Detroit Lions draft 2018: Players to watch in the East-West Shrine Game

Running backs

Chase Edmonds is not exactly the kind of running back that Lions fans are clamoring for. He is, however, a very good running back prospect. Ameer Abdullah showed a drastic decrease in explosiveness in 2017 after returning from a foot injury. Theo Riddick‘s salary cap number grows rapidly in 2018 and again in 2019, while his yards from scrimmage have actually decreased in each of the last two seasons.

Do not be too surprised if the Lions start looking for other options to fill the passing down duties in their backfield. Edmonds is an elusive runner in that same mold. He is a good receiver out of the backfield and has spectacular lateral agility. Edmonds will have 22 on his East side uniform.

Jordan Chunn, on the other hand, is exactly the kind of player that Lions fans have been clamoring for. The above video is from his personal YouTube channel, and I am always a sucker for players from small schools that are willing to self-promote. The kid’s nickname is Megachunn, and at 6’1″ and 235 lbs, he has explosive power with the ball in his hands.

Unlike many big backs, however, he also has the burst to make his size very dangerous. He gets his pads low in traffic, but has a very upright stride at top speed. That speed jumps off the screen at his lower level of competition, and it will be interesting to see if it does so in St. Petersburg this weekend.

Next: Mel Kiper picks a pass rusher for the Lions in his latest mock

That is two offensive and two defensive players to watch for each team, hopefully, I have given Lions fans something to keep an eye on this Saturday at 3:00 PM. Enjoy the game.