Round 1 (8): TE TJ Hockenson, Iowa
Round 2 (43): LB Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii
Round 3 (81): S Will Harris, Boston College
Round 4 (117): Edge Austin Bryant Ege, Clemson
Round 5 (146): CB Amani Oruwarlye, Penn State
Round 6 (184): WR Travis Fulgham, Old Dominion
Round 6 (186): RB Ty Johnson, Maryland
Round 7 (224): TE Isaac Nauta, Georgia
Round 7 (229): DI P.J. Johnson, Arizona
Round One
The Detroit Lions could’ve done better but they certainly could’ve done worse when it came to the T.J. Hockenson selection at eight overall. I know what Lions fans are ultimately thinking too, they fucking drafted another tight end in the first round? And yes, when it comes to positional value at the eight spot and considering who was still on the board the Hockenson pick is going to have it’s detractors.
The thing is though, the Lions had a shit tone of needs heading into this draft and despite the Jesse James signing, Detroit still had an immediate need in the short and longterm for a tight end.
Not to mention the League is different now. You can’t get by without a legitimate tight end like teams have done in the past. Last season the Lions tried it and it didn’t work out. So by that logic, drafting a tight end higher than usual isn’t that out of the ordinary anymore.
Hockenson will be day-one starter for the Lions who’ll provide an immediate impact on the passing and running game. And as people will try to compare the former Hawkeye to Eric Ebron, he’s simply not. Unlike Ebron, Hockenson is more of your true-to-form tight end with much better hands who won’t be subjugated to some nonsensical transition to wide receiver.
Rounds Two and Three
Linebacker Jahlani Tavai out of Hawaii was a huge head scratcher as fans and experts were scrambling through notes and draft boards to try and figure out who the fuck this guy actually is. Much of the unknown though surrounding Tavai had to do with him being injured during much of the offseason evaluation leading up to the draft. His actual game film gives a much better representation of what the Lions saw in him when it comes to his explosiveness and instinct at Hawaii. However Tavai doesn’t do any one thing exceptionally well and I have a good feeing the Lions will regret this pick (at this spot at least) down the road.
Meanwhile, Boston College safety Will Harris provided much better value for the Lions in the third round. Harris is versatile and can move around the Detroit secondary but is pretty raw coming out of college and will need some refining if he’s going to find any kind of longterm success with the Lions.
Rounds Four through Seven
One of the biggest steals of the draft may have been when the Lions selected Penn State corner Amani Oruwarlye with the 146th overall pick in the fifth round. Although it’s unclear for many why Oruwarlye slipped so far down the board for really everyone what is known is the former Nittany Lion is extremely athletic who had the best outing at the Senior Bowl than any other corner who took part.
Outlook wise, Oruwarlye will have to compete out of the gate if he’s looking to win any starting job out of camp but a number two spot alongside Darius Slay can definitely be seen in his future.
Final Grade: C-
