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Today’s Lions Draft Prospect of the Day is overshadowed by a more prominent teammate in this class but is a very strong prospect in his own right.
The focus for these potential Lions prospects is on players who should hold some appeal for Detroit in the draft. Not all will be top-100 players. This one figures to be, even if not all current projections reflect that.
Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 310 pounds (measured at NFL Scouting Combine)
Notre Dame’s starting right tackle for the past two seasons, playing opposite likely top-10 pick Joe Alt on the left side, Fisher started out playing left tackle for the Fighting Irish. He was the first true freshman to start the season opener at left tackle. Unfortunately, he tore his right meniscus in that game and missed the rest of the season. Fisher has stayed healthy and grew into a legit prospect in the last two years.
Fisher turned 21 in March. He met with the Lions at the combine and also during Notre Dame’s pro day.
What I like
- Long build with arms over 34″ and large hands
- Quick feet and lateral range in both the run game and pass protection
- Has some jolt to his punch
- Really good hip/shoulder coordination and fluidity for a taller tackle
- Understands how to expand his angles without lunging or losing balance
- Really good at pulling and engaging in space on the move
- Keeps nice spacing and coordination on combo and duo blocks
- Very rarely fooled by the pass rush; good football IQ
- Decent anchor strength and he does a great job keeping his feet active while engaged
- Technical consistency improved quite a bit as 2023 progressed
- Plays with confidence and passion
What worries me going into the NFL
- Will play too tall at times, negating his length and power advantages
- Takes time to reset his long arms and recover if beaten initially
- More of an occupier (but very adept at it) than a true people mover in the run game
- Last guy moving at the snap too often, though that did improve as his career progressed
Overall
Fisher has optimal length and good athleticism to play either tackle spot. While he played right tackle for the Fighting Irish, he might project better as a left tackle in the NFL Fisher has nice feet and good foundational discipline, though he sometimes gets too tall. Most of his negatives are as much functions of inexperience as they are technical flaws, and his athletic upside gives Fisher a higher ceiling than most Day 2 tackles.
All the feedback I got from NFL sources after Notre Dame’s pro day was that Fisher will indeed be a Day 2 pick, perhaps quite a bit earlier than current projections would indicate. For the Lions, he’s an ideal developmental tackle who can potentially adapt at guard if needed. The ability to play right or left tackle and move well enough to play any scheme makes him a very appealing sleeper–as much of a sleeper as a Notre Dame lineman can be.