Defensive back Quandre Diggs and the Detroit Lions agreed to terms Monday on a contract extension that will carry through the 2021 NFL season.Detroit's sixth-round draft pick (200th overall) in 2015 out of Texas Youth Christian Jones Jersey , Diggs is entering his fourth NFL season. He has appeared in 44 career games with 19 starts. His career totals include 131 tackles (110 solo), three interceptions, 16 pass defenses, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one sack."Quandre has developed into one of our core defensive players and we are excited to come to this agreement that will have him as a Detroit Lion for the next four seasons." Lions executive vice president and general manager Bob Quinn said. The Detroit Lionsr17; defense had a rough year overall in 2018, but at least saw some improvements near the end of the year, especially versus the run. Unfortunately, their pass rush and their coverage units continued their struggles while the run defense succeeded. I believe that a good defense is built from the trenches outward, and now that the interior line is beginning to look nice, itr17;s time for the front office to finally add some young talent on the edges and get themselves a nice edge rusher.Luckily for them, there are a lot of good edge rushers to choose from in this yearr17;s draft class, and theyr17;ll be picking high enough to get one, or maybe two, whether itr17;s in the first round or later on. I believe that this class is shaping up to be stacked in the early-to-mid rounds of the draft, and a lot of those talented EDGE prospects look like very nice fits for the Lions and Patriciar17;s defense.Previous reading:Top 5 edge defenders in the 2019 NFL DraftHere are several sleeper/under the radar names that could help the Lions address their need for a pass rusher on the edge.Jaylon Ferguson (Louisiana Tech) | 6-foot-5 www.detroitlionsteamonline.com , 262 poundsFerguson has piled up stats since he was a freshman and currently holds the NCAA D-I sack record with 45 career sacks. But there was always something missing while watching his 2016 and 2017 film. In 2018, Ferguson looked like a completely different player with extra muscle added to his frame, improved burst and some of the best hand usage in this yearr17;s EDGE class. At 6-foot-5, 262 pounds, Ferguson has the ideal size to fit the Lionsr17; scheme and can rush the passer with his hand in the dirt or from a 3-point stance. He has decent bend/flexibility and good burst, while using a variety of moves (speed, push-pull, club-rip, etc.) to get to the quarterback. As a run defender, Ferguson controls the point of attack well and often sheds his blocks at the right moment amassing a ton of TFLs over his career (67.5). Testing will be very important for Ferguson, as some believe that he is just an average athlete, but if all goes well, I believe that the Lions will have Ferguson very high on their board.Charles Omenihu (Texas) | 6-foot-6, 275 poundsAnother one of my favorite under-the-radar fits for the Lions is Texas EDGE Charles Omenihu. If there was one specific edge rusher that Ir17;d hate to line up against as an offensive lineman, it might be Omenihu. I compare him to a UFC fighter that is constantly pressing you up against the cage and wearing you down both physically and mentally. His raw strength and relentlessness makes him an exhausting player to match up against.Omenihu Detroit Lions T-Shirt , like Ferguson, is masterful with his hands and uses a variety of moves to win early in reps. His versatility is a big plus on his resume, lining up all over the line for the Longhorns from 0-tech to outside the TE. Omenihu is stout against the run, has better burst and bend than your17;d expect from someone his size, and would be a perfect fit at RDE for the Lions.Anthony Nelson (Iowa) | 6-foot-7, 271 poundsNelson is another guy that is being overlooked right now, but has a chance to prove himself after recently accepting his Senior Bowl invite. Like many in this yearr17;s class, Nelson doesnr17;t quite have natural bend but is a solid athlete for his size and uses his raw strength to overwhelm opposing tackles. He shows flashes of dominance, but is a relatively raw prospect, especially as a pass rusher. I think with some refinement, he can develop into a very good edge setter.Nelson should hear his name called somewhere on Day 2 and could be a big riser if he impresses during Senior Bowl week and tests well. Zach Allen (Boston College) | 6-foot-5, 285 poundsAllen has the desired size to fill Ezekiel Ansahr17;s role as the down DE for the Lions, but doesnr17;t have nearly the amount of upside that Ansah once had. As a pass rusher, Allen lacks some of the desired traits that scouts look for, such as natural bend and explosiveness. Her17;s a bit of a one-dimensional pass rusher with his bull rush typically being his go to and only real move.Where Allen wins is with his play strength Detroit Lions Hats , motor and technical prowess, especially against the run. Allen exhibits the ability to stack and shed well and uses his strong hands to control his opponents. Versatility is also a strength of Allenr17;s and something that Ir17;m sure the Lions and other teams will find attractive when watching Allenr17;s film, as her17;s able to kick inside if need be. As of now, Ir17;d expect Allen to go somewhere between Day 2 and early Day 3 range.Oshane Ximines (Old Dominion) | 6-foot-4, 255 poundsAt 255 pounds, Ximines might be a little small to play the down DE role for the Lions, and he isnr17;t quite as athletic as your17;d like for him to play the standup role where he would likely be asked to occasionally drop back into coverage. However, for a small school prospect, Ximines is one of the most technically sound edge rushers in the draft. Ximinesr17;s sudden hands often catch tackles off guard, and he is very unpredictable with his wide variety of moves.As a run defender, Ximines is disciplined and does a nice job of stacking and shedding. He holds the point of attack well enough, though he may struggle against bigger and stronger NFL tackles. Ximines isnr17;t very explosive and can easily be deterred when speed rushing by even the slightest bit of contact, but despite his shortcomings, I believe that he can be a solid fit for the Lions in the later rounds.
