No matter who the Detroit Lions add along their defensive line, there's simply no replacing the efforts of the recently departed Ndamukong Suh.
Suh is one of the best - if not far and away the most dominant and difficult to contain - defensive players in the NFL right now. There's a reason he was such a sought-after free agent and thus why he signed a six-year, $114 million contract with $60 million guaranteed with the Miami Dolphins, which makes him the highest-paid defender in NFL history.
Still, the Lions must move forward without his contributions and despite the addition of former Baltimore Raven, Haloti Ngata, further efforts must be made to shore up the position - the loss of Nick Fairley in free agency will be felt as well. To a lesser degree of course, but his snaps still must be accounted for.
According to the latest report, the Lions have their sights set on a former Washington State tackle as a potential addition in round two of the looming 2015 NFL Draft if he's still available when their selection rolls around.
"I'm told if the Detroit Lions target a defensive tackle in round two the player at the top of their list is Xavier Cooper, who they feel is a perfect fit for their system," Tony Pauline of Draft Insider reported.
Cooper, 6-foot-3, 293-pounds, is a former high school basketball player who became a three-year starter for the Cougars. He posted 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks last season, a year after amassing 50 tackles and 13.5 tackles as a sophomore.
"Cooper must play in a penetrating defensive front in order to minimize his lack of length and maximize his above-average athleticism," writes NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "He lacks the power to muscle up and hold his ground, but his ability to win with his hands and be a disruptive pass rusher could offer him immediate value as a rotational defensive tackle with a shot to become a starter."
This is probably exactly why the Lions view Cooper as a "perfect fit" for their defensive system. Under defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, the defensive linemen are often asked to shoot gaps and penetrate - an ideal situation for Cooper to use his athleticism to thrive.
With the versatile Ngata, Tyrunn Walker and Jason Jones all quality pass-rushers able to play a number of roles across the Lions defensive front, the potential addition of Cooper would give the Lions a depth up front few other NFL franchises could stack up against and, further, help offset the losses of Suh and Fairley.
