Prospect Rasheem Green As A Fit For The Detroit Lions

Going through tape, I have Rasheem Green’s profile is similar to fellow 2018 defensive end prospect Marcus Davenport’s profile. Both are very raw defensive ends, likely to be taken as a result of upper tier athleticism at the defensive end position. However, I see Davenport as both more developed and more athletic making Green a big project as a pass rusher.

Green Is A Big Project With The Fundamental Defeceincy

Green is incredibly raw. There is not a single pass rush move he possesses that is adequate for the NFL level. He does have some ability to dip his and bend inside. His rip move was by far his most successful due to this athletic ability. His hands are violent, but wild and often too outside in his usage. Has shown great pad level at times but is very inconsistent at this point. When he comes out of his stance high, he rarely makes the play. Narrow base limits his ability to convert speed to power with his bull-rush technique, which often stalled out. His main counter is a spin move, but is still too long to develop and was picked up regularly in college at USC.

The USC defensive end struggled immensely when double teams. Despite having a great athletic build, his functional strength is a big question mark going forward. Rarely do you see him successfully split a double team. This was especially true when putting on the Notre Dame tape, where he was completely removed from the game by the Irish’s great offensive line. While it was his toughest matchup of the year, it is likely his most telling game as several Notre Dame lineman will be drafted early in the 2018 NFL Draft. These were the closest to NFL talent that Green faced in college and made little to no impact.

Should The Lions Draft Green To Fix Their Pass Rush Deficiency?

This is a hard question. The Lions have a desperate need to fill in their pass rushing game in 2018. But Green really should have stayed in college another year. He is far too raw a prospect to be taken in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. Detroit’s three main needs (defensive end, interior offensive line, running back) can be addressed in the first three rounds, likely without reaching as the later two positions are quite deep this year. With its positional influence and drop-off in talent, it is more likely the Lions address this position in round one, than waiting until day two to address.

While the Lions do have needs to fill on their line, there are far more proven players likely to be available on day two, where Green is most likely to be drafted. I have a day three grade on Green, the majority of which his athletic upside is the main factor in his upside. Whoever takes him likely believes that his poor technique is a result of poor coaching and should have a plan for how they plan to develop or use Green. He has the athletic ability to be a premier pass rusher in this league, but has a long way to go to not be a constant liability on the line.

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