Huff, Puff, and blow Ford Field Down

With less than two weeks to go all Lions fans eyes are on University of Texas defensive back Michael Huff. With conventional wisdom thinking Detroit will go defense with their first pick, Huff is the likely candidate. Not that conventional wisdom and the Lions' draft should be used in the same sentance. Defensive end stud Mario Williams will be long gone by the time the Lions pick at nine. Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk is likely off the board as well by the time the Lions select. This leaves Oregon defensive tackle Haloit Ngata and Huff as the top prospects that may still be there when the Lions select, although neither is a sure thing to last until nine.

Huff would fill a huge need for the Lions. Under Marinelli's new Cover 2, Huff has the size, speed, and ball skills to play either corner or safety. It is this versatility that has helped propel Huff into a potential top ten pick. He is widely considered the top defensive back prospect in the country heading into the draft. Few safeties are selected in the top ten with only two going in the top ten since 1991 (Roy Williams, Sean Taylor), yet shut down corners are a hot commodity in the NFL and worthy of that high of a selection. But even if Huff were to play safety, you just have to look at the Super Bowls of this decade to see what sort of impact a top flight safety (Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, Lawyer Milloy, John Lynch, Rodyney Harrison, Troy Polumalu.) can have on a defense. Huff, a concensus All-American and the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award (nations top defensive back), can make a huge impact at either position.

Texas plays in the run-oriented Big 12, making an evaluation of Huff tougher than most. Teams simply don't throw that much in the conference. But when they did, they found out just what an athelete Huff is. At 6'0" Huff has the size to cover today's bigger receivers. At the combine, he showed he also has the speed to stay with smaller receivers with an impressive 40 time (4.34) backed up by another sub 4.4 40 at his pro day in Austin. In fact, it was his 40 times that had scouts thinking he does project well at cornerback at the next level. He also showed good strength by bench 225-pounds 21 times and good explosion with a 40-inch vertical leap.

Besides the measurables, Huff is a smart and aggresive defensive back. He is a big hitter, despite entering Texas as a speed/finesse guy. Over his years with the Longhorns, Huff worked hard on his tackling. He is, at times, almost too aggressive and can be seen on tape launching himself into the tackle. This results in poor technique and missed tackles. His aggressiveness also make him to bite on fakes, something he needs to work on.

Huff has the tools to exceed in both man-to-man and zone coverages. In college he lined up both at corner and safety. He showed the ability to hand both receivers and tight ends in either coverage. He has good instincts paired with a strong ability to read the quarterback and react to the the play. He is a playmaker to boot, setting a Texas record with four interception returns for touchdowns.

Lions' head coach Rod Marinelli has taken notice. “He’s an incredible player,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “He’s one of the best defensive players in the draft, a guy who is capable of being a Pro Bowl-caliber player for many, many years.”

Huff is also a big game player. In a critical early season matchup against Ohio State, it was Huff making a switch to the defensive play call that resulted in the play being stuffed on fourth down helping to preserve a 25-22 win. In the biggest stage of the all, it was Huff who stepped up to stuff USC's LenDale White on a fourth-and-two run with 2:09 left that gave the Longhorns the ball back in what would result in the game winning drive and a National Championship for Texas.

Detroit likes to draft players out of Texas, with defensive line starters Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding ready to pressure the quarterback into making a mistake with Huff roaming the field. He also is familiar with Lions' standout receiver Roy Williams having had to go against him in practice back in 2003. “Going against probably one of the best receivers in the nation, and seeing the success he’s having in the NFL, kind of makes me feel better about myself,” Huff said. “Every practice was intense. He (Williams) brought his best and I brought my best. I know it made me a much better player.”

So if you want to help solidify the new Cover 2 defense what a better place to start than with a guy with the speed of a shut down corner, yet the size and hitting ability of a strong safety? Then again, thinking back just a year ago all eyes were on another Longhorn, outside linebacker Derrick Johnson of Texas, who happened to still be on the board when Matt Millen and the Lions were on the clock with their first round selection. Better not get your hopes up about Huff and start thinking about Chad Jackson and Santonio Holmes instead!