Living on the west coast, I watch a lot pac-12 football. Vaki was a force in every game he played, defense or offense. Vaki is the pure embodiment of Holmes's draft philosophy, A stone cold football player with intangibles and football IQ.
They gloss over a lot of picks in the later rounds. There were also picks by SF, Bal, and KC that were glossed over during that commercial break.
Quick edit: The KC (and our picks) weren't mentioned at all, just shown as text, and the Bal and SF picks had a quick mention but nothing too in depth.
Oh interesting, a safety that can also play RB. Knowing our sneaky special teams, this was a good fit. Wonder what fun play making shenanigans we could do with him.
Renner on bleacher report did the same,even mentioned how he was beating Corners running routes …and Mel made a quick RB mention too…Holmes drafting in a wormhole right now and is stumping everyone
I've heard a lot of people, including Daniel Jeremiah, liked him better as a RB than S. Will definitely be interesting to see what they do with him, I trust they've got a good plan.
These DBs we’re taking all have a few things in common; good in run support and aren’t afraid to hit. I think this will fix our inability to stop running qbs last year. I think we still need an interior lineman for depth, another pass rusher, and a sure handed WR. If we can get that in the draft/remaining free agency i think we’re the best team in the NFL
According to this article from yesterday, [both the Lions and 49ers were very interested](https://atozsports.com/detroit/the-detroit-lions-are-battling-the-san-francisco-49ers-for-hidden-gem-in-2024-nfl-draft/) in going after Vaki, and I guess Ben Johnson and Scottie Montgomery love him. I'm super curious what plans they have for him, because he apparently never once pass blocked in college as an RB and wanted to stick at safety in the NFL. I have a feeling the Lions are going to get up to all kinds of fuckery with the new kickoff rules and they want to use him for that
"I have a feeling the Lions are going to get up to all kinds of fuckery with the new kickoff rules and they want to use him for that"
My thoughts exactly.
It's something seen a lot in college football recruiting, for kids coming out of highschool that played on offense and defense. But yes every single one of them is an athlete lol
I feel like there Could be a better term that's not linked to something in general lol. But I'm not great with that thing. My thought would be maybe along the lines of "dual"
He is serviceable enough at safety to at least be on the S depth chart as injury insurance, but teams did seem to prefer his potential as a RB and his current ability as a special teamer
This pick will be another one that makes you go huh but will see the genius behind it next year. My guess is we are looking at the evolution and importance of special teams beyond the kicker/punter/kick returner and into those important gunner roster spots. The plain Jane playmakers that can go make the overlooked tackle on special teams or spell your starter in a pinch (JRM, Rodrigo, and now Vaki). With the kickoff rule changes you absolutely need these guys.
I'm noticing brad doesn't seem to care about 40 time but cares about10 yd split. He constantly seems to draft his that are below average 40, but above average 10 years split. I love it tbh the 10 years to me seems to be more of a realistic representation of majority of plays
I think this was a bad trade and a bad pick.
With Manu I saw the vision. High upside, and we have 2025 picks to burn.
This pick for someone that may not make the team. I don’t think he will be a safety with our DB room, and maybe he’ll be in as RB3 over Craig that’s a locker room guy.
Maybe special teams? I don’t know?
That and burning ANOTHER 2025 pick. To move up for a guy that would have probably been there later and may not make the team…dang.
I’m guessing I’ll get downvoted for this, I just don’t see it.
With the new rules on Special Teams going into the next season this might end up being one of the hidden gems of Brads draft. Two way player with a non stop motor.
Plus if we have injuries we can pop him into both RB and S.
With the new rules for special teams the smart decision is to just kick it out of the end zone.
It’s a whole lot to do about nothing.
Kicking to the other team has a benefit of 5-10 yards if you get them down quick vs. the risk of a big return / TD.
Punt coverage is still important.
We may get some comp picks next year. But I share the same sentiment. Next season we may need to trade down early regardless.
At the same time, it is a crapshoot at this point. Sometimes you win, most of the time you lose.
Not that I know a damn thing but I find this pick to be quite curious. Runs a 4.6 which isn’t great for an RB or defensive back. It appears that he’s a real “team guy” which is great but I can’t figure out why they traded up for him as he would likely have been an UDFA. Worst case a 6th or 7th rounder without having to trade up.
I’ll say it again, “not that I know a damn thing” but this is a surprise. At least to me.
Weaknesses as outlined on NFL.com
“Weaknesses
Backpedal is sluggish and fails to gain enough ground.
Struggles to flip hips and run in phase with the route.
Can be exploited when tasked with man coverage duties.
Short arms and limited athleticism shrink his range as a tackler.
Has very little margin for error playing in big spaces.”
PFF rated Sione Vaki as a "Good" pick. PFF stated:
"Lions fans, get ready to love Sione Vaki, one of the most athletic players in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played safety and running back at Utah, but he is a solid safety in coverage. Don’t expect him to make exceptional plays on the football very often, but Vaki packs a *mean* punch. He’s a plus tackler in run defense and perfectly fits Aaron Glenn’s mentality in the Motor City."
Can't complain. The Lions literally telegraphed that they were going to pick him throughout the pre-draft process.
Knowing our special teams, this is a cool pick. Not to mention the safety depth is nice. In the 4th, I’d rather have a sure fire baller for special teams than a flyer for a “more valuable” position
Wow! Just went and watched highlights on YouTube… this dude is awesome! Playing both ways in power5 college football is something else! I’m so happy we have a coaching staff that will find a way to get him some success at least!
This guys is actually sick. Thrilled to get him
With the new kickoff rules I can see him being our K/PR and Lif getting more snaps
I read that high end speed isn't as valuable on the new KR compared to power and burst. A strong guy with nasty acceleration might do it.
Vaki seems like he fits the bill to a T
This was my first thought. Special teams ace
400 coverage snaps with 1 TD allowed
150 receiving yards again USC and 150 rushing yards against Cal this year. He’s a football player.
He has talent no doubt, but those were two of the worst defenses in college football last year
Yea but he plays defense. Offsets.
Can we teach him to throw, too? He could be the *only* person we need to activate against the bears 😂
He threw in college as well
🥰 simply amazing!
Sheesh!
I like this pick. He laid some nasty hits on that utah defense and he can pound the rock when asked.
Living on the west coast, I watch a lot pac-12 football. Vaki was a force in every game he played, defense or offense. Vaki is the pure embodiment of Holmes's draft philosophy, A stone cold football player with intangibles and football IQ.
Who announced this pick? It didn’t show on the broadcast.
No announcement on ESPN. Just flashed it on the bar during commercial. Went from the Bills to the Jets and glossed over us.
They gloss over a lot of picks in the later rounds. There were also picks by SF, Bal, and KC that were glossed over during that commercial break. Quick edit: The KC (and our picks) weren't mentioned at all, just shown as text, and the Bal and SF picks had a quick mention but nothing too in depth.
https://preview.redd.it/3j32zmera2xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=308ef48fc27b145c4fb1ce681056f5aba43b5d6a
Thank you
Someone with the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation
There is only one Ralph W that I know of and his cat's breath smells like cat food
Some lady that I wasn’t sure who she was. They showed it on the NFL network broadcast
Oh interesting, a safety that can also play RB. Knowing our sneaky special teams, this was a good fit. Wonder what fun play making shenanigans we could do with him.
fake punts on 2nd down
Had the same thought.
Is he playing offense or defense ?
Yes.
Yes.
Por que no los dos
Si
Este
Ese
Yes.
Special Teams monster too, plug him and he does shit, positional versatility >>> positional value
Confusing for me to, ESPN says he’s a S, Lions app listed him as an RB
Offense, defense, AND special teams
He goes left, he goes right, he's amphibious.
Yes
Special teams
Athlete
This is special teams/safety depth. I don’t know if we need this, but I don’t care. If Brad and Dan want him, then I’m happy we got him.
Only Safeties on our roster were Kerby, Iffy, and Brandon Joseph. Another Safety was def a need
We got lulled into a sense with CJGJ/Kerby/Walker/Iffy/Sometimes Branch. We shed a lot of cap from that room but we need more bodies again.
Branch is playing some safety snaps given our newfound corner depth
I’d rather Branch be free to play nickel though. He’s his best self at nickel.
lol what? He was drafted as a safety and played safety all in college
Branch will probably move to nickel full time. He seems to be clear and away the best slot corner.
Brad Holmes and DC have both said he will be getting snaps at safety this year in packages
Makes sense if they aren’t running a nickel defense all the time. Keep Branch fresh at safety too in case he needs to move back because of injury.
Safety depth is 100% a need for us. I don't know anything about Vaki but I am definitely glad we picked up a safety.
[удалено]
Sort of a Jabril Peppers type?
[удалено]
Truth!!!
Need for sure
We moved up to grab him. We have a plan for him for sure
As a Utes fan, hell yeah!
Seems odd to trade up to get him. But I'm just another redditor so my opinion basically means shit. Iol. I'll defer to BH
What was the trade?
We traded 161, 201, and a 4th rounder next to the Eagles and got 132 and 210
Thanks
Wait are we giving the eagles back their fourth? lol
RB for a RB/SFTY, sounds good
This guy is our new rules kickoff/return specialist. Can return the ball or seek and destroy.
Only reason I’ve heard of this guy before was because I kept seeing him mocked to us so those mock drafters must’ve been on to something
He's gonna be such a STs weapon and we love to run fakes lol. Perfect damn fit
Three phases to the game, I've seen enough Chargers and Packers losses to know that you can't just overwhelm during regular snaps.
I'm not sure why NFL Network focused on him as a RB. He seems to have played primarily safety.
Because the lions announced him as a running back
The smokescreen starts early
Renner on bleacher report did the same,even mentioned how he was beating Corners running routes …and Mel made a quick RB mention too…Holmes drafting in a wormhole right now and is stumping everyone
The lions turned in the card as a RB
I've heard a lot of people, including Daniel Jeremiah, liked him better as a RB than S. Will definitely be interesting to see what they do with him, I trust they've got a good plan.
He will be a special teams ace, played offense and defense.
RB and Safety i like it
Looks poised to become a special teams dynamo
These DBs we’re taking all have a few things in common; good in run support and aren’t afraid to hit. I think this will fix our inability to stop running qbs last year. I think we still need an interior lineman for depth, another pass rusher, and a sure handed WR. If we can get that in the draft/remaining free agency i think we’re the best team in the NFL
According to this article from yesterday, [both the Lions and 49ers were very interested](https://atozsports.com/detroit/the-detroit-lions-are-battling-the-san-francisco-49ers-for-hidden-gem-in-2024-nfl-draft/) in going after Vaki, and I guess Ben Johnson and Scottie Montgomery love him. I'm super curious what plans they have for him, because he apparently never once pass blocked in college as an RB and wanted to stick at safety in the NFL. I have a feeling the Lions are going to get up to all kinds of fuckery with the new kickoff rules and they want to use him for that
"I have a feeling the Lions are going to get up to all kinds of fuckery with the new kickoff rules and they want to use him for that" My thoughts exactly.
ESPN hasn't even mentioned that we made the pick/his name. We're at pick 136 now. Fuck them.
Stop watching espn they blow
It's that or nothing, homie. Not all of us have mommy and daddy pay for NFL Network.
Wasn’t slamming you just espn
It's literally free to watch on NFL.com
This is such a fun pick. Excited to see the player he can become
They need an ATH designation
ATH?
Athlete, basically someone who can do everything
Aren't they All Atheletes? Lol
It's something seen a lot in college football recruiting, for kids coming out of highschool that played on offense and defense. But yes every single one of them is an athlete lol
ATH is a position designation in college often where it's just like "idk, this guy is just a freak and can play football from anywhere"
I feel like there Could be a better term that's not linked to something in general lol. But I'm not great with that thing. My thought would be maybe along the lines of "dual"
Very fun pick.
Running back and safety… interesting
and special teamer
What was the trade?
He was taken as an rb and I doubt he ever sees any time as safety. Loved watching Vaki at Utah. He’s very dynamic and is a hell of an athlete
He is serviceable enough at safety to at least be on the S depth chart as injury insurance, but teams did seem to prefer his potential as a RB and his current ability as a special teamer
Reminds me of Agnew. He played two snaps at CB and ended his Lions career on the IR while we watched fair catches galore.
This pick will be another one that makes you go huh but will see the genius behind it next year. My guess is we are looking at the evolution and importance of special teams beyond the kicker/punter/kick returner and into those important gunner roster spots. The plain Jane playmakers that can go make the overlooked tackle on special teams or spell your starter in a pinch (JRM, Rodrigo, and now Vaki). With the kickoff rule changes you absolutely need these guys.
I like a jack of all trades guy. I can see him being special teamer but also catch a pass out of the backfield for a sneaky 1st down
I'm noticing brad doesn't seem to care about 40 time but cares about10 yd split. He constantly seems to draft his that are below average 40, but above average 10 years split. I love it tbh the 10 years to me seems to be more of a realistic representation of majority of plays
Sione Vaki actually did missionary work in --- wait for it....Tonga, where Manu was born! We have the Tonga connection going full power!
Lions are setting up for the new kickoff rules, will be important to have a big body returner
The more I read about this guy the more I get confused about him
Only pick im scratching my head at especially with Jaden Hicks still on the board. Fuck it though I trust Brad Holmes.
Jaden Hicks played mostly Box Saftey. Vaki played mostly deep saftey, thats where we have no depth behind Kerby.
I think this was a bad trade and a bad pick. With Manu I saw the vision. High upside, and we have 2025 picks to burn. This pick for someone that may not make the team. I don’t think he will be a safety with our DB room, and maybe he’ll be in as RB3 over Craig that’s a locker room guy. Maybe special teams? I don’t know? That and burning ANOTHER 2025 pick. To move up for a guy that would have probably been there later and may not make the team…dang. I’m guessing I’ll get downvoted for this, I just don’t see it.
With the new rules on Special Teams going into the next season this might end up being one of the hidden gems of Brads draft. Two way player with a non stop motor. Plus if we have injuries we can pop him into both RB and S.
With the new rules for special teams the smart decision is to just kick it out of the end zone. It’s a whole lot to do about nothing. Kicking to the other team has a benefit of 5-10 yards if you get them down quick vs. the risk of a big return / TD. Punt coverage is still important.
We may get some comp picks next year. But I share the same sentiment. Next season we may need to trade down early regardless. At the same time, it is a crapshoot at this point. Sometimes you win, most of the time you lose.
I could see this guy being a tool on fake punt plays and safety depth obviously
Let’s ride brother
Not sure I like this pick, feel he could have been there later. With that being said I trust Brad Holmes and what he is doing.
Apparently the 49ers had heavy interest in him too, so Brad must have felt like the 49ers were going to pick him 3 spots later
Yeah most likely, and I love swooping their picks, Brads draft instincts have proven elite thus far.
49ers had just taken S Mustapha earlier in the round but they might have still drafted him as a gadget player.
Not that I know a damn thing but I find this pick to be quite curious. Runs a 4.6 which isn’t great for an RB or defensive back. It appears that he’s a real “team guy” which is great but I can’t figure out why they traded up for him as he would likely have been an UDFA. Worst case a 6th or 7th rounder without having to trade up. I’ll say it again, “not that I know a damn thing” but this is a surprise. At least to me. Weaknesses as outlined on NFL.com “Weaknesses Backpedal is sluggish and fails to gain enough ground. Struggles to flip hips and run in phase with the route. Can be exploited when tasked with man coverage duties. Short arms and limited athleticism shrink his range as a tackler. Has very little margin for error playing in big spaces.”
Wish they grabbed hicks
Loading up on D and a monster OL guy. In Holmes we trust
I bet we convert him wide receiver
PFF rated Sione Vaki as a "Good" pick. PFF stated: "Lions fans, get ready to love Sione Vaki, one of the most athletic players in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played safety and running back at Utah, but he is a solid safety in coverage. Don’t expect him to make exceptional plays on the football very often, but Vaki packs a *mean* punch. He’s a plus tackler in run defense and perfectly fits Aaron Glenn’s mentality in the Motor City." Can't complain. The Lions literally telegraphed that they were going to pick him throughout the pre-draft process.
So goodbye will Harris?
His Broad (10'5") and Vertical (39.5") jumps are both on the high end for RB and S.
He’s about to be a huge asset in the special teams game
Knowing our special teams, this is a cool pick. Not to mention the safety depth is nice. In the 4th, I’d rather have a sure fire baller for special teams than a flyer for a “more valuable” position
Going to be a fan favorite. He’s a weapon like Agnew.
Wow! Just went and watched highlights on YouTube… this dude is awesome! Playing both ways in power5 college football is something else! I’m so happy we have a coaching staff that will find a way to get him some success at least!
Slow 40 DBs hopefully doesn’t come back to bite us
40 times (and pretty much the whole combine) is such an antiquated way to assess players.
That what seems to be said when players have slow 40s