When you are a general manager of a professional sports team, it is very important that you do not leave a single stone unturned when it comes to identifying talent that could improve your roster.
That is exactly what Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes and his staff were doing as the Lions were in attendance at the South Dakota State pro day to presumably scout sleeper running back, Pierre Strong Jr.
If you are not yet familiar with strong, I have added a video at the bottom of this post so that you can check him out. When it comes to Strong, he is he was the fastest running back at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine as he posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds.
From The Draft Network:
Pierre Strong is a good athlete with good straight-line speed while showing good body control as a runner. In the passing game, he’s shown sufficient hands out of the backfield. He is a definite threat in space when he gets the ball on a check-down. He is physical and willing in pass protection but should be better in this regard with pro coaching. In the run game, he is a slasher-type runner that has been extremely productive at the FCS level. He is a good decision-maker who has a good feel for weak-arm cutbacks on a defender. He runs with good vision and instinctive feel in traffic. He will not be a back who breaks many tackles or a back who consistently creates when nothing’s there. He also has a lot of clear air production in their system. However, he has redeeming attributes in his vision, footwork, and home-run potential. In the NFL, he would be an optimal fit in a zone run scheme, ideally as a complementary piece who could also remain on the field on passing downs.
Look for Pierre Strong to be a Day 3 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
