Lions draft prospect of the day: Bralen Trice, DE, Washington

[DSF]

The Lions Draft Prospect of the Day was a pressure-creating machine for one of the nation’s most successful teams.

The focus for these prospects is on players who should hold some appeal to the Lions in the draft, with a focus on the more likely positions the team will be targeting: OL, EDGE, CB, DT, S and WR.

Today’s prospect is a player I projected to the Lions in the first round early in the college season, but one who now projects deeper in the draft.

Height: 6-foot-3 1/2″

Weight: 245 pounds (measured at NFL Scouting Combine)

Trice was a three-year player for the Huskies and a very effective one, starting 29 games. He was Washington’s defensive MVP in both 2022 and 2023, and was also All-PAC 12 both seasons. The team captain logged 26.5 TFLs and 16 sacks in 28 games over the final two years while playing almost exclusively as a stand-up rush OLB on both the left and right side of the defense. PFF recorded the Arizona native with 150 total QB pressures in his final two seasons. Trice turned 23 in February.

What I like​

• Proven he can win over either shoulder of the offensive tackle
• Really good first step that he follows with power nicely
• Relentless effort to try and get to the quarterback
• Angles his shoulders and hips well to avoid getting squarely blocked in the run game
• Above-average nose for screens, wham blocks and draws
• Can set a hard edge against the run even though he doesn’t shed blocks better than average
• Really nice club and rip moves
• Reliably wins hand-to-hand combat
• Can set up moves for later in the game and adapt to how he’s being blocked to the best of his physical abilities

What worries me going into the NFL​

• Poor ankle/hip flexibility and very straight-linish as an athlete
• He was listed by Washington at 274 pounds but hit the combine at 245 and still didn’t test well
• Lacks a real closing burst or chase gear
• Will try to initiate tackles from too far away
• Gets stuck to blocks at times when he tries to break inside
• Almost exclusively a stand-up OLB pass rusher; rarely dropped into coverage or played off-ball roles and didn’t play well at either when asked

Best game I watched: Stanford

Worst game I watched: Michigan (national championship game), Oregon State 2022

Overall​

Trice certainly fits the “grit” for Detroit; his motor and high-energy on-field personality scream “Lions.” More cynical Detroit fans will point to the astronomical pressure total but meager sack conversion rate from all those pressures and say that screams Lions, too.

Trice just doesn’t have the twitch or flexibility to project as much more than a complementary rusher in the NFL. He’s also lacking alignment versatility; he’s quite likely an odd-front stand-up EDGE only. Pretty good football player and will be an asset in the locker room, but taking him higher than the third round is probably putting expectations too high for what his athletic limitations can deliver. Having said that, Trice would be a fun presence opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

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