The Detroit Lions are gettng set up for their annual local pro day, which allows prospects to come to their facility and work out in front of coaches and evaluators from the organization. Among the prospects who will reportedly be in attendance is Auburn linebacker Dorian Mausi.
Per NFL rules, teams are only allowed to invite players who played either high school or college football in their state. While Mausi played collegiately at Duke and Auburn, he is qualified to attend the Lions' local pro day as a graduate of U of D Jesuit High School in Detroit.
Mausi played four seasons at Duke before transerring to Auburn for his final college campaign. In that year with the Tigers, he totaled a career-best 81 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Though he did not receive a Combine invite, Mausi had a strong showing at his Pro Day. According to reports, he ran a 4.69 40-yard dash and had a 33-inch vertical jump.
Throughout his career, Mausi has alternated between the MIKE and WILL positions at the second-level of the defense. As a result, he brings some positional flexibility that could aid Detroit's defense.
In 2024, he earned a Pro Football Focus overall defensive grade of 70.2 and a run defense grade of 73.4. He did have some struggles with tackling, as his missed tackle rate of 16.3 is a tick higher than desired.
When it comes to coverage, Mausi allowed 14 completions on 18 targets but did a good job limiting receivers after the catch, as he allowed just 21 yards total after the catch.
Mausi also has some experience on special teams, which can be a separating factor for young players looking to make NFL rosters. He played 46 snaps in that aspect of the game in 2024.
However, most of those snaps were on field goal block and as a result he would need to acclimate to other units if he were to see time in that capacity in the NFL.
The Lions do have some uncertainty at the linebacker position in the coming years, as several players are either on one-year contracts or in the last year of their current deals. As a result, players like Alex Anzalone, Malcolm Rodriguez, Grant Stuard and Anthony Pittman may not be on the roster in 2026 and in that case the Lions would need young depth to fortify the group.
With this in mind, the Lions would be wise to add a young depth piece to compete for a spot at the position. With Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes and Rodriguez holding down a majority of the snaps currently, a developmental piece may be ideal for what the Lions are looking for.
Overall, Mausi is viewed as a priority free agent when the Draft commences in April. There's plenty of upside that he carries as a versatile defender, but will need to continue developing before he can become a true difference maker at the professional level.
