Lions GM Bob Quinn: Halapoulivaati Vaitai Could Line Up at Guard in 2020
The Lions are far from being in an envious position at the guard position going into the 2020 NFL Draft, which kicks off on Thursday and in a virtual fashion for the first time ever.
The squad’s current depth at the position consists of a competent starter in Joe Dahl -- who played all 821 of his snaps last season on the left side of the line -- and a bunch of rotational types such as Oday Aboushi, Kenny Wiggins, Joshua Garnett and Russell Bodine.
But, don’t fret it, Lions fans. “Big V,” Halapoulivaati Vaitai, is here to save the day.
Or at least, it's what Detroit general manager Bob Quinn believes.
"Yeah, Vaitai is a guy we obviously like a lot," Quinn said in a video conference with local Detroit media Friday. "One of the best things about him is we feel like he can play two positions and he has played two positions. Does he have the ability to play right tackle? Absolutely. Can he go inside and play guard at a high level? We think he can. So, that’s one of the reasons why he was kind of a target for us because depending upon what happens in the draft and the rest of free agency, we feel like we can plug him into either spot."
Vaitai has logged just 46 career snaps at guard, as the majority of his snaps have come at tackle throughout his first four seasons in the league -- 1,002 at right tackle and another 941 at left tackle.
The former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman, who stands in at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, has never started a full season's worth of games. And the most games he's ever started in a single season is 10, which came back in 2017.
So, Quinn expecting Vaitai to slide in and be productive at guard -- especially without more game experience -- is definitely a little far-fetched.
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