Detroit Lions Day 3 draft pick projected to be among 'major steals'

Detroit Lions Day 3 draft pick projected to be among 'major steals'

The Detroit Lions have been almost unanimously praised for their 2024 NFL Draft class, and if you're into that sort of thing, we've got more praise coming in hot.

In a recent article projecting Day 3 draft picks that will be "major steals" and Year 1 contributors, Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline listed Lions sixth-round pick and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo as one of his choices.

Here's Pauline's thoughts on the LSU product:

Wingo was a fringe Day 2 pick who tumbled into the sixth round due to injury and size concerns. The injury was not a major issue, as a core sports injury kept Wingo out most of the season's final two months and prevented him from participating in the Senior Bowl.

The size was another issue as Wingo measured over six feet tall and 284 pounds. The Detroit Lions were more than happy when the defensive tackle fell into their laps at pick 189, as the team was on the phone attempting to trade up for Wingo.

Detroit was fired up to draft Wingo, who is the perfect fit for their system. He brings the culture Dan Campbell wants as well as the pass-rush skills the defense needed, albeit on the inside of the line.

Pauline isn't the only one saying Wingo is a steal. On a consensus board of expert rankings compiled by Arif Hasan of Wide Left, Wingo's rank was 109, a whole 80 spots lower than where he was drafted.

Of course, we won't really know if Wingo was a steal or not until he actually takes the field. In the meantime, he'll be looking to carve out a depth role for Detroit this offseason.