4 Players Lions Should Have Drafted instead of Jason Huntley
In the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft, Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn selected running back Jason Huntley out of New Mexico State.
Even though the draft as a whole was largely met with an endorsement from Lions fans, the Huntley pick was probably one of the bigger surprises.
The diminutive scat-back was the second running back selected by the Lions, and was instantly buried on the depth chart after his arrival to Motown.
It was not going to be easy for him to make the team solely as a versatile halfback.
Perhaps his special teams ability was going to be his path to the roster.
Obviously, the Lions envisioned some role on the team for Huntley when they drafted him.
As a great college kick returner, he never returned a punt, though, and the inexperience showed in training camp.
That made the task of overtaking All-Pro returner Jamal Agnew extremely difficult from the get-go.
Unfortunately, Huntley didn’t make the final 53-man roster during cutdowns.
In all likelihood, Quinn probably wanted to see if he could sneak Huntley on the practice squad.
However, after being subject to waivers, he was claimed by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, hindsight is 20/20, but you can’t help but feel as if the Lions missed an opportunity to help improve their team at some other position.
More often than not, there will always be some prospects drafted after a selection that could have been better options.
Still, this scenario is a little different, as Huntley couldn’t even crack the roster in year No. 1.
Here are four players the Lions passed on for Huntley that would have potentially helped their roster this season or beyond.
Bradlee Anae, DE, Utah
The Lions got a good look at Anae at the Senior Bowl, and even had a virtual meeting with him shortly after as well.
For whatever reason, Quinn passed on Anae quite a few times throughout the draft.
On a team desperate for pass-rushing help, Utah’s all-time sack leader could have bolstered the EDGE group.
Anae does have some athletic limitations, and doesn’t have much ability to drop into coverage.
If Lions head coach Matt Patricia wanted more flexibility for his JACK backer to move off the ball, that will not fit Anae’s strengths.
At the very least, Anae could have been an upgrade over the oft-injured Austin Bryant.
Braden Mann, P, Texas A&M
Mann was widely considered as one of the best punters in the entire draft.
Just so happens, the Lions let their former punter Sam Martin walk in free agency.
That left a pretty large hole at the position.
Vasha Hunt, USA TODAY Sports
Instead of grabbing a punter with long-term, sky-high potential, they opted to rely on Jack Fox being their guy in 2020.
Quinn also acquired Arryn Siposs as an undrafted free agent.
What’s interesting is that despite Fox winning the starting job, Siposs still is on the practice squad, which could suggest the Lions aren’t completely sold on Fox being their main man.
Larrell Murchison, DT, N.C. State
With limited depth along the defensive line, Murchison could have been a solid rotational piece.
Yes, in the fifth round, there is no such thing as a perfect prospect, but there are some nice attributes to Murchison’s game.
One, he has experience in a two-gapping scheme -- similar to what Patricia looks for in a lineman.
On top of that, he has some first-step juice that helps him shoot gaps on his way to the quarterback.
Ben Queen, USA TODAY Sports
More of the 3-tech or 5-tech in the Lions' defensive scheme, Murchison, like Huntley, probably would have struggled to find playing time behind Nick Williams and Da’Shawn Hand.
Given Hand’s injury history, it would be wise to have a player waiting in the ranks.
Hakeem Adeniji, OL, Kansas
Adeniji was a bit more unheralded when compared to the aforementioned individuals.
After already selecting Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg, offensive line couldn’t have been super high on Quinn’s priority list at this stage of the draft.
The Kansas standout started 48 games at left tackle in college -- a starter since arriving on campus.
In saying that, most draftniks projected him more as an interior lineman.
With the ability to play both tackle and potentially inside, that’s quite a bit of positional versatility, which is very important for reserve linemen.
Often considered as a player with a strong work ethic, high football IQ and the tools needed for the next level, there is a chance Adeniji could develop into a starter.
In the meantime, he could have been a nice reserve for four of the five line positions.
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