Round One (16 overall) – Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
It seems like fans are either all about this pick or don’t like it at all. For me I’m right in the middle with it considering where the Lions were coming from with the selection and what Decker has to offer. For a change I’m glad the Lions didn’t go with the ‘best player available’ and instead went with a position of need. Decker, a former Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, offers plenty of locker room and on the field leadership something the Lions as a team still could use. Decker also generally has good strength and effectively uses his reach and hands to latch onto rushers limiting what they can do on the ground.
On the flip, Decker doesn’t excel in any one thing on the line and won’t wow anyone with what he can do after the snap. This includes losing leverage as rushers try to get low on him and will at times fall asleep with late pressure to the quarterback.
Decker will be starter from day one for the Lions and is better than anything they had going for them last season from the offensive tackle position.
Could Decker have been taken later? Yes, Pro Football Focus had him as a second round pick again though the Lions finally have an understanding in the front office that success in the NFL starts in the trenches and not at wideout or tight end.
Grade: C+
