Detroit Lions: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft, version 4.0
By Zac Snyder
If there is a big need that has been ignored so far it is a tight end so it was time to address that position and Washington’s Drew Sample is a nice option in the fifth round. Lance Zierlein sums him up nicely in his draft profile on NFL.com:
"Sample’s size and lunch-pail demeanor are what NFL teams look for at the point of attack. While he might be typecast as just a blocking tight end, he possess enough speed and ball skills to become a more productive pass catcher than he was at Washington. His size, football character and commitment as a run blocker give him a chance to become a solid combination tight end with TE2 potential."
There is hope Sample can be a versatile tight end and contribute in the passing game based on his athletic profile. He had a good showing at the NFL Combine and while he didn’t test out as an elite athlete in any single area, he checks out as an elite athlete in aggregate. Sample did add an elite trait when he completed 25 reps in the bench press at the Washington pro day, however.
Part of me is a little bit sad that Drew Sample posted an elite bench grade at his pro day. His very odd, yet elite athletic profile was a neat little curiosity for nerds like me, but for his own purposes it simply pushed his already elite #RAS even higher. pic.twitter.com/5gcEMNuHso
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 1, 2019
Perhaps the Lions want more out of a tight end draft pick than a projection and a hope for what they can get in the passing game but that may not be available at this point in the draft. Sample’s college stats do not look all that impressive but that should not be taken for an indication that he can’t contribute more at the next level.