The Cardinals continue to deal picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, this time trading the No. 96 overall pick to the Lions in exchange for Detroit’s Nos. 122, 138 and 168, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The Lions used their new third-round pick to select Western Kentucky defensive tackle Brodric Martin.
Coming out of Tuscaloosa with no stars in recruiting rankings, Martin went to North Alabama. He played for four years at the FCS school before transferring to Western Kentucky in the spring of 2021. Martin’s production saw no drop-off as he elevated to the FBS level. In two years with the Hilltoppers, Martin totaled 62 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks — all impressive numbers for a nose tackle.
At nearly 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Martin is a boulder in the middle of the defensive line. While his technique wasn’t fully developed and sometimes lacks, he makes up for it with violent strength and deceptive quickness. He accumulated 143 tackles in five years of college play thanks to his ability to stack up and move laterally to defend multiple gaps in the line.
Defensive tackle was a bit of a need for Detroit. The Lions rolled mostly with Alim McNeill and Isaiah Buggs on the interior defensive line, rotating in Benito Jones as Levi Onwuzurike sat out the year recovering from back surgery. None of the linemen were necessarily dominant with McNeill grading out highest, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), ranking as the 33rd-best defensive tackle in the league.
Martin likely won’t be asked to play the 65 percentage-plus of defensive snaps that McNeill and Buggs did in 2022, but he should provide strong contributions in short sample sizes. With Onwuzurike hopefully due to return soon, Martin won’t be expected to be an immediate contributor, but once he develops, Martin could be a strong nose tackle in Aaron Glenn‘s system.
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