After spending his first year and a half with the Lions waiting for his chance, Ahmed Hassanein could be poised for his NFL debut Sunday in Miami.
With defensive end D.J. Wonnum in concussion protocol and unlikely to play this week against the Dolphins, the Lions will need reinforcements on the edge across from Aidan Hutchinson. Rookies Derrick Moore and Eric O'Neill should both see bigger roles, as they did last Sunday after Wonnum went down.
And Hassanein could be next in line.
"If I was a betting man I’d say Ahmed’s probably getting his opportunity this weekend," Hutchinson said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "Derrick Moore is going to be out there for sure. Both those guys, D-Mo has shown a ton of progression these first few weeks, and I know Ahmed is just itching to get out there, man. He can’t wait. I think it’s going to be a really good opportunity for those guys, and couldn’t be happier for them. Not at D.J.’s expense, but man, in the NFL dudes are going to go down sometimes and that presents opportunities for other guys."
The first Egyptian-born player ever selected in the NFL Draft, Hassanein has been a player of intrigue since arriving last year as a sixth-round pick and declaring his willingness to die on the field for Dan Campbell.
The Lions knew he would be a project. Hassanein moved to the United States at the age of 16, having never heard of the NFL. He had only played football for a few years before jumping off the page in his final two seasons at Boise State, with 22 sacks and 32 tackles for loss. He's raw but plays with real power.
The intrigue grew this summer when Hassanein was a force throughout training camp. After experimenting with him as a rush end last season, the Lions moved him back to the big end position where he thrived in college. The switch suits his body type and physicality.
"It’s more my play style," Hassanein said in camp. "The big end is the bigger guy that doesn’t have to drop in coverage, more like a hand in the dirt, dirty job, and I like to play a little dirty [as in, grimy], nose bleeding and stuff like that, so I feel like it fits my play style. And I can take those hard double-teams, I’m good for it and I’m getting better at it."
Hassanein made the 53-man roster out of camp, but has been inactive for the Lions' first seven games. There's no guarantee that he gets a shot this week. For one, Wonnum has yet to be ruled out. For another, Campbell was recently asked which players have caught his eye on the practice squad and mentioned fellow defensive end Anthony Lucas, the undrafted rookie. He might be under consideration as well.
But Hassanein is presumably ahead of Lucas on the depth chart and, importantly, brings more value on special teams. That plays a big role for the Lions when making decisions at the back of their 48-man roster on game day.
We'll see how they proceed this week. The next few days of practice will likely help shape their decision as well. But Hassanein, at the very least, is in the conversation.
