This week Lions personnel and coaches headed to Mobile, Alabama for the 2019 Senior Bowl, including three days of practices and interviews leading up to today's game.
There was plenty of talent to evaluate, especially at positions of need for the Lions, including pass rusher, slot receiver and cornerback.
One of the defensive end prospects at the Senior Bowl, Zach Allen, played for Lions defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni when he was the defensive line coach at Boston College.
"That's kind of one of my strengths is my versatility and how I can play across the line and I was very fortunate to have coach (Paul) Pasqualoni kind of teach me all the techniques and everything before he left for Detroit," Allen said. "He was really just big on every week we're going to line up against them the way we think we can win."
Allen said he would love to re-join Pasqualoni in Detroit.
Another Boston College prospect that could interest the Lions is tight end Tommy Sweeney. This year's draft class is loaded with tight end talent, but most of the prospects at the position are underclassmen, so Sweeney is hoping this extra week in front of NFL evaluators gives him an edge.
"It's an extra week in front of NFL scouts playing against senior competition," Sweeney said. "This is another week you get right in front of the scout's eyes. You're playing for NFL coaches, you're running NFL blocking schemes and pass games."
The 2019 Senior Bowl will air at 2:30 p.m. today on NFL Network.
SLAY AND MUHLBACH HEAD TO ORLANDO
While college prospects look to impress in Mobile, the league's best are out in Orlando preparing for the 2019 Pro Bowl. Cornerback Darius Slay and long snapper Don Muhlbach are representing the Lions for the NFC team. Catch up on all the action below:
LIONS HIRE SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR
The Lions announced Tuesday that they hired John Bonamego as special teams coordinator. Bonamego was the Lions special teams coordinator from 2013-14 before leaving to be head coach of the Central Michigan University Chippewas, where he spent the last four seasons.
Bonamego will take over a unit that finished 12th in Rick Gosselin's special teams rankings this past season.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY ITEMS
- The Lions announced Tuesday that they signed wide receiver Brandon Reilly to a Reserve/Future contract.
- Mike O'Hara takes his first shot at predicting who the Lions will take with the 8th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
- Tim Twentyman takes a look at 10 players who stood out during Senior Bowl practices.
