The 2024 NFL Draft is just over a week away. Everyone is rightly wondering who the Detroit Lions could win up with the draft. But we're also wondering who they may wind up with for their International Pathways Player. The Lions now have an open spot after they decided to part ways with offensive lineman Max Pircher and he signed with the Seahawks.
Well, here's a very intriguing option for the Lions. How about a tackle that that's 6-foot-8 and 290 pounds and runs a 4.88 40-yard dash? A guy that averages six points and four rebounds per game. Wait, these are basketball stats. That's because this player has never played football before. Sort of.
I'm talking about South Florida's Bayron Matos. The giant from Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic moved to America at 16 and got a scholarship to play Divsion 1 basketball at New Mexico. In 2023 he transferred to South Florida to play for their basketball team and wound up walking onto the football team as well.
Matos was with the team through camp and during the season as both an offensive and defensive lineman, but he never took the field during a game. Despite that, NFL teams are interested in him. 12 teams sent offensive line coaches to take a look at him at the South Florida pro day and now one NFL team is bringing him in for a visit.
The Lions were not one of the eleven teams to host Matos for a private workout, but the Lions were there to watch Matos workout at his pro day.
Since Matos is one of the three International Pathways players that is eligible to be drafted, there's a chance he could get scooped up late. But if he's not, the Lions could grab him as a UDFA or sign him to the practice squad as part of the IPP.
Last year NFL teams opened up a 17th spot on NFL practice squads for IPP players. You can draft one, sign one or be allocated one. The Lions had Pircher last year and had tight end Patrick Murtaugh before him, but Murtaugh had to withdraw.
Could the Lions be interested in another big project on the offensive line? We'll see. It certainly looks like they're going to have to stand in line though.
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