“We’re the one seed, we earned the one seed, we got a good opponent coming in. And we’re going to be ready to play.” Dan Campbell and his Detroit Lions were pumped up with fire to clinch the NFC Championship spot. However, their lofty Super Bowl expectations died when the Commanders blocked them in 2024. And do you know one of the major reasons why they lost? The team was lacking a competent pass-rushing unit.
Dan Campbell’s team lost EDGE Aidan Hutchinson in Week 6. He was their best pass-rusher leading the team with 7.5 sacks before going down against the Cowboys. After that? The Lions played 12 more games, and somehow, no one passed him on the sack leaderboard. Strange, isn’t it? That says everything – why the team needs a solid pass rusher. So, how about drafting a rookie?
According to the reports, Dan Campbell and the Lions might be eyeing Michigan product, Josaiah Stewart. This speculation started to ignite up after the young player had a couple of meetings with the franchise’s coaches. So, is he a good fit for the team?
The 21-year-old New York born, having a 6’1″ stature, is getting ready for the NFL draft. But given his size, is he fine with Dan Campbell or any other coaches’ teams? As NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah described him: “A bolt of lightning off the edge. He’s undersized, but if you don’t look at the size on your paper and just watch the tape, he doesn’t play small at all. He can really generate power as a rusher, and he’s someone who plays with just maniacal effort and energy.”
A glance of this “maniacal effort and energy” was visible in Michigan’s thrilling 27-24 comeback win over USC last September. In that game, it won’t take long to notice Josaiah Stewart. From stuffing Woody Marks for a loss near USC’s end zone to blowing past Elijah Page and sacking Miller Moss, Stewart left everyone in awe. He torched Tobias Raymond, zipped past Marks, and forced a fumble on Moss. The eyes just couldn’t move away from him, and thanks to Michigan coach Sherrone Moore. He put it best – Stewart was an “absolute game wrecker.”
Because of his playing style and explosiveness, the man is more fit to play on the outside linebacker. So, that will bring an advantage to Dan Campbell’s Lions, in the attacking position. Hence, it remains to be seen whether the franchise moves ahead to pick this talented player in the NFL Draft or not. But as of Stewart, he is excited to be in Detroit!
Josaiah Stewart revealed his true intentions for Dan Campbell and the Lions!
It seems Josaiah Stewart wants to be in Detroit. The reason behind saying this is of course his confirmation on a Top-30 visit with the Lions in the NFL Draft. And if you still think that’s just a potential landing spot for him, think again! A latest interview where he was asked whether he would like to go into Dan Campbell and the Lions’s defense, the 21YO accepted his love for them.
Stewart mentioned, “I think I would do really well in that defense.” Of course, the player has more than proved his worth on the gridiron as a pass-rusher. During his two seasons with the Wolverines, Josaiah Stewart recorded 15 total sacks and 37 total quarterback hurries. The highest came last season, when he received a 92.3 pass-rush grade and a 91.2 overall mark, as per PFF. But how does he do that with arguably smaller size than other defensive men?
Well, the former Michigan left tackle, Myles Hinton, clarified this. He stated, “Since he’s a little bit shorter, he has really good leverage. With his explosiveness of speed and strength and height, it’s a really good complement to do certain things well.” And Dan Campbell would definitely not let that potential late first-round pick go easily!
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