Cowboys Extra: Spotlight on Lions DT Ndamukong Suh

Height: 6-4 Weight: 305

Season: 5th College: Nebraska

Strengths: Suh has become the top defensive tackle in football, worth the No. 2 overall pick the Lions used on him in 2010. He has a rare combination of size, strength and athleticism. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 32 times, ran the 40 in 4.98 seconds and had a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump during the 2010 scouting combine. He has 10 1/4-inch hands that he uses well. Suh has great instincts. He will clog running lanes as a run-stopper and collapse the pocket as a pass-rusher. He can dominate a game.

Weaknesses: Suh has developed a reputation as the dirtiest player in football. In his NFL career, he has been fined $286,875, including $70,000 from last week’s game against Green Bay, and lost $165,294 due to suspension.

Last week: Suh had seven tackles, including one for loss, and defensed a pass in the Lions’ 30-20 loss to the Packers.

Who has to stop him? Suh will line up over rookie right guard Zack Martin in base, but he will move around on obvious passing downs. Center Travis Frederick and left guard Ron Leary are likely to draw Suh at some point. Frederick has allowed only half a sack, according to STATS, but he has four holding penalties. Leary has allowed four sacks and has three holds. Martin has no holding penalties and has allowed only one sack.

Notable: Suh finished with a career-high 21 tackles for loss this season, the most by a league defensive tackle since at least 2000.

This story was originally published January 3, 2015 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Cowboys Extra: Spotlight on Lions DT Ndamukong Suh."