I saw this guy a few times last season, but he really impressed me against Michigan last Saturday. He registered two sacks and put constant pressure on Forcier. At 6' 3" and 270 lbs, he has the size that Schwartz is looking for, but he lacks strength and possibly explosiveness off the ball. He seems like a late 2nd/early 3rd kinda guy to me and I'd be willing to take a chance on him. What do you think?

Middleton played poorly last season. It probably had to due with double teams though. I think he has potential but would like to see some more of him. I really think that we are looking for shorter, explosive DEs for what we want to do on defense which if Middleton shows some burst then he could be a good fit.

I was going to bring up both Middleton and Kirlew for you guys to keep an eye on during that game. Kirlew is my favorite of the two but I'd be happy with both of them on the Lions' roster. Kirlew is a good combination of quickness and power and can play both the pass and run. They both can get after the QB and compliment each other really well, but I think Kirlew has more big play potential in the NFL. I've been keeping an eye on both of them since last season and plan to continue to keep them on my to watch list.

im a big fan of middleton and am confident he will be an nfl starter. w that said i wonder how much value he will have bc hes coming out of indiana - their low talent level allows head coaches to scheme against him. id take him in the 3rd or later

If the Lions haven't taken a DE in the first two rounds and Middleton is available in the 3rd, I'd draft him in a heartbeat. I'm just not sure what he'll be yet due to his inconsistency. He's a boom or bust kinda guy IMO and that's why I think he could fall to the 3rd.