It’s that time of year Lions Nation. The season has wrapped up and the NFL Combine has come and gone. The Detroit Lions have needs and questions all over the board. Experts are pegging the Lions for a Defensive Lineman and frankly it’s lazy work. The Lions don’t just have needs at defensive line, they have needs at Running Back, Offensive Line, Wide Receiver/Returner, and Corner Back. Yet most of the national pundits peg Defensive Tackle as the Lions draft pick at #23.
Here is what those national pundits have to say about who will go the Lions in the first round:
- WalterFootball.com
- Walter Cherepinsky: DT Malcolm Brown – Texas
- NFL.com
- Charles Davis: DT Malcolm Brown – Texas
- Lance Zierlein: DT Malcolm Brown – Texas
- Bucky Brooks: DT Michael Bennett – Ohio State
- CBSSports.com
- Pat Kirwan: DT Eddie Goldman – Florida State
- ESPN.com
- Mel Kiper Jr.: Texas DT Malcolm Brown – Texas
- Todd McShay: DT Malcolm Brown – Texas
- BleacherReport.com
- Matt Miller- Oregon DT/DE Arik Armstead
Here are eight of the biggest draft experts in the business and they didn’t look past Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley being free agents.The bottom line is Detroit isn’t going to let both of these guys get away, free agency is loaded with Defensive Tackles, and the draft is going to provide solid mid round Defensive Tackles. Florida State is going to send two Defensive Tackles into the draft and there are arguably six to seven NFL Quality Defensive Tackles in this draft, so why reach at with the twenty third pick? Two of them will go in the top fifteen but there is a strong likelihood Detroit could see a strong Defensive Tackle in the second round.
As I said above Detroit has other needs, but if they go into the draft without Fairley or Suh, at least one of them will be a Lion. If not, I’m all for a Defensive Tackle being the Lions’ selection. However, it’s my opinion that won’t happen.
So here it goes, the Detroit Lions draft targets:
First Round:
Offensive Tackle is the biggest need on this team. The Lions couldn’t open holes for the Running Backs nor could they protect Quarterback Matt Stafford. Riley Reiff is a slightly above average Left Tackle, but the Lions might be inclined to move him inside to Guard or the other side of the offensive line at Right Tackle. There is a lot of value in this draft on the Offensive Line.
- LSU OT La’el Collins – He is big, has long arms, and mauls opponents in the run game. Had a dominant Senior Bowl that makes him one a strong choice to go higher than number twenty three. If he is there, he will be the Lions selection.
- Miami OT Ereck Flowers – I’m not the only one who likes this kid. Rang and Brugler from CBS love him as the guy for Detroit. Flowers will walk in day one and start at Right Tackle. He is big at 6’6″ and 329 pounds, he might have the highest upside of any Tackle but has been known to get rattled and take a penalty. Could we see a Detroit twofer from the “U”, Flowers in the first round and Running Back Duke Johnson in the second?
- Pittsburgh OT T.J. Clemmings – He is run blocking ready and probably a RT at the NFL level. Scouts think he might struggle against an NFL pass rusher.
Dark Horses:
- Michigan State CB Trae Waynes:
- If he is there at number 23, the Lions can’t afford to pass on him
- LSU SS Landon Collins
- Georgia RB Todd Gurley
Second Round:
Detroit is going to have a chance to have a big time draft, the key is the second round pick. It is a must to get a player of impact. Running Back, Defensive Tackle, Corner Back are all on the table here with the Best Player Available strategy.
- Miami RB Duke Johnson – Johnson fits the Lions needs in terms of a two back system. He is a versatile back that slips defenders and can be used in the passing game, which is a plus as Detroit regularly uses its running backs as receiving threats out of the backfield.
- South Carolina OG A.J. Cann – This is a favorite pick for Detroit. He is a Left Guard through and through. Cann is strong, coachable, and buries his man. Those are all words any coach wants to hear when his future Left Guard is described.
- Ohio State DT Michael Bennett – He is a quick inside man with backfield vision. Relies on his speed to beat his man and won’t over power his opponent. He is a rangey, smart player that would be a nice addition for the Lions in the late second round.
Dark Horses:
- Washington CB Marcus Peters
- FSU DT Eddie Goldman
Third Round:
Best player available is a popular term thrown out during draft season, especially concerning the Lions. I hate the best player available strategy. If your board is wrong, needs don’t get taken care of and you end up with a Tight End in the first round twice in a five year period. There should be a caveat with the best player available strategy, best player available according to needs. Bottom line, a team should be able to find consistent talent in rounds one and two. Depth is built in rounds three and later. Enter best player available in the third round and every round after.
- Alabama G Arie Kouandijo – Quick for his size and has the power to go with his frame. At 6’5″ and 315 pounds he destroys Defensive Tackles. He has made strides to be a quality pass blocker and should start game one.
- FSU G Tre’ Jackson – Ready made Left Guard that doesn’t quite have the size of Larry Warford, but with them sandwiching Swanson, the Lions should be able to pry open most Defensive Lines. He isn’t the most mobile of Offensive Lineman but he is massive and Swanson will handle pulling duties.
- Stanford CB Alex Carter – A bigger corner that uses his vision to track the ball and make aggressive plays on it. Can be a little too hands on, which will cost him with penalties in the NFL.
- Alabama RB T.J. Yeldon – At 6’1″, 225 lbs Yeldon can be a load at times, but has better game speed than track speed. He surprises opponents with how fast a back he is with his size. He won’t break a defender down because he is a more of a lateral, one cut runner.
- Michigan State RB Jeremy Langford – Langford shocked everyone at the combine with fastest time for Running Back with a 4.43 second 40-yard dash time. Langford is a Corner Back turned Running Back that showed he be a every down back and carry the load.
Dark Horse:
- LSU Jalen Collins CB
- He’s a big corner (6’1″) with 4.4 speed.
Fourth Round:
- Miami WR Phillip Dorsett – Pure speed and good match for a third Wide Receiver and Returner. If he is available in the fourth, he’d be a steal for the Lions.
- Clemson DE Corey Crawford – Big, lengthy End that isn’t fast but able to bully power tackles to get into the backfield. Bit of a project and needs work but the kind of pick Detroit makes in the mid rounds and looks to get uses out of in a rotation.
- William and Mary WR Tre McBride – With 4.4 40-yard dash speed he could turn into a Returner/Fourth Receiver type. He’ll be under rated due to playing at a small school but coaches talked up his football IQ, smarts, and route running ability.
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Rounds:
At this point most teams are looking for special teamers to fill out a roster and compete for jobs down the line. The Lions want athletes with upside. Michigan Linebacker Jake Ryan or Kansas Linebacker Ben Heeney are two workout warriors that come to mind. I’m not going to lie and try to predict late rounds. It is a crap shoot at best.