After taking defensive end Ziggy Ansah in the first round Thursday, Martin Mayhew and the Lions returned Friday selecting speedy corner Darius Slay out of Mississippi State int second round and mauling offensive guard Larry Warford in the third.
I made it lol its crazy
— Darius Slay (@slay_darius) April 27, 2013
Slay, who the Lions took 36th overall ran the 40-yard dash (4.36 seconds) the fastest out of all defensive backs who attended the NFL Combine. And at just under 6’0″ Slay offers size at the position the Lions seem to be comfortable with.
“He’s a man cover guy, he’s played very well in the SEC and been very productive and we’ve been trying to find that big corner,” Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said. “We’ve talked about that and everybody’s looking for that guy. He has got a lot of that same stuff. He’s really good in press coverage, he’s physical against the run, so we like this player. He’s going to help us a lot.”
Like many Lions draft picks though, Slay doesn’t come without some concern. The Mississippi State corner did suffer a torn meniscus that apparently will not require surgery. Slay though did take a physical for the Lions during one of his private workout sessions for the team that seemed to alleviate any fears Detroit had in selecting him.
Watching Megatron condition is crazy
— Darius Slay (@slay_darius) April 16, 2013
Meanwhile in the third round, the Lions addressed a very real need on the offensive line by selecting offensive guard Larry Warford out of Kentucky when the 65th overall pick.
Long wait well worth it Crazy excited about my new family!!! LIONS!!!!!!!
— Larry Warford (@wardaddy_75) April 27, 2013
Warford who has been described as dominant by such individuals as Mike Mayock of the NFL Network stands in at 6-foot-3 and 332 pounds. He was selected to the All-SEC second team the past three seasons and should definitely help a Lions run game that lacked adequate blocking the past several seasons.
“Larry Warford at the point of attack ate his lunch,” Mayock said. “This kid in the correct offense is absolutely a road grader. And a little more nimble than you think at 330 pounds.
“You’ve got Reggie Bush, Mikel Leshoure, you can’t be so one-dimensional. This kid is going to help.”
Heading into Saturday the Lions still could use more help on the offensive line. In addition they also have needs at linebacker and wide receiver.