2019 NFL Draft Watch: 5 prospects to watch during Week 5 #12 West Virginia at #25 Texas Tech T.J. Hockenson Detroit Lions Jersey , 12:00 p.m. EST, ESPN2West Virginia QB Will Grier, 6-foot-2, 232 pounds (RS Senior)Grier is having a great start to his senior campaign, currently leading the Big 12 in passing touchdowns (14), completion percentage (74.7), yards per attempt (11.8) and passing efficiency (215.8)—he’s also top-five in the NCAA in all of these categories.Though he wasn’t much of a household name to start the year, Grier’s hot start is earning him some early Heisman buzz. He has shown the ability to throw accurately in a clean pocket, but also with a defender in his face. Grier is a solid athlete and is able to escape the pocket to make plays with his feet if needed, and he has also been praised for some of his intagibles—his leadership included.If I were a betting man—and I am—I would put a sizable amount of money on the Lions drafting a QB in the later rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft. They already have professional clipboard holders backing up Matthew Stafford, but what they need is some real, honest to god talent at the backup QB spot. Grier may be available later in the draft, and would be an immediate upgrade at throwing the ball over both Matt Cassel and Jake Rudock. Texas TechS Jah’Shawn Johnson, 5-foot-10, 185 pounds (Senior)Johnson is the heart and soul of the Texas Tech defense and you can see their struggles when they’re missing him. When the Red Raiders got him back for their matchup against Oklahoma State in Week4—after recovering from his shoulder injury—there was a noticeable improvement all across the secondary. Here’s what TTU head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, had to say about his defense following their win over OSU:Although a bit undersized, Johnson is sticky and plays the ball well in man coverage and is quick to close in zone, always making himself one of the first players to the ball on defense. The Lions are going to need help at safety with Quin possibly regressing and Tavon Wilson struggling at times. The front office will love Johnson’s ability to play the pass T.J. Hockenson Jersey 2019 , the run, and even provide some value as a pass rusher. He’s as versatile as they come and would be a great addition to Patricia’s secondary.#4 Ohio State at #9 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. EST, ABCOhio StateWell, we already highlighted Nick Bosa back in Week 1, and while it’s early, I feel pretty confident right now that Bosa would be long gone by the time the Lions are on the board at the end of the first round—32nd overall pick, obviously. So let’s focus on some other draft-eligible prospects from OSU.RB Mike Weber, 5-foot-10, 214 pounds (RS Junior)With the Lions possibly parting ways with Ameer Abdullah after this year and having LeGarrette Blount on a one-year rental—and the slight chance of maybe getting rid of Theo Riddick, who may be seen as a cap casualty to some—there is a possibility the Lions may have a hole at the RB position heading into next year’s draft, despite trading up for Kerryon Johnson in the second round in 2018. I have a hard time believing the Lions would snag another RB in the early rounds, but I wouldn’t be surprised should they look for one a little later on.Weber’s small stature and injury concerns could push him down into the mid-to-late rounds of the draft, and could be a solid option for the Lions if they’re looking for extra depth. Kerryon has been lights out for the Lions in all phases of the game. Whether it’s running up the middle, getting outside on a toss play, or setting up on a screen to utilize his speed in the open field, Johnson has done it all—including lining up as a receiver and in pass protection.Weber is a little more one-dimensional and is more of a pure runner. When he’s healthy, he is extremely tough to bring down. He runs with a low center of gravity and has very good contact balance, often maximizing his yardage for the Buckeyes offense. If the Lions are serious about improving the run game for years to come Color Rush T.J. Hockenson Jersey , and are looking to get younger at the position, Weber would be a nice addition and could possibly be had in the mid-to-later rounds of the draft.IDL Robert Landers, 6-foot-1, 283 pounds (RS Junior)Landers isn’t the type of defensive lineman that Bob Quinn or Matt Patricia have been adding recently, per se. He’s more of an explosive pass rusher, and as you can see, not quite as heavy as the types of D-linemen the Lions have been looking for. However, while he is an exciting pass rusher and has an elite first step, Landers is also very strong and difficult to move at the point of attack. His hand usage is above-average, and he does a nice job of staying low to gain leverage.Landers should be available for Saturday night’s game after dealing with an undisclosed injury and missing last week’s win over Tulane, despite being listed as “probable.”Penn StateCB Amani Oruwariye, 6-foot-1, 203 pounds (RS Senior)Oruwariye has seen plenty of game action for the Nittany Lions, but this is his first year starting and has already made a name for himself notching three turnovers (two interceptions, one forced fumble) in four games. He has great size for the position, decent speed, and doesn’t appear to be lacking as an athlete. Oruwariye is constantly glued to his receiver. Combine that with his impressive wingspan, superior leaping ability, and magnificent ball skills Cheap T.J. Hockenson Jersey , he’s got a chance to disrupt nearly every pass thrown his way.Though his calling card appears to be his ability to shut down opposing receivers in man-coverage right now, he’s not a shy tackler by any means, and his willingness and ability to make tackles in the open field is one of Oruwariye’s many strengths. DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions have taken a lot of hits lately.Detroit (2-3-1) has dropped three straight games and its latest setback included running back Kerryon Johnson going down with a knee injury that put him on injured reserve.Days later, starting safety and team captain Quandre Diggs was traded to Seattle in a move no one outside of the front offices of the teams involved saw coming.Article continues below ...“We have to focus on the Giants and move forward,” receiver Marvin Jones said.The New York Giants (2-5) don’t have any sympathy.New York has also lost three straight, and the hope rookie quarterback Daniel Jones generated with two touchdown passes in his first start has been dashed by his turnover woes.“There is certainly a sense of urgency in the building, amongst the players, that we need to get a win,” Jones said.WELCOME BACKGiants receiver Golden Tate was dealt by Detroit last season to Philadelphia. The move seemed to stunt the team’s chances to have a successful season in coach Matt Patricia’s first year, taking away Matthew Stafford’s slot receiver and one of the leaders in the locker room.Now, Tate is back to face the franchise he signed with after helping Seattle win a Super Bowl. He was one of Detroit’s top players and most popular people for four-plus seasons.“I’m sure he’ll be juiced up,” Lions safety Tavon Wilson said. “We’ll be juiced up, too.”Tate has become Jones’ go-to guy since Sterling Shepard was sidelined with his second concussion of the season. Tate had six catches in each of the past two games for 182 yards, including a 64-yard scoring play against Minnesota.GENEROUS JONESJones has gotten into a habit of not protecting the ball. He has turned it over 12 times, with 11 turnovers coming after he replaced Eli Manning as the starter in Week 3.“It’s part of what a young quarterback goes through,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur said. “As time goes on, that gets better. But obviously, we want it to get better fast.”The three-game losing streak has seen the No. 6 overall pick in the draft throw five of his seven interceptions and lose two fumbles. Jones has lost five fumbles, continuing a problem he had in the preseason.“I think it’s tough to win when you’re turning the ball over that much T.J. Hockenson Jersey Womens ,” Jones said. “I’ve got to do a better job with that. Decision-making, securing the ball in the pocket, and securing the ball when I’m out of the pocket — all of that stuff is really important.”STEPPING UPLions rookie running back Ty Johnson will likely start in place of Kerryon Johnson and he might flourish. The Giants allowed Chase Edmonds to run for 126 yards in last week’s loss to Arizona after he averaged just 17 yards rushing over the first 22 games of his career.Ty Johnson, a sixth-round pick from Maryland, had a career-high 57 yards from scrimmage in last week’s loss to Minnesota.“It’s an opportunity for everybody in the (running backs) room, not just me,” he said.J.D. McKissic will likely split time with Johnson, giving the offense a speedy option out of the backfield on the ground or through the air.The Lions signed former Giants running back Paul Perkins, for the second time in two weeks, after Kerryon Johnson went on IR. They also have Tra Carson, who was claimed via waivers from Green Bay earlier in the month.ON THE LOOKOUTNew York’s Evan Engram has developed into one of the NFL’s top tight ends, and he has the Lions’ full attention.“We have to always know where he’s at,” Detroit linebacker Jarrad Davis.The third-year pro leads the Giants with 34 receptions, 379 yards receiving and two touchdowns. In his last two road games, Engram had 100-plus yards and caught a pass for a score.DEFENSIVE WOESThe Giants’ defense has played one complete game this season, and playing well for a half has become the norm. The Cardinals scored 17 points on their first three possessions last week. Dallas, Tampa Bay and Minnesota each gained at least 490 yards and New England had 427.Likewise, Detroit’s defense is struggling. The Lions let Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins pick them apart and could not slow down Dalvin Cook during a 42-30 loss in which they gave up 503 yards.
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