Sleeper/Steal Alert: Austen Lane
By Editorial Staff
Sleeper/ Steal Alert
Every year the NFL Draft is littered with Busts and Steals/Sleepers. Steals/Sleepers are what make a team’s draft special and build decision makers reputations. Some of the more famous Steals/Sleepers include Tom Brady (round 6 pick 199), Terrell Davis (round 6 pick 196), and Zack Thomas (round 5 pick 154). But a Steal/Sleeper doesn’t necessarily have to be drafted in the later rounds. An example would be the Green Bay Packers getting Clay Matthews at pick 26 after players like Larry English were selected. Matthews earned a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl after registering 10 sacks in his rookie season. We are going to examine some of the different sleepers in this year’s draft.
Player:
Austen Lane- DE- Murray State
Projected Rounds:
4th-6th Rounds
Thoughts:
Austen Lane comes from the small school of Murray State where he put up impressive numbers. Many will question those numbers due to the lack of top level competition. However, there is no denying Lane’s ability and he answered some of those questions with a strong performance at this year’s Senior Bowl. Lane has great size at 6-6 and 276lbs and many feel he has the frame to add more weight and still keep his athletic ability. Lane will benefit from a good defensive coach addressing his technique and hitting the weight room. Even with the questionable technique Lane was able to produce back to back season with 11+ sack seasons. Lane’s size makes him a good candidate for the defensive end position in a 3-4 defense. However, to fill that role he will have to improve against the run and put on some more weight. Look for Lane to come off the board in the 4th-6th rounds and could be someone that produces a lot of sacks at the next level.