teams are going to fall in love with a pro

PRETORIA Color Rush T.J. Hockenson Jersey , South Africa (AP)The defending champion Crusaders raced to 26-0 after 18 minutes as they beat the Stormers 45-28 and the Lions also passed 40 points in out-muscling the Bulls in their derby in Super Rugby on Saturday.The Crusaders weren’t seriously in trouble despite the Stormers comeback, and the title-holders continued their unbeaten start to the season to top the New Zealand conference.Winger George Bridge, hooker Corey Taylor, flanker Billy Harmon and scrumhalf Bryn Hall scored tries as the record eight-time Super Rugby winners made a spectacular beginning against a Stormers side which struggled at first in set-pieces.The Lions scored six converted tries and were also awarded a penalty try in Pretoria, winning 49-35 in a reality check for the Bulls, who opened their tournament with a morale-boosting win over the Hurricanes.The Bulls and Lions were at 21-21 early in the second half before the Lions relied on their forward dominance to crush the Bulls’ hopes. Hooker Malcolm Marx powered over, the Bulls conceded a penalty try, and winger Sylvian Mahuza and scrumhalf Ross Cronje went in.That run of four tries, and two yellow cards for the Bulls in quick succession, ended the contest. Replacement prop Lizo Gqoboka and wing Travis Ismaiel scored late consolation tries to make it respectable for the Bulls.New South Wales continued their trend of late escapes with a try in the final five minutes by replacement Mitch Short in a 24-24 draw at the Sharks. Flyhalf Bernard Foley converted from near the touchline to level the scores.The Sharks scored three tries, two to center Lukhanyo Am, but the Waratahs kept coming back, with Jake Gordon and captain Michael Hooper going over before a break down the left side saw Short squeeze in for the late try.Last week, New South Wales also scored right at the death to beat the Stormers.Winger Jack Maddocks grabbed three tries as the Melbourne Rebels beat the Sunwolves 37-17 in Tokyo, starting the season with back-to-back wins for the first time.The Stormers rallied strongly against the Crusaders in the second and third quarters, despite a second try to Bridge Cheap T.J. Hockenson Jersey , to cut the lead to 31-21 after 13 minutes of the second half, testing the mettle of the home team.The Crusaders responded with tries to winger Seta Tamanivalu and flyhalf Richie Mo’unga to pull away to their second win of their season and to retain their unbeaten record in 12 matches against the Stormers in Christchurch.They also increased to 13 matches their winning streak at home against all teams from outside New Zealand.The Crusaders took a bonus point for winning by seven tries to four, but they were under pressure to defend that point when they were reduced by yellow cards to 13 men in the final minutes.The Lions, losing finalists to the Crusaders last season, were ultimately convincing in their Johannesburg-Pretoria derby against the Bulls to start their season with three wins from three.In Tokyo, Melbourne and the Sunwolves were locked at 10-10 at halftime but the Rebels, following their 45-19 win over the Queensland Reds last weekend, scored 27 second-half points to complete a convincing victory.The Hurricanes improved steadily after a halting first-half performance to post their first win, taking a bonus point from a 34-9, five tries to nil win over the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.The Hurricanes were desperate for a win after a shock 21-19 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend. First-half tries to winger Ben Lam and center Ngani Laumape gave the Hurricanes an unconvincing 12-6 lead at halftime, as they struggled with a shaky scrum and handling errors.The Jaguares closed to 12-9 with a third penalty to Nicolas Sanchez.That shook the Hurricanes into life and they scored further tries to Matt Proctor and Vince Aso, the second while prop Ben May was in the sin-bin.The Jaguares pressed the Hurricanes but lacked finishing skills while the Hurricanes added a superb late try to Blade Thompson. Every year leading up to the draft, fans will have their school favorites that they believe the Lions should draft. If it’s players from Michigan or Michigan State, then you’ll probably have to hear it a lot around these parts (i.e. drafting Connor Cook to replace Stafford, trading up for Jabrill Peppers, etc.). The hard part is making that transition from college football season to the NFL offseason and moving past the blind homerism while finding legitimate fits for the Lions.Even as a Michigan State fan myself T.J. Hockenson Jersey Womens , it’s difficult to ignore the talent that Michigan football produces, and one talent that is especially difficult not to recognize as a legitimate fit for the Lions is defensive tackle/edge rusher, Rashan Gary.Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan6-foot-5, 283 pounds2016 stats: 12 games | 12 solo tackles | 23 total | 5.0 TFL | 0.5 sacks2017 stats: 13 games | 25 solo tackles | 58 total | 11.5 TFL | 5.5 sacks | 1 FF2018 stats: 9 games | 20 solo tackles | 38 total | 6.5 TFL | 3.5 sacksCurrent draft projection: First or second roundBackgroundTeam profile pageGary was a highly-touted recruit, receiving the No. 1 ranking in the 2016 class from multiple recruitment sites and received offers from basically every top school you can think of. On the defensive line, Gary started 21 of 34 career games as a defensive end, but was moved all over the line and did some of his work as a 3-tech for the Wolverines as well. Gary never truly lived up to his hype if you look at the stat sheet, but with his athleticism and skillset, you can almost guarantee that he will be highly coveted by NFL teams, regardless.StrengthsVersatile and has lined up all over the defensive line. Will be listed as a DT or EDGE depending on who you ask.Very gifted athletically. Should test elite whether you think he’s an edge rusher or an interior lineman. Traits have me believing he’s better suited on the edge.Raw power and play strength is off the charts. Controls point of attack well and sets the edge nicely in the run game. When asked to attack, has shown a nice first step with great explosiveness. Closes gaps quickly and doesn’t give quarterback any breathing roomUnderrated bend and flexibility; has shown the ability to turn the corner with good ankle flexion and decent dip.Not one to give up on plays and exhibits insane amount of effort and motor through the whistle. Can be special if he can pair that with actual hand technique. WeaknessesVery raw still and relies too heavily on sheer athleticism and talent rather than technique and fundamentals.Hand usage is mostly non-existent and needs a ton of work. Struggled often to disengage despite his best efforts.Hasn’t developed any counter moves and lack of agility/change of direction may hinder his ability to set up an effective inside move.Occasionally late off the snap. Not entirely sure if that has to do with lack of snap anticipation or something he was asked to do, but it showed up often.Games watched: 2017 vs. Wisconsin, 2017 vs. Indiana, 2018 vs. Penn State Kerryon Johnson Jersey , 2018 vs. Ohio StateOverview and ProjectionIn terms of projection, Gary’s stock is all over the place, and you have just about as many projecting him as a top-five pick as you do bottom-five in the first round or out of the first round entirely. My belief is that NFL teams are going to fall in love with a prospect like Gary if they haven’t already, and if the Lions want him, they’re going to have to draft him at eighth overall. At this point in time, I find it very unlikely that Gary will make it past the top-10.Gary sets the edge well in the run game, has underrated bend/flexibility and has a ton of room to grow as a pass rusher. Some teams may list Gary as an interior D-lineman while others have him as an edge rusher, and he may end up playing both spots wherever he goes, but I believe he is best suited as an EDGE for his primary role. For the Lions, Gary is a nice fit and makes a lot of sense to fill the down DE role, with the ability to kick inside as a 3-tech if needed. Patricia and his staff have shown that they can untap the potential of raw, athletic DL (see: Da’Shawn Hand) and turn them into immediate contributors, and three years down the road, I could see Gary turning into an All-Pro lineman.