By virtue of his being a top-five pick, Ansah has gotten more run than most of the guys we’ve talked about, but considering how little football he played before getting to the league, I’m saying he still counts.

As a rookie, Ansah was effective in the way that many raw, ultra-talented young players can be. He used his ridiculous athleticism and massive frame to make instinctive plays against the run, but unsurprisingly, he lacked much nuance as a pass-rusher. His sack total actually dropped by a half sack this past season, but I saw plenty more to be excited about in Year 2.



This is veteran stuff. Look at how he engages before going into his rip. That’s called the Cameron Wake special, and it’s a move they teach in the first week of a pass-rushing master class. Just being able to pull that technique off while playing at full speed is proof of how much better Ansah had become, but he does about five more things before this play is over. Not only does he get the sack, but he uses those massive 35 1/8-inch arms to knock the ball from Teddy Bridgewater’s hands.

The Lions took Ansah fifth overall in 2013 for these moments. Most defensive ends running a 4.56 in the 40 and a 1.56 in the 10-yard dash are doing it at about 255 pounds. They’re speed rushers, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We need those in the world. Ansah tips the scale at 270, and I think that might even be conservative. That allows him to be one of the more stout run-defending defensive ends in football while also being able to make Kalil look like he was standing still. There’s a chance that without Suh and Nick Fairley around, the increased attention might lead to a long season for the 26-year-old, but I’d say it’s just as likely that he turns into a superstar this year. For the Lions’ sake, he’d better.