After a controversial loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, the Lions have been preparing for the off-season for the last few weeks. With time, I’ll have my free agent predictions and of course, more mock drafts will follow. For now, I took a crack at a Lions’ seven round mock draft. Enjoy!
**please note that the overall selection numbers will change once the compensatory picks are decided**
First Round (23rd overall): DT from Ohio State — Michael Bennett — When you look at the Lions defensive tackle position and see who’s going to hit the free agent market, there’s a huge need for them at this position. Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, C.J. Mosley & Andre Fluellen will all hit the market. The Lions will be able to sign either Suh or Fairley and in my personal opinion, the guy that will be back in Detroit will be Nick Fairley. Suh wants JJ Watt like money, has stated his agent will pick his team (which means whoever pays the most), wants to play for a high market team (ex: New York) & the Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed Gerald McCoy to a $100 million dollar extension. To me that’s enough reasons for Suh to go elsewhere and the fact the Lions could bring back Fairley for way cheaper and still have money to bring in more value for their team at other positions. Now to the pick of Michael Bennett: he stands at 6’2 and weighs 290 pounds. He’ll probably run between the 4.8 to 4.9 time in the 40 yard-dash. As a junior at Ohio State he finished the 2013 season with 42 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. Then returning for his senior season, he finished the 2014 with 40 tackles and 7.0 sacks. Bennett is quick off the ball and has excellent vision to make plays in the backfield. One area of work he could improve is his strength as he doesn’t always just push guys out of the way but with time, he could improve that. Bennett would be a great addition to the Lions’ defensive front and has the ability to go before the Lions pick but he would really need to have great pro days and combine to beat out DT from Texas — Malcolm Brown & Dany Shelton from Washington. Ultimately Bennett is most comparable to St. Louis Rams DT Aaron Donald
Second Round (54th overall): CB from Stanford — Alex Carter — Cornerbacks Cassius Vaughn and Rashean Mathis are set to hit the free agent market for the Lions. Ultimately, Mathis is too old to be playing in the NFL anymore and Vaughn showed for the most part that he shouldn’t be playing on Sundays. On the IR, the Lions had Bill Bentley hurt for the whole year and proving that his value is decreasing while slowly receiving the ‘bust’ tag from the 2012 NFL Draft. All together, the Lions can’t roll into the 2015 season with just Darius Slay. Getting some help alongside him is a smart move. If the Lions don’t add any players to their cornerback position such as Chris Culliver (San Francisco 49ers) or Kareem Jackson (Houston Texans — also former teammate of Glover Quinn) then grabbing a corner is a must in the draft. The Lions have never been a team to grab a corner in the first round so I think it makes sense to go with someone like Carter in the second round. Just like the picture above, he’s a great tackler and is an aggressive player on the field. He carries great size on the field at 6’0″ and 200 pounds which shows as he led the Cardinal in 2014 with 10 passes defended, adding 41 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception. This is a great pick with value and need written all over it. While Carter is getting linked to former Stanford Cardinal cornerback, Richard Sherman. I think he’s most comparable to Miami Dolphins CB Brent Grimes.
Third Round (88th overall): OG from Louisville — John Miller — With Rob Sims set to hit the free agent market at the age of 33 and not having a very strong 2014, it’s time for the Lions to look elsewhere. In the mid rounds is when you find really good guards and that’s exactly what the Lions can do this time. Much like they did with Larry Warford, the Lions can do the same here with John Miller out of Louisville. Miller is 6’3 and 315 pounds with great toughness, good football IQ and great technique in the trenches. He doesn’t have awesome quickness but he should still be a solid player at the left guard position regardless. Miller started all 13 games at left guard this past season while starting 34 games overall in his career at Louisville. He won’t light up the charts with speed or quickness in timed drills at the combine but he should have above average strength and will show some of the best technique of any guard in the draft. Overall that means something for a guy who’s currently listed as a 4th to 5th round pick. To me Miller already grabs the comparison of Larry Warford and should be an instant starter on the Lions offensive front.
Fourth Round (119th overall): CB from Oregon State — Steven Nelson — Much like I said above, the Lions need depth at the cornerback position. In this day of the NFL, you can’t have too many cornerbacks and Nelson is one of those guys that add depth to the position for the Lions. Although he won’t be an instant starter at the next level he carries good size at 5’11” and 195 pounds. He’ll probably earn his time through special teams but his biggest weakness is his hands. He doesn’t use them as much as he should, despite being a fluid athlete and physical player down field. His progression will be interesting to see but could be a good pick in the future as he’s comparable to New York Jets CB Kyle Wilson.
Fifth Round (150th overall): RB from Missouri — Marcus Murphy — I’m all aboard the train of cutting Reggie Bush and clearing up whatever cap space we can get. I know that players like TJ Yeldon (I really want him), Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon sound nice in the draft as we all can agree that Joique Bell isn’t a number one guy. However, finding another Reggie Bush or scat-running back would be ideal. Murphy isn’t as bulky as Darren Sproles but at 5’9 & 195 pounds, Marcus Murphy will be one of the fastest RB’s in the draft and is already seeing reps at WR to help his draft stock. Running out of the backfield for the Tigers in 2014, Murphy had 177 carries with 924 yards and 9 touchdowns. We didn’t see much of him receiving the ball but heading into the college football all-star games, Murphy was practicing his pass catching ability and has been impressive doing so. Murphy will come in the league and be one of those “jack of all trades” type of players and could instantly become a return man for the Lions.
Sixth Round (184th overall): OT from Oklahoma — Tyrus Thompson — With injuries to La’Adrian Waddle and Corey Hilliard last year and only having Cornelius Lucas and Garrett Reynolds as back-ups, it’s safe to say the Lions need depth at the tackle position. Tyrus Thompson is 6’5 and 335 pounds and is best fitted as a right tackle at the next level but he held his own against one of the nations most dominant pass rushers in Baylor’s, Shawn Oakman. Thompson has long arms and a broad frame but needs to get stronger to be considered a starter at the next level. He at times gets too grabby but he’ll have time to grow and if injuries continue, he’ll get his chance to play. The best case scenario is he’ll become like Buffalo Bills tackle Cordy Glenn but he’ll need to get stronger before gaining that comparison.
Seventh Round (215th overall): DE from Purdue — Ryan Russell — With the holes at defensive tackle, the Lions need as much depth as possible on their defensive line. I know a defensive tackle makes sense but with Jason Jones getting older and a guy like George Johnson (29 tackles & 6 sacks) set to hit the market, the Lions could add some depth behind Jones and Ansah. Purdue has seen some productive players out of their defensive end position in the NFL with the likes of Cliff Avril, Shaun Phillips, Ryan Kerrigan & Rob Ninkovich. Russell had a tough time switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4 so it looks like he’ll be a natural fit in the Lions 4-3 defense. Not only does he have good speed at 4.70 in the 40-yard-dash but he fits the eye ball test as he measures at 6’4 and 275 pounds. Murphy is not always the quickest guy off the ball so it prevents him from having great pass rushing skill but that will come with time. Ultimately, he needs to get better at stopping the run but in the 7th round he has the ability to become a starter in the NFL much like Willie Young did a few years ago.