▶ Asked to describe his biggest strength as a prospect, linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (LSU) pointed to his speed, which the Lions could certainly use more of on their defense next season. Perkins played both on the edge — he racked up 65 pressures and 13 sacks over his first two seasons in Baton Rouge — and off the ball, making him a potential fit for strong-side (SAM) linebacker in Detroit’s defensive scheme. “I’ve always felt I was versatile,” Perkins said. “I never put myself in a box. I’ve always felt like I could do a little bit of everything.” Perkins, projected as a mid-round selection in April’s draft, is currently ranked as the No. 117 player on the NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board.

▶ Speaking of speed and athleticism, linebacker Kyle Louis (Pitt), a converted safety, has plenty of it. He grew up watching Jabrill Peppers and modeled his style after the former Michigan standout. Lately, he’s admired the work of Seattle’s Nick Emmanwori and Houston’s Jalen Pitre. When Louis first moved to linebacker, he studied Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who has since had his career derailed by injuries but was a Pro Bowler for the Cleveland Browns in 2023.

At Pitt, the specific position Louis played was called the “star,” a hybrid role that mixes linebacker and safety responsibilities. “The star is not a position for everybody,” Louis said. “It’s not a position for pure linebackers or pure DBs. You’ve really just got to be a mix of both of it. I feel like the position was perfectly tailored for me.” We recently saw what drafting Emmanwori did for Seattle’s defense. Louis isn’t seen as the prospect Emmanwori was, but he offers a similar skill set as a mid-round addition.

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▶ Another converted safety from this year’s linebacker class is Sonny Styles (Ohio State), who became full-time at his new position in 2024. Detroit could potentially be in the market for a starter like Styles if it parts ways with Alex Anzalone in free agency. He possesses a versatile skill set — including IQ — that defensive coordinators dream of, and his presence in coverage could certainly help ease the pain of potentially losing a player with Anzalone’s coverage ability. “I think I can do a lot for a defense from that second level,” he said.

Current projections have Styles slated as a top-15 pick, making it entirely possible he falls to Detroit in the first round, if not only because of the position he plays. Just for perspective on Styles’ hype: His player comp on NFL.com, which tends to err on the side of caution, is four-time All-Pro Fred Warner.

▶ One of the top defensive linemen from this year’s draft provided some important intel on one of the top center prospects, a critical area of need for Detroit entering the offseason. Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks said college teammate Jake Slaughter, a projected Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, is “smart as hell. … This guy, he knows the game in and out.” The Lions could, in theory, be looking at both prospects. Banks is a projected first-rounder who could be of interest to Detroit at No. 17.

“Jake Slaughter, he’s a dog, bro. We used to go at it every single day. Sometimes I’d be like, ‘Damn, you got me, Jake.’ … I’m glad I had him lined up across from me. Iron sharpens iron, and he’s a great player. A great, great player.”

▶ Defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor (Southeastern Louisiana) spent all four of his collegiate seasons at the FCS level, but it wasn’t due to a lack of FBS interest. Proctor chose to stay at Southeastern Louisiana rather than leveling up in the transfer portal, he explained. “I came in on a great freshman class. These are dudes that will be in my wedding one day. It was no doubt who I’m going to play beside my senior year,” Proctor said when asked about his choice to remain at his original school. “Your last college season, who do you want to play beside? Some new guys or the guys that you’ve built a bond with for three years? It was definitely a no-doubter.”

That’s real-life loyalty in action, someone playing for something bigger than himself. Proctor posted 43 tackles (13 for loss), nine sacks and 39 pressures during his senior season, along with 11 run stops. If the Lions are looking for a late-round interior defender to mold, Proctor could be an ideal candidate.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com, rsilva@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi, @rich_silva18