Detroit Lions

Lions teammate on Ezekiel Ansah: 'He has no idea how good he is'

Published Nov. 29, 2015 10:36 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Detroit Lions have a budding star in defensive end Ezekiel Ansah. The former fifth-overall pick has taken over as the team's leading sacker this season, and he's gaining some national recognition for his efforts.

In front of a huge Thanksgiving audience, Ansah posted a career-high 3.5 sacks in Detroit's blowout victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. One sack of Philadelphia's Mark Sanchez forced a fumble, and the 6-foot-5, 278-pound pass-rusher was able to recover it himself.

Ansah's performance last Thursday blew away teammate Darryl Tapp, a 10-year veteran of the league. Tapp said Ansah has "no idea" how good he is, according to the Lions' official Twitter account.

The third-year pro now has 11.5 sacks on the season. That level of production is comparable to that of the finest pass-rushers across the NFL, including Houston's J.J. Watt. Ansah is having a similar, uplifting effect on his team, too, as the Lions are currently riding a three-game winning streak.