INDIANAPOLIS -- Ben Bartch wanted to play college ball. He paid his own way to camps and everything, hoping to be discovered. It didn’t happen.

The Oregon native wound up enrolling at a small school across the country called Saint John’s University, located in Collegeville, Minne. He played tight end his first two seasons, but coaches kept warning him every time he dropped a football that they would move the 250-pounder to offensive tackle.

Then one day, they called him.

They wanted him to move to offense tackle for real.

So Bartch began packing on the weight with a smoothie that should come with parental warnings, because viewer discretion is most certainly advised. You start with seven scrambled eggs. Then add: Cottage cheese, quick grits, peanut butter, bananas and -- the cornerstone of any healthy protein shake -- Gatorade.

Yes. Gatorade.

“Throw it all in and just plug my nose," Bartch said. "I’d gag sometimes. But that’s what you have to do.”

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Plenty of guys have added good weight without putting grits in their Gatorade, but hey, whatever blows your hair back.

"I just kind of researched online for the most clean and healthy ingredients for putting on good mass,” he said. “That summer I went from 250 (pounds) to 275, and then after that I went from 275 to 305.”

Then Bartch did what any self-respecting millennial would do, and scoured Youtube for how-to videos of his latest hobby. In his case, playing left tackle.

“I created a YouTube playlist by adding tons of videos and content, then just taking notes at night,” he said.

Bartch turned out to be really good at this whole offensive tackle thing. So good, he became the only Division III player in the country to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl. And there, he showed he belonged with a stellar week of practice that confirmed his place as a draftable prospect.

In a nod of respect for his big week -- and perhaps a rise up draft boards -- Bartch was awarded a podium session with reporters this week at the combine. Those are usually reserved for the biggest names in college football, with middling prospects holding roundtables.

"Michael Jordan said you have to expect things of yourself before you do them,” said Bartch, who weighed in here at 308 pounds. “I expected of myself that I was going to perform well (at the Senior Bowl), whether or not other people thought I was some small-school scrub who was going to get destroyed. So I think going down there, you get that first rep out of your system and you just relax a little bit. Like, look we’re just playing football. We’re having fun. I think it was a great experience and really big for me.”

Bartch played left tackle in college, but some project him to move inside in the NFL. The Lions love versatility in their offensive linemen, and have an immediate need for a starting right guard with Graham Glasgow expected to hit free agency next month.

Detroit returns both Taylor Decker and Rick Wagner at offensive tackle, although there are long-term needs to consider there. Decker is heading into the final year of his deal, while Detroit has to make some tough decisions on the future of Wagner. He’s due to count $11.9 million against the cap each of the next two years, which is a huge sum for a guy who has been mostly pedestrian since arriving in Allen Park.

The Lions could save $6.1 million in cap space by moving on.

Either way, they have short- and long-term needs to consider on the offensive line and Bartch is the kind of prospect who fits what they like. He’s scheme-versatile, he’s coachable, he’s made the most of his opportunities -- and he’s a mauler.

Now he’s poised to become the first player drafted from his conference since 2003.

“I’m very humbled about it,” he said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be here, to be honest. If I can bring some pride and some honor back to Saint John’s and represent them well, I’m all for it.”