Draft Profile: Nebraska NT Darrion Daniels

Logan Lamorandier profiles Nebraska NT Darrion Daniels in his latest draft profile

The Lions' defensive line was a major disappointment in 2019. 

After spending money and draft capital at the position in recent years, things went south fast as the defensive line as a whole couldn't stay healthy. 

Now, with the release of Damon "Snacks" Harrison plus both A'Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels being set to hit the free-agent market, there are more question marks than certainties. 

General manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia know how important a strong D-line is for the success of the scheme; hence, the reason for giving the defensive front so much attention. 

Unfortunately, the Lions are almost back to square one. 

Free agency could help give the line a nice boost, but it's also likely the Lions will look to draft an interior defender.

As the game continues to evolve into more of a passing league, the value of true nose tackles who are limited in rushing the passer continues to decrease. 

One player the Lions could target as a zero-tech late in the draft is Nebraska's Darrion Daniels. 

He spent the start of his college career at Oklahoma State -- his first four years -- and he was a graduate transfer at Nebraska in 2019. 

Daniels was listed at 325 pounds while in school, but weighed in at a leaner 311 pounds at the NFL combine. 

His 81 and 3/4 inch wingspan was among one of the largest in the interior defensive line class. And he uses his length well to control gaps. 

That's not to say he can't improve with his leverage and hand usage, though. 

Luckily for Daniels, those are traits that can be coached up.

Daniels is also very difficult to move in the run game, and has plenty of film taking on and holding up against double teams. 

The Lions currently don't have a legitimate two-gap nose tackle on their roster. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Daniels' best season against the run was in 2017 when he earned an 88.2 run defense grade. 

There are only a few true nose tackles in this draft class, and Daniels could be had as a Day 3 flier.

Given that he isn't projected to be a high draft pick, he comes with inherent flaws. 

First and foremost, his lack of pass-rush ability drops him down most teams' draft boards. 

Given that the Lions don't necessarily ask their big guys in the middle to be great at getting to the quarterback, it's an imperfection that can be a little glossed over -- especially considering his specialized run-stuffing role. 

Daniels becoming a three-down player is highly unlikely.

In terms of athleticism, Daniels is not considered an athlete -- relative to the position. 

Just for comparison's sake, top DT prospect Derrick Brown weighed in at 15 pounds heavier, but had somewhat similar explosion and agility numbers. 

One player -- Brown -- will cost a team a high first-round pick, while the other -- Daniels -- may not even go until the sixth or seventh round. 

Make no mistake, I'm not comparing the two in terms of their on-field play. 

Also important to note, Daniels missed time with injury in each of the past three seasons.

When it's all said and done, the Lions will likely be in the market for a nose tackle. 

Daniels fits that bill at a much-discounted cost when juxtaposed to the bigger names in the draft.

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