Expectations for sixth-round picks are generally quite low, particularly in their rookie seasons. If you can get some special teams contributions in Year 1 and a handful of rotational snaps on offense or defense, that’s a pretty successful pick.
The Detroit Lions may have slightly higher expectations for their first sixth-round pick: defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo out of LSU. Many expected to hear Wingo’s name a few rounds earlier, and Detroit certainly has a chance for him to get some rotational play early.
Of course, Wingo is not without its strengths and weaknesses. So to get to know the defender better, we chatted with Zachary Junda of the LSU SB Nation site AND The Valley Shook!
This is what he said about Wingo.
Previously:
1. Can you tell us more about the honor of receiving the number 18 jersey and why you think Mekhi Wingo deserved it?
“For the uninitiated, the No. 18 LSU jersey is awarded to the person who, in the opinion of the coaches, best represents what it means to be an LSU Tiger. Even former users of number 18 give their opinion. It’s pretty much the highest honor that can be given to a player within this program, and for a transfer to win this award speaks to the type of person Wingo is. I don’t know what made Wingo leave Missouri, especially since he’s from St. Louis and was a freshman All-American at Mizzou, but he completely embraced LSU from the moment he arrived in Baton Rouge and was instrumental in helping Brian Kelly to rebuild the culture of the program.”
2. How did Wingo compensate for his relatively small stature?
“First of all, Wingo has a great engine. There is not a single click that comes out. Mekhi is also smart with his hands and is a pretty good athlete for his position. (At the NFL Combine), he had the second-best 40 time for DT and the fifth-best vertical. He was also in the top 10 in the bench press, so he has some power behind that smaller frame as well.”
3. Where do you think his best position will be at the NFL level? Could you see him playing more plays at EDGE?
“Well, the hope with these smaller DTs is the “poor man’s Aaron Donald,” right? But I don’t see why he can’t be a Calijah Kancey type for the Lions. His measurements match Kancey’s almost 1:1, and if Detroit can put together production even remotely similar to Kancey’s, it will be a huge win.
“And yes, I can see Wingo contributing some snaps on EDGE if needed. He did it at Missouri and LSU. So if the Lions have one of those NASCAR packages and need a different look to throw into an offense, he can be that smaller, faster EDGE.”
4. What was your favorite play of Wingo’s career?
“The first thing that comes to mind is when Wingo returned from injury and had his best game of the 2023 season in the bowl win against Wisconsin. These days, non-CFP bowl games are virtually meaningless, but Wingo kept working and rehabbing to go out one last time and ended up saving the best for last. “Wingo had a couple of sacks in the fourth quarter that helped LSU rally and come back against Wisconsin.”
5. Aside from his iconic return from injury to play in the bowl game, is there another moment in Wingo’s career that shows his work ethic/personality?
“I will always remember how Wingo elevated his game from day one with LSU. In LSU’s first game of 2022, Maason Smith tore his ACL on LSU’s first defensive series of the season. The Tigers essentially played three DTs all season and Wingo became one of the best defensive linemen in the conference. He had a career year, setting personal bests in tackles (47), TFL (6) and sacks (3), all while barely leaving the field in one of the most physically demanding positions in football.”
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