5 Players Lions Should Watch in Orange Bowl

Read more on the five players the Detroit Lions should keep an eye on in the Orange Bowl.

The college bowl games are one last chance to see the prospects in pads, and all eyes will be on the Orange Bowl between Michigan and Georgia.

With as many as 34 projected draft picks coming from these two rosters, you can bet NFL scouts will be watching.

A game of this magnitude offers scouts a unique perspective to see how these prospects perform in big games. 

It is a known fact in scouting circles that some players “really turn it on” in bowl games. If a prospect did not play nearly as well in earlier season action when maybe he did not think scouts were watching, that would be a red flag.

Prospects who have big bowl game performances can help themselves. It is games like this one, where a prospect’s draft stock could shoot up or slide down (depending on how he plays). 

It’s also a good chance for scouts to gauge pride in a program. This will be the last time these seniors (and those younger who are declaring for the draft) suit up for their colleges. That means something.

For my money, there are five players the Detroit Lions should keep a close eye on, from a scouting perspective.

1.) EDGE #97 Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan)

If readers don’t know this name by now, get to know it. Hutchinson will more than likely be the top player selected in the 2022 NFL draft. 

Hutchinson has really turned it on as the year has progressed, and he set the school single-season sack record (14.0). 

Michigan likes to move him back and forth on the right and left side of the line, sometimes standing him up and sometimes having him put his hand in the dirt. 

Regardless, he is a relentless presence who continuously keeps testing offensive tackles until he finds his way to the quarterback.

2.) LB #17 Nakobe Dean (Georgia)

Dean is an instinctual and complete three-down middle linebacker. In my 40 years of watching the pro game, he is the best pass-coverage middle linebacker I have ever seen. 

Dean, who is a tad “undersized," standing in at 6'0, is so good in coverage that he can actually make plays on the ball. 

He also has enough juice to get to the quarterback on blitzes. This guy is the real deal, and he is going to be a dream come true for an NFL defensive coordinator. 

He's a true difference maker, who will give an NFL team a real competitive, gameday advantage because of the unique attributes he brings to the table.

3.) LB #55 David Ojabo (Michigan)

Playing in Hutchinson’s shadow, Ojabo has burst on to the scene with 11 sacks this season. 

Despite his lack of raw physical strength, he has elite speed, burst and close, and he knows how to use his hands well. Ojabo is a real threat off the edge, through the back door of the pocket. 

He is nothing to write home about against the run or in pass coverage, but you will hear his name called in the first round. 

Having the ability to get to the passer is a premium in the NFL. If the Lions do not get the pass rusher they want early, Ojabo would be a nice pick with the first-round pick they have from the Rams (late in the first round). 

Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK

4.) RB #25 Hassan Haskins (Michigan)

After turning in a 4.74 40-yard dash coming out of high school, Haskins has put up stats that scouts are taking notice of this season. Additionally, Haskins has accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl. 

In the regular season this year, Haskins carried the ball 261 times for 1,288 yards (4.9 yards-per-carry average) and a whopping 20 touchdowns. 

He is a back with nice size (6-foot-1, 220 pounds), and he is a patient and punishing second-effort downhill runner who shows great determination. He will find a home in the NFL running like that.

5.) WR #1 George Pickens (Georgia)

The 2020 Sugar Bowl MVP is the biggest wild card of this game, and he will be one of the biggest wildcards in the NFL Draft.

Once thought to be a first-rounder, Pickens tore his ACL nine months ago. He has battled back, and he can really help himself with a big-time showing. 

After going back and watching every throw he was targeted on in 2020, the big question is whether he still has the ability to make the sudden moves he used to make before the injury. Does he still have the explosive burst after the catch? These are the things the scouts will be watching for.