With their first pick on Thursday, the Lions drafted a difference-maker on the defensive live. And with their first pick on Friday, they hope they drafted another.
With the 46th overall pick, the Lions took Kentucky DE Joshua Paschal, a day after drafting Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson second overall.
Paschal was a two-time captain at Kentucky who produced 15 tackles for loss last season. He'll give the Lions and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn loads of strength at 6'3, 270 lbs. and another potential force off the edge, a "fully grown defender with the versatility to contribute in odd or even fronts," says NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein:
He's like a block of granite at the point of attack with low pads and a heavy anchor. He has the twitch to see-and-shed against single blocks and the range to make a tackle a gap away.
The Lions produced the third fewest sacks in the NFL last season and have been among the bottom five teams the past three seasons in QB pressures. Paschal's 'urgent, full-tilt demeanor,' per Zierlein, should help them change that. He's a player cut from the Dan Campbell cloth, much like Hutchinson, full speed ahead and no plays off.
"Paschal might never be a star," says Zierlein, "but he's a good future starter with winning character that coaches and fans will grow to love."