Detroit Lions fans get a rare breather this week with the team on its early bye, and that opens the door for some roster movement after three players were placed on injured reserve. With Brian Branch potentially coming back into the mix and two more roster spots to sort through, the college game suddenly matters even more.
Week 7 is where the Lions’ scout list should be thick. The defense has had some holes exposed lately, and there are several prospects worth a long look on Saturday.
One of the headliners is Smith, who came back to school after being projected as a first-round offensive tackle. After handling Fernando Mendoza’s blindside during his Heisman campaign, Smith is now protecting Josh Hoover. His next assignment is a major one: Ohio State coming to town.
Smith has allowed one sack this season and still sits in the top percentile for run blocking and gap scheme blocking. His pass-block grade is solid, even if it hasn’t quite matched last year’s level. Even so, he remains one of the best tackles likely to be available in about six months.
Across the line in that same matchup is Jackson Jr., another player who surprised some by returning to college. He was involved in eight sacks for the Buckeyes last season, and PFF credits him with three sacks and 12 hurries so far this year.
Jackson projects as a second-round pick and could make sense for Detroit if the Lions can’t re-sign D.J. Wonnum after the season.
His profile looks more like a pass-rush specialist in the Al-Quadin Muhaamad mold than an every-down edge. The numbers back that up: his run-stuff ability sits in the bottom ten percentile, while his pass rush win rate is in the 80th percentile.
In short, he’s been disruptive coming after the quarterback, but much less convincing against the run. That showdown with Smith starts at noon EST.
Another name the Lions should have circled is Tengesdal. He enters his senior year with more than 1,100 career snaps and only one sack allowed, and he opened the season as the top returning Power Four run blocker.
He plays with the kind of power that earns the “mauler” label, and he figures to be one of the top interior prospects in the draft conversation. His year did get off to a rough start, though, with his first sack allowed and a shaky pass-protection showing.
Even with that, his physicality and grip in pass protection are expected to hold up well in draft evaluations. Tengesdal looks the part.
His Bearcats travel to West Virginia for a noon EST kickoff.
Satuala is another player with traits that pop on tape. Any time someone gets compared to Kyle Hamilton, it gets your attention, and that’s the kind of buzz Satuala is drawing for his coverage and his violence as a tackler.
His Combine testing may not wow anyone from a foot-speed or movement standpoint, but his film tells a different story. At 6-foot-4 with a long wingspan, he’s a tough target to attack.
He also brings a receiver’s background, which shows up when the ball is in the air. On top of that, he has solid special teams tape, which should help him translate early.
The Cougars play Notre Dame on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Then there’s Borjon, the lengthy tackle prospect whose size jumps off the page at 6-foot-9. It feels strange to label the Pac-12 as “Group of Six,” but that’s where college football is in 2026.
Borjon’s tape has plenty of highs and lows, and his grades land in the middle of the pack by most measures. Still, he has experience at both tackle spots and has looked better since moving to left tackle this season with the Aztecs.
He has given up one sack this year, an improvement. Even so, the penalties are a concern: he’s been flagged seven times in six games, and against Fresno State he needs to clean that up.
With the Giovanni Manu experiment nearing its end, the Lions probably don’t want to start another one with Borjon. The Aztecs and Fresno State kick off at 10:30 p.m.
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