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Should Lions Consider Drafting LB Zack Baun in Second Round?

Linebacker Zack Baun was evaluated closely at the Senior Bowl by the Lions. Should Detroit consider drafting Baun?

John Maakaron

The Lions must address several key areas on defense in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

It is widely known that Detroit's defensive line struggled mightily, but the play at linebacker also left a lot to be desired.

Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun could be one of the top Badgers selected this upcoming April. 

Wisconsin LB Zack Baun
Wisconsin LB Zack Baun / © Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

At the NFL combine, he bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times, ran his 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds and had a 32.5-inch vertical jump.

At the Senior Bowl, Detroit had the opportunity to evaluate Baun closely. 

Draft analysts and scouts believe Baun displays strengths as a pass rusher and is versatile enough to line up in a number of different defensive alignments. 

Many believe that he best fits as a 3-4 outside linebacker. 

He has drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Rams linebacker and former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. 

According to NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein:

"Ascending prospect whose explosive production on the field has begun to mirror his explosive athletic traits. Baun's twitchy get-off and deep bend at the edge is nightmare fuel for Big Ten tackles and he's still at the early stages of pass rush development. 

He is aggressive to flow downhill in run support, has sideline-to-sideline range and is fluid dropping into coverage. He's strong but a little light as an edge-setter so teams will need to figure out how best to align him. 

Baun is a scheme-diverse linebacker with high-impact potential whose best days are ahead of him."

Do you think Detroit should target Baun in the second round? 

Comment below and leave us your thoughts.

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John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

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