Josh Paschal (4) could have been the most under appreciated defensive player in the SEC last season. (Photo by UK Athletics)
Kentucky football fans know what the Detroit Lions got by making UK defensive lineman Josh Paschal the 46th overall pick in the NFL Draft Friday night.
He was a productive player on the field and an inspiration on and off the field. He beat cancer, refused to ever give in to injuries and never quit believing in himself or his team. He was active in community service.
While he might not be a household name nationally, NFL draft analysts certainly are in love with his game after he made first-team all-SEC last season when he had at least one tackle for loss in 10 of the 12 games he played. He had 53 tackles and a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss along with eight quarterback hurries.
Gene Chizik, the former head coach at Auburn and current SEC Network analyst, called him the “most under-appreciated defensive player in the SEC” last season —and Kentucky fans would agree.
“He’s a better run player than he is a pass player,” ESPN’s Booger McFarland said after his selections. “He can set the edge and dominate.”
But Paschal’s biggest media fan after his selection was ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.
“The versatility is the key here for sure. Matter of fact, he will play everything from a 1 to a 9. He will be straight in the center, next thing you know he’s out in space, he will be in a two-point (stance), he will be in a three-point (stance),” Riddick said.
“I like him inside. I think he’s more instinctive inside as a pass rusher and his body type probably fits as a three-technique more than an outside.”
The Lions obviously need defensive line help. They took Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 overall pick.
The Lions were the third-worst team in the NFL last season in quarterback sacks and the Detroit defensive ends combined for only three sacks all season.
Pro Football Focus gave Paschal a grade of 90.0, first among SEC edge rushers in 2021. He ran a 4.77 second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine where he was measured at 6-3, 268 pounds.
However, no statistic can measure his heart and that made him a safe pick for the Lions. He will be productive on the field and never a problem off the field.
