Lions selected Boise State EDGE Ahmed Hassanein with the No. 196 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hassanein (6’2"/267) has a unique story. Coming from Cairo, Egypt, he’ll be the first Egyptian player selected in the draft in league history. Hassanein recorded 22 sacks over his last two seasons at Boise State. He really took a leap in 2023, recording 30 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. His ability to cause disruption in the backfield is exactly what you want as an NFL edge rusher. With a PFF run defense grade of 80.3, Hassanein is physical and plays with a very high motor. However, there are times when he’s inconsistent with that initial step off the ball. In his film against Georgia Southern, Hassanein wouldn’t be as quick off the ball, and he would lose leverage against his opponents. He’ll lose that upper body strength to really shed his blocks and make those players. In that game, he posted a 58.3 run defense grade, which was his second lowest of the season. Hassanein is also active with his hands as a pass rusher. With a 76.9 pass rush grade, he posted a 15.8 percent win rate in the 2024 season. He has the talent to develop into a productive starter at the next level.
