The Detroit Lions have added cornerback Johnathan Alston, a free agent who was last with the Miami Dolphins. What exactly are the Lions getting in the second-year CB from North Carolina State?
Alston fits the physical profile that the Bob Quinn Lions seem to covet at cornerback. He’s big at 6-1 and 205 pounds, and he has better speed than the man he’s replacing, Tarvarus McFadden. Alston is not an exceptional athlete and played as such.
He never really found a position for the Wolfpack. Recruited as a 3-star wideout, the North Carolina native switched to CB but also played some safety in his time in Raleigh.
Alston was not invited to the combine or any postseason all-star games after a modestly productive senior season (2 INTs, 37 tackles). The one thing he did very well was attack the run and finish the tackle, something he did well in games against Notre Dame and Syracuse which I charted leading into the 2018 draft. The Lions do place an emphasis on tackling in the secondary.
He’s little more than a camp body who will get a chance to show he might be worthy of a practice squad spot if he shows something in the final week of training camp and the preseason, but at least it’s a shot at keeping the dream alive.
