Photo Credit: NFL.com.

The NFL Combine is here, and yesterday we got to see the defensive linemen and linebackers testing. We had some wows, some woes, and some surprises, lets get into it.

Shemar Stewart Posts ELITE Combine Numbers.

The Texas A&M product easily had the best day of anyone, posting elite numbers across the board. Starting the day off with a 4.59 40 and 1.58 10 yard split at 6’5″ 267 lbs, following that up with a 40″ vertical, and 10’11” broad jump. All of these numbers are at the top of this class, his 40 was ranked 4th, his 10 yard split ranked 3rd, his vertical ranked 2nd, and his broad jump ranked 1st, so it’s safe to say he won the day. Stewart is a non productive elite athlete, but he likely locked himself into the top 15 with that showing, so he’s likely out of reach for the Lions.

James Pearce Jr Runs BLAZING 40.

Tennessee edge defender James Pearce ran the 2nd fastest 40 of the day with a 4.47, fastest of any defensive linemen, while sporting a hoodie. He also had a 10 yard split of 1.56, fastest of any defensive linemen. He reportedly forgot is shirt at the hotel, only the Combine can produce these moments. He also tested pretty well overall, with a 31 inch vertical, and a broad jump of 10’3″. Pearce still has some issues, most notably his thin frame, but his testing shows his athleticism. he would make some sense for Detroit, but his draft stock is all over the place. Some have him as a top 15 pick, others as an early 2nd. After yesterday, he has likely cemented himself in the top 20.

Jihaad Campbell Flashes Elite Athleticism.

The Alabama linebacker had a great day, running a 4.52 40, 1.51 10 yard, and jumping 10’7″ in the broad jump, both in the top 4 of all invited players yesterday. Campbell showed it on tape regularly, and is a very versatile linebacker. He has his issues, and the Combine won’t fix that, but he likely moved up a few spots on most boards. He likely won’t be there for Detroit round 1, but if he is, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the pick.

Landon Jackson Blows Away Testing.

Standing at 6’6″ 264 lbs, Jackson wowed everyone with his numbers. Had Shemar Stewart not been there, Jackson would be the talk of the town. He posted a 4.68 40, 1.65 10 yard split, 40.5″ vertical, and a 10’9″ broad jump. His 40 ranked 8th, his 10 yard ranked 10th, his vertical ranked 1st, and his broad jump ranked 2nd. Jackson is one of my personal favorites in the class, and I think he would make a lot of sense for the Lions in round 2, but he may not be there. Most saw him as a 2nd round pick before the testing, and he likely moved up a few spots after. He would fit what we do well, and would be a very good option opposite Hutch.

Princely Umanmielen Made Himself Some Money.

The Ole Miss edge didn’t necessarily wow at the Combine, but he put up some really solid numbers. He ran a 4.72 40, a 1.62 10 yard split, a 38″ vertical, a 7.33 3 cone, a 4.46 shuttle and a 10’6″ broad jump. His 40 ranked 13th, his 10 yard ranked 7th, his vertical ranked 4th, his broad ranked 4th, his 3 cone ranked 8th, and his shuttle ranked 5th. At 6’4″ 244lbs, he showed some true athletic gifts, most notably his explosion. Princely is mostly seen as a 2nd round pick, but I wouldn’t be that surprised if he snuck into the 1st round, specifically pick 28.

Ty Robinson Wows With Speed And Size.

The Nebraska interior defensive lineman showed his true athletic abilities yesterday. He posted a 4.83 40, 1.71 10 yard, 33.5″ vertical, 9’11” broad, 7.58 3 cone, and a 4.5 shuttle. His 40 ranked 1st, his 10 yard split ranked 3rd, his vertical was 4th, his broad was 2nd, his cone was 3rd, and his shuttle was 3rd. At 6’5″ 288lbs, he really put on a show, earning himself some money. He was looked at as a 3rd rounder before yesterday, and I’d be willing to bet he moved up into the 2nd round after that performance. He would fit well in Detroit, and would likely be available at our 2nd round pick.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins Puts On A Show:

The Georgia defensive tackle really made himself some money yesterday when he posted top tier numbers in every single workout. He had a 4.86 40, 1.69 10 yard, 36″ vertical, 10’4″ broad, 7.28 3 cone, and a 4.34 shuttle. All of those numbers ranked 1st outside of the 40 where he ranked 3rd, and the 10 yard split where he ranked 2nd. It’s safe to say Tyrion is an elite athlete at his size at 6’5″ 276lbs. I was a big fan of his already, and he likely moved himself up some boards with his performance. He lacks production, so most have him as a 3rd or 4th round pick, but he could go a bit earlier. He would fit well in Detroit, and this staff would be able to get the most out of his athletic profile, he could be there for our 3rd round pick.

Obviously, there were a lot more players that had really good days, but these are the guys that stood out to me for Detroit. We will keep an eye on the rest of the combine as well.

The Lions have had many players in for meetings, formal and informal, here’s the list per Sports Illustrated.

Marshall EDGE Mike Green — Formal
Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton — Formal
Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer — Formal
Michigan EDGE Josaiah Stewart — Informal
LSU EDGE Sai’Vion Jones — Formal
Ole Miss OLB Chris Paul Jr. — Formal
Auburn EDGE Jalen McLeod — Formal
Minnesota LB Cody Lindenberg — Formal
Penn State LB Kobe King — Formal
Iowa LB Jay Higgins — Informal
Oklahoma State DE/LB Collin Oliver — Formal
Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell — Formal
Notre Dame EDGE Howard Cross — Formal
Clemson LB Barrett Carter — Informal
Michigan DT Kenneth Grant — Formal
Virginia S Jonas Sanker — Formal
Texas S Andrew Mukuba — Formal
Nebraska TE Thomas Fidone — Formal
Georgia Tech TE Jackson Hawes — Formal
Alabama TE CJ Dippre — Formal
Alabama TE Robbie Ouzts — Formal
Kansas CB Cobee Bryant — Formal
South Carolina CB O’Donnell Fortune — Formal
Iowa State CB Darien Porter — Formal
Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas — Formal
Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor — Formal
Illinois WR Pat Bryant — Formal
Memphis QB Seth Henigan — Informal
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe — Formal
Tennessee WR Bru McCoy — Formal

It seems very clear the Lions are going to be aggressive on acquiring defensive players this year, as they should. Stay up to date by subscribing, and if you like what you read, follow me on X @JaceOSweet.