2011 Detroit Lions: What They Need to Look for in an Outside Linebacker

March 6, 2011   ·   Seattle Lion Fan   ·   Jump to comments

Off on a different tack than my previous article about cornerbacks, I am not even going to attempt to predict who or where the Detroit Lions will take players.
There is this constant debate whether the Lions should draft based on positional needs or take the best player available. I maintain, to the chagrin of many people, that you can use both methods in the same draft.
I've asked the question, and never really gotten a satisfactory answer, why can't a GM decide what the biggest need is and take the best player at that position?
What makes a good-to-great outside linebacker for the Lions' 4-3 defensive scheme? 
An outside linebacker must be able to play in space. They are required to drop back into zone coverages and cover running backs coming out of the backfield.
They must have good hips and flexibility. Speed is important as they need to be able to chase down plays. 
They need to have solid open-field tackling techniq...

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