Even Saquon Barkley does not know how CB Amani Oruwariye fell to the Lions in the fifth round

ALLEN PARK – The Detroit Lions may have stolen their day from Amani Oruwariye, a big Penn State cornerback who fell to them in the fifth round.

Many people were waiting for it to go on day 2. This includes Oruwariye himself. He also understands his most famous university teammate.

"It does not make sense!" Tweeted Saquon Barkley, former Penn State star and reigning Rookie of the Year in the NFC. "But guess what, cold heart, never get cold feet when the pressure comes … you'll see"

Oruwariye had three assists for the Nittany Lions last season, defended 11 more and was named to the first All-Big Ten team. Analysts loved his size, at 6 feet 2 inches, and he ran the scorecard 40 yards in 4.47 seconds. It's very good for a big corner half. Put it all together, and many have projected it as a solid second-day perspective.

But Oruwariye was not claimed in the second round, and then in the third. He did not participate in the fourth round either, before Detroit finally finished in 146th place.

One way to see this is perhaps that there is something in the Oruwariye game that scouts do not like. Another way of looking at it is that Lions have great value in a big bend that works well. They took advantage of a similar fall last year with Tyrell Crosby, who did not allow a bag for his final year in Oregon, was crowned offensive lineman of the year Pac-12 – and then fell into the knees of the Lions in the fifth round. Many called it a Day 3 volley. He did not play a lot as a rookie, but the coaches are very advanced in his development behind Taylor Decker and Rick Wagner at the tackle.

Oruwariye is the first corner taken by Detroit since Teez Tabor in 2017, but Tabor – a former second-round pick – still has not discovered the NFL. He is facing a decisive season, which has made the cornerback a further need for Detroit. Darius Slay is stuck in one post, and Justin Coleman will start either in front of him or in the slot after signing a four-year deal worth $ 36 million in an independent agency.

Detroit has recruited Rashaan Melvin for the vacancy, while others like Jamal Agnew, Marcus Cooper and Tabor are also on the list. So, Oruwariye has to face a fierce fight, but his head seems to be in the right place after his slip.

"I will not stay here and think about what did not happen and what should have happened," Oruwariye said by telephone after the choice. "I'm just going to do the other 31 teams who did not pay me when my opportunity comes."