Detroit Lions: 5 Draft Prospects To Know

Sep 27, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Malcom Brown (90) warms up before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium. Texas won the game 23-0. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

5. Malcom Brown, DT, Texas

It’s not a question of if Detroit will take a defensive tackle in this draft, it’s a question of when. There’s still a void left by Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley to fill and Malcom Brown out of Texas could be just the ticket.

Brown has been somewhat overshadowed by Leonard Williams leading up to the draft, but that won’t change the fact that he’ll be a great value pick later on in the first round. There’s a solid chance he’ll be off the board somewhere in the mid-teens, so Lions fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too much.

But if he’s there, he makes a lot of sense for the defensive tackle needy Lions.

He’s not only big enough at 6-2, 319 pounds to hold his own against veterans from day one, he also behaves like a veteran off the field as a married father of two. In terms of character, he’ll definitely be an upgrade over Suh and Fairley.

As far as what he’ll bring to the field, he’s known as a run disruptor with good hands and decent quickness off the line. Most drafts analysts see Brown as a prospect with a lot of upside, so pairing him with the battle-tested Haloti Ngata could prove to be very beneficial for him early on in his career.

Next: No. 4 - Andrus Peat