One takeaway from each of Detroit's four Day 3 picks

(Getty Images)

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions selected four players on Saturday, the final day of the 2025 NFL draft, adding guard Miles Frazier, defensive end Ahmed Hassanein, safety Dan Jackson and Dominic Lovett.

Each player met with Detroit’s media via a video conference call. Here was one takeaway from each of those conversations.

An unconventional path

One of the best post-pick calls I can remember during my time covering this team, Hassanein elaborated on his unique athletic background and journey to the NFL.

Growing up in Egypt for most of his life, Hassanein came to the United States and lived with his brother while in high school. His brother had played semi-pro football in Austria and introduced Hassanein to the game.

"I went to Loara High School (in Anaheim, Calif.)," Hassanein said. "I didn't have a D-line coach. My brother taught me everything in the kitchen, just techniques. I trained as a wide receiver, (but) couldn't catch the ball. I trained as a linebacker, (but) there was too much stuff going on. He just threw me at the D-line and just told me to go get the guy that has the ball. I was like, 'Perfect. See ball, get ball. I can do that.'

"I went in and started grabbing facemasks, throwing people, kicking people, jiu-jitsu flipping them," Hassanein said. "I didn't know what I was doing until one day I was watching Aaron Donald play and I asked my brother, 'What high school did he go to?' And my brother goes, 'Bro, that's the NFL.' I was like, 'NFL, what's that?' He was like, 'Bro, that's the National Football League.' And I was like, 'I want to go there.' And the dream started from there."

Hassanein began attending football camps and watching pass-rush videos online. Drawing on his athletic background, honed from boxing, wrestling, martial arts training, swimming, and as an internationally ranked CrossFit competitor, he began to attract attention and receive college offers.

Eventually, Boise State called. The team's defensive line coach, Spencer Danielson, who is now the school's head coach, happened to be a former teammate of Hassanein's brother. That connection tipped the scales, and it ultimately proved to be a perfect fit.

Hassanein said his game is based on relentless effort, describing the intrinsic trait as colorfully as possible.

"I never stop," he said. "I am always going. I am always willing to learn. I never settle. When you teach me something, I'll go 100 miles per hour every snap, every play. I will never settle. That's just who I am. I am ready to die on the football field because (general manager Brad Holmes) believes in me. I truly feel that.

"…Offensive linemen hate going against me just because I keep going after them every play, every play, every play, even if I get blocked. I get back up and do it again, do it again, do it again, because that's who I am."

If that doesn't sound like the type of player Holmes has tried to load Detroit's roster with over the past five years, I don't know what does.

"I'm ready to do whatever it takes to help my team win," Hassanein said. "Whatever role, whatever anything, I'm just ready. I'm just ready to run through a wall for (coach) Dan Campbell because he believed in me. Man, when I came to America, I'll tell you this, no one believed in me. My brother was the only one that believed in me. Everybody told me that I'd come back (to Egypt) in two weeks, I couldn't even speak English. Look where I'm at now. I'm just so grateful."

A mauler in search of ‘style points’

After starting his college career as a left tackle at Florida International, Frazier flourished into an NFL-caliber prospect as an interior lineman at LSU.

Frazier said the highly competitive environment fueled his improvement. The team’s offensive line, known internally as the bomb squad, had a never-ending competition to rack up “style points.”

“My coach at LSU, Brad Davis, he coaches a lot about style points, extra effort, knockdowns, pancakes, so I’m always looking to give that extra effort and extra finishes,” Frazier said. “I just want to showcase that at the next level and just show that I’m very dominant, and that will reflect in my tape.”

A self-described mauler, Frazier is eager to play a similar role in another talented offensive line room in Detroit. It’s a group he’s familiar with, receiving regular scouting reports from former LSU teammate and current Lions defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo.

“I only knew about just the specific caliber of your offensive line, like I said earlier, from Mekhi Wingo, like how he said y’all got a bunch of dogs up front on the offensive line,” Frazier said. “That was really an intriguing spot to look at, honestly, and I did want to look into that. …I’m just blessed to be in this situation and blessed to be a part of such a dominant offensive line in the NFL.”

The road less traveled to be a winner

Jackson had the size and speed to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond, but he chose the more difficult path, walking on at Georgia. I asked Detroit's new safety about the appeal of that decision.

"It's really pretty simple," Jackson said. "For one, I wanted to win, and I felt like that was the best chance I had. Two is I wanted to be around the best of the best every day and compete against the best of the best. I think that's really shaped me, Georgia has really shaped me, into the player I am today."

Jackson contributed extensively on special teams before earning a starting role with the Bulldogs last season. Unheralded compared to many higher-profile teammates on that defense, Jackson was asked how he would describe his playing style.

"I think the three main things that I've always prided myself on are I'm fast, I'm physical, and I'm tough — with an emphasis on the last one," Jackson said. "I think that's why I was able to have the success in college that I had. I just can't wait to be a part of the Lions' culture that they've built, and I'm just extremely excited to be a part of that."

Leaning on teammates, past and present

Before finishing his college career with Georgia, Lovett got his start at Missouri, where he’d regularly engage in practice battles with cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, Detroit’s second-round pick a year ago. The two forged a strong bond during that time, and Lovett was eager to express some gratitude for his former and once again teammate.

“Ennis helped me from Day 1 when I was at Missouri, all the way up until now,” Lovett said. “We had great battles, one-on-ones. There were days he got the best of me, and there were days that I got the best of him. But every day after practice, he would stay with me and help me with something on how I can beat a defender and what a defender doesn’t like. And vice versa, I would also give him tips, as well.

“I really want to give a big shout-out to Ennis,” Lovett continued. “I just want to let you know that you helped me a lot along the way, even when I was at Missouri. Even when I was at Georgia, I could still call him and get tips. And now that we’re teammates, man, it really just come full circle. I appreciate you, man. Love you, big dog.”

A St. Louis native, Lovett was an emerging talent when Lions receiver Jameson Williams was dominating the local scene at Cardinal Ritter.

“I’m a real big fan of Jamo’s game and really just like his swag, his aura, and just how he plays the game,” Lovett said. “It’s an honor to be in a room with another guy from St. Louis, on the same team, that’s an honor. Real big fan, so I can’t wait to get there, be in his hip pocket, and pick his brain, as well.”

Maybe more than Williams, Lovett is looking forward to being around Amon-Ra St. Brown. Williams has primarily played slot receiver, and he knows he has a unique opportunity to learn from one of the NFL’s best at the position.

“I feel like I can learn so much just from how he plays the game,” Lovett said. “I feel like I can just pick his brain, I can be in his hip pocket, and he can show me the ropes to the NFL, in the slot, different things, different techniques that he can give me. I feel like I can just be in his hip pocket and just gain that knowledge."