Tape study: Lions' seventh-rounder, Tyre West, displays intriguing pass-rush skillset
Allen Park — In the late rounds of what most analysts had pegged as a watered-down draft, it was inevitable that some teams would target lesser-known talent.
That’s how things played out for the Detroit Lions, who addressed several longer-term needs with their first five picks, before grabbing a pair of under-the-radar defensive lineman with back-to-back selections to close out their class.
Early in the seventh and final round, the Lions selected Tyre West out of Tennessee. A highly touted prospect coming out of high school, he’d not been able to seize a starting job as an oversized edge defender for the Volunteers.
Regardless, the Lions liked the physical traits and saw untapped potential worthy of the late flier.
“He was kind of part of a rotation with a lot of defensive linemen that were NFL-caliber players,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said. “It wasn’t really a knock that he wasn’t really getting all of the snaps. It was just they had a lot of guys. But, when he would come in, he would take advantage of the opportunities that he got in terms of being able to apply pressure and get to the quarterback. He was one that we brought him in for a visit, enjoyed the time that we spent with him, and felt really good about it.”
Games watched
2025 season: vs. Georgia, at Mississippi State, vs. Vanderbilt, @Illinois (Music City Bowl)
Note: West is No. 42 in the clips below.