Getty Chase Lucas on the field for Arizona State in 2018.
Typically, seventh-round selections have a very hard time cracking the NFL. Players drafted in that round have the numbers odds stacked against them from the start, a steep learning curve and often, cannot overcome those factors in the end.
Detroit Lions rookie Chase Lucas could be the exception to that rule. Lucas was the team’s final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and though he was selected 237th, he could make a quick case for inclusion once the offseason evaluation period gets going in the Motor City.
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Not only does Lucas seem to have the right blend of talents on the field given his abilities at cornerback, but he is already coming from a system which has allowed him to understand what it’s like to be in a professional locker room. At Arizona State, Herm Edwards and Marvin Lewis run their program like an NFL team, and Lucas having dealt with that already could give him a significant advantage over some of the competition.
Speaking with the media on Saturday, May 14 after rookie minicamp, Lucas was asked about his readiness for the league, and as he explained, he feels as if his work with the Sun Devils gives him an advantage coming into Lions camp.
“It definitely does. We’ve kind of had a pro model my whole time at Arizona State. Been very thankful for Marvin Lewis and Herm Edwards, but it’s just like the NFL,” he explained. “They treat you like men. They treat you with respect, but they expect you to do your job. I know I feel like it was an easy transition for me to come here.”
As a result of this upbringing in school, Lucas admits that any future success in the league can be attributed to his college program, which made him the player he is today.
“(I owe them) everything, man. My knowledge of the game, my work ethic, just being consistent every day and I feel like that’s probably the biggest things I probably brought back from Arizona State,” he told the media. “It’s just kind of embedded in me, it’s kind of in my blood at this point, so it’s just kind of me at this point.”
In Detroit, Lucas already sees some of the same traits on the Lions staff he believed made the Arizona Staff great. As he explained, it’s something that shortens the learning curve as he comes to the pros for real.
“It’s very serious. I love it, man,” Lucas said. “Like the accountability that they that they hold on you, the amount of effort that you need to put in outside of the building and especially taking care of your body. Those three things (are) probably the hardest things that you’re going to have to get to to learn as a rookie, but I feel like I said, since I’m from Arizona State, it’s just easy. Another day, another day.”
Nothing that Lucas will see in the NFL now from Dan Campbell and his staff will come as a surprise, so it’s very possible that can become a major advantage for him in time. In the end, it may even help Lucas and his chances of cracking the Detroit roster. There will be plenty to learn and show on the field, but Lucas may have the hardest part for rookies under control already.
Lucas’s Stats & Highlights
It isn’t just the preparation or the pass breakups that make Lucas a potential stud in the making for Detroit. The player also comes packing another punch in terms of tackling that is impressive with 223 tackles and 6 interceptions. Lucas was a two-time second-team All-PAC-12 player at cornerback in 2017 and 2020. Here’s a look at some tape:
Lucas is another player in the mold that Brad Holmes and the Lions would seemingly love. A gritty player who can compete on the field and has major athleticism and talent to go with great character. The fact he comes from a pro-ready program isn’t going to hurt him at all.
Lucas Must Fight to Earn Role With Lions
In terms of his future role on the Lions, Lucas is going to have to scrap hard in order to make the roster. There is a ton of competition at cornerback this year, with the likes of Jerry Jacobs, Bobby Price and AJ Parker ahead of him on the depth chart. Detroit also has a healthy Jeff Okudah expected to return, and added an intriguing veteran corner in Mike Hughes this offseason. That adds up to less opportunity in terms of numbers.
Early in rookie camp, Lucas was getting looks at the slot position, but it’s far from written in stone that’s where he will be full-time. No matter where he ends up trending to play, Lucas feels good about where he’s been placed.
“I was mainly at slot, but you know I think Aubrey Pleasant and Aaron Glenn are just kind of just making me know all the positions (on) the whole defense so I can communicate with the linebackers and the defensive backs and everything. You know, I feel like I’m in the right spot, I’m in the right defense,” Lucas explained.
Whether that’s the case or not on the field will be sorted out in time, but where Lucas went to school could play a huge role in helping him lock down a future role with Detroit. Don’t be surprised if it’s a big variable in the end.