Detroit Lions Draft 2017: A Defensive End for Every Round
By Zac Snyder
Round 4
Villanova’s Tanoh Kpassagnon oozes so much potential that he might end up a day two draft pick, but would make a nice addition for the Lions in round four.
At 6-7 and 289 pounds, Kpassagnon would make a formidable pair with Ziggy Ansah. He may not give them that at the outset considering he’s still raw and will be making a bigger jump in level of competition than many other prospects but he’d give the Lions an upgrade in terms of athleticism and size (!) over Devin Taylor.
Like Derek Rivers earlier, Kpassagnon was also one of the five players on the Pro Football list of top non-Power Five edge prospects, with the following bullets:
"Put up some unbelievable testing numbers at the NFL Combine. Physically looks like he’s built in a lab. Enough juice to get to the corner on tackles and rip through. Has some interesting bend for a big man. Agility is non-existent. Struggles mightily to cross an offensive lineman’s face. Complete lack of pass-rushing moves."
Once upon a time, the Lions drafted Ziggy Ansah as a raw defensive end talent and he’s turned into one of the few hits of the first round of his draft class. There is a big difference between using a top five pick on Ansah and investing a mid-round pick in Kpassagnon, but it at least gives precedent to the idea that the Lions could be a good landing spot for him.