Josh Paschal, Edge, Kentucky
The Detroit Lions doubled down on edge-rushers in the second round with Josh Paschal. While Hutchinson is a true outside edge rusher, Paschal is more of a down defensive end who can slide inside as well, similar to Trey Flowers.
Paschal might not be an official starter on defense, but he should get plenty of playing time. Paschal knows how to use his hands to keep blockers off him and get into the backfield, making him an incredibly effective run defender.
Expect to see Paschal on the field a lot on early and rushing downs as the down defensive end instead of Charles Harris. On passing downs, Paschal isn’t quite as effective yet, but he is still capable of sliding inside and getting to the passer.
Paschal is a solid inside-out player who should be dependable from day one. He should help fix a lot of the Lions’ woes against the run and add a handful of sacks on top of that. Not to mention, he may have had one of the best NIL deals out there.
New Lion 🦁 Josh Paschal is a comedy genius…Who knew 🤣 This is a quintessential Dan Campbell guy #OnePride
— Dan Leach (@DanLeachDTM) April 30, 2022
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The commercial that surfaced on draft night was electric. While it may not do anything to benefit him on the field, but Paschal’s off-the-field presence will be interesting as well.