Wingo, an LSU defensive tackle, was selected by the Lions late in the third day of the NFL Draft. Although his stature and physique raised some questions, it’s also thought that the Lions selected a very excellent player with their penultimate pick in the draft.

Wingo is a defensive player with versatility and qualities that should help the Lions in his first season. For the Tigers, he filled a variety of roles and exercised significant leadership. Following an examination of Wingo’s film during his time at LSU, here are three conclusions.

Wingo performed exceptionally well in his NFL Combine tests, which is consistent with his tape-recorded quickness. To demonstrate his explosiveness, he performed a 4.85 40-yard sprint in Indianapolis. His strong first step, which he exploits to pursue the quarterback, is evident on film.

For him, the run game is where it manifests itself the most. He can step aggressively toward the ball-carrier and use his positional advantage—being smaller—to his advantage. Consequently, he can follow his opponent and squeeze through tiny openings in the line.

Wingo does play low to the ground, taking use of his little stature to put pressure on offensive linemen who are considerably bigger than him. Given that he gains his strength from his lower body and is therefore difficult to move, he possesses a solid understanding of leverage.

The defensive lineman is a versatile player who frequently switched between positions throughout his time in college. He divided his time last season between lining up in the A gap, the B gap, and over the tackle, according to Pro Football Focus.

With 264 snaps played in the B gap, he was mostly in that position. He did, however, also play 38 snaps as the nose tackle and 73 snaps over the tackle.

He can help the Lions early in his career because of his versatility in technique alignment. Given his versatility, he might be a rotational member of the Lions’ defense, even if his playing time will probably depend on how well his size holds up.

With 19 pressures and 4.5 sacks in eight games during the previous season, Wingo demonstrated his ability to produce in the pass rush area. Because of his shorter arms and smaller size, he might struggle early, but he has the football IQ to go above these disadvantages.

In the end, Wingo could play the three to sometimes even slide Alim McNeill outside to a five-technique. Wingo can play various positions and contribute to the Lions’ versatility as DJ Reader holds down the nose tackle spot.

Wingo’s playing style is where he truly fits in with the Lions. The defender can play a lot of snaps and plays with relentlessness in both areas. This motor is a perfect fit for the team’s culture, thus he will be a welcome addition to the Lions.

Wingo has the ideal motor for Aaron Glenn’s defense, whether he is rushing down a screen pass, pursuing a running back from behind the play, or losing a block to collapse the pocket late. If he is initially defeated by his opponent, he uses his quickness to recover.

Wingo can still create a chance to get to the quarterback by using his foundation and quickness, even though he doesn’t have the most extensive repertoire of rush moves.

To sum up, Wingo possesses physical attributes that will help him succeed at the NFL level, but he needs refinement as a pass-rusher and is limited by his natural size.

In his first season, Wingo can at the very least contribute in a rotational capacity and, if he can establish himself as a dependable player in run downs, perhaps earn a larger percentage of snaps.