The Lions have a chance to score an edge rusher that the rest of the league forgot to draft, a guy who also has a connection to Detroit's staff

The one thing Detroit Lions fans wanted really bad going into the offseason was en edge rusher. The Lions walked out of the draft with Boise State's Ahemd Hassanein and we think he's going to be big time thing for Detroit, but there's still opportunities to get more.

There's one guy in particular that I took some interest in coming into the draft, and that was Baylor edge Steve Linton. The thing that attracted me to the player was his long frame and the burst off the line that he shows on tape. 

The other thing was the connection to the Lions coaching staff. Linton is coming off the best season of his college career at Baylor. He had 25 pressures and four sacks there to go along with  and his position coach there was Caleb Collins, who is now a defensive assistant for Detroit. 

Linton was expected to go undrafted in this draft. There was concern over his age; he's 25 already. There were also concerns that he played at three different schools. There were some injuries in his past too, although he played the full season at Baylor last year. 

What is unexpected is that Linton did not get signed as an undrafted free agent and hasn't been invited to any rookie mini-camps just yet. The Lions obviously start theirs on Friday, and that might be too late in the game for an invite, but a workout this summer would be fully worth it. 

Linton wasn't someone who was just on my board. The Athletic's Dane Brugler had him ranked as the 35th edge rusher in The Beast scouting guide. He was surrounded by guys who actually did get drafted or signed. Guys like the 31st-ranked edge Ahmed Hassanein. 

Here's what Brugler had to say about Linton by the way: 

"Linton is long-limbed and quickly attacks the arc, but he is overly reliant on his speed and doesn’t have a deep toolbox as a pass rusher, despite being a sixth-year prospect. Although he can occasionally use his length to stay detached in the run game, his strength breaks down at the point of attack and teams know they can find success running to his side of the field. Overall, Linton is one-dimensional and hasn’t proven himself beyond being a flash pass rusher, but his first-step explosion and body length will earn him extended looks. He projects as a designated rusher on sub-downs (if he can stay healthy), in the mold of Arden Key."

That's exactly what the Lions can use him for. He can come in on NASCAR packages or when they need him, just to get pressure. This guy isn't a starter in the NFL, but that doesn't mean he doesn't serve a purpose as a depth guy on pass rush downs. 

At the very least, he's a guy you invite to camp to see what he can do. If it doesn't work out, you've spent the minimum amount of money on the try.