Detroit Lions draft target: Boston College edge rusher Harold Landry

The Detroit Lions are visiting with almost all of the draft’s top edge rushers. It is very likely that one of them joins the team in the first or second round. Harold Landry is among the top candidated for the Lions first round pick.

It is no secret that the Detroit Lions had a terrible pass rush in 2017. The team’s presumed number two pass rusher, Kerry Hyder, tore his Achilles tendon in the preseason. A lack of depth plagued the edge rush position group, and the results were awful. Opposing quarterbacks had as much time as they needed to attack the Lions secondary.

Bob Quinn has been meeting with pass rushers at every opportunity. There are, however, no perfect edge prospects in the draft after Bradley Chubb. Chubb will likely go in the first five picks. He will certainly not be available at the Lions no. 20 pick. Among the promising but flawed second tier of players sits Boston College’s Harold Landry. Despite an injury-plagued senior season, Landry has emerged as the number two pass rusher in the draft.

Landry produced 16.5 sacks as a junior in 2016. He was unable to repeat that level of production in 2017. Landry was plagued with injuries, and teams were able to focus on him as the only dangerous pass rusher. The two factors combined to limit him to five sacks and eight games played.

The defining characteristic of Landry’s game is his first step. It is the main weapon he uses to succeed. By the time linemen set up to get their mitts on him, it is often too late, he is past them. He also does a great job of pressing that advantage, using his length and lateral quickness to finish off the play. He is capable of dropping almost impossibly low as he rounds the corner, robbing more powerful offensive linemen of their leverage.

Landry also goes after the quarterback’s throwing arm. He has shown an ability to create strip sacks, and get into throwing lanes. His closing speed when a quarterback gets out of the pocket, or he sniffs out a screen pass is like a lightning strike. It is these rare traits that make Landry one of the top 15 prospects in this draft.

Landry is capable of using his length to keep offensive tackles from grabbing onto him more often than not. When they do get a hold of him though, he has trouble getting them off. He would likely spend much of his time rushing from a two-point stance and dropping into coverage just often enough to keep teams on their toes. This would allow Matt Patricia to utilize Landry more easily in a varied attack on the quarterback.

Landry is too light to fill an every down traditional hand in the dirt defensive end role. He stands 6’3″ and weighs 252 lbs.  Matt Patricia’s defense tends only to need one of those at a time, however. The Lions just signed Devon Kennard to a three-year deal and on the surface, he appears to fill a similar role as Landry. A talent like Landry, however, could convince the Lions that building depth by drafting a starter is a good plan.

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This is a player that may only be available if greater needs at other positions like quarterback and offensive tackle result in teams looking elsewhere. Landry’s talent is first-rate, but he is coming off a season-ending ankle injury. Pass rushers drafted highly after unproductive senior seasons do not have a great track record in the NFL. Landry’s god given traits and a lack of quality pass rushers in this draft may lead the Lions to make this somewhat risky pick.