Football is won in the trenches and the Lions need to build depth on the offensive and defensive lines. On the offensive line the Lions need a tackle and in my opinion a center. Travis Swanson was horrendous last year at center for the Lions. My dream scenario would be for Laremy Tunsil out of Ole Miss or Ronnie Staley from Notre Dame to fall to the Lions at sixteen. That would solidify the tackle position for years to come. Either one of those players falling to the Lions at sixteen is highly unlikely. If the Lions want to take an offensive tackle in the first round they will likely have their choice between Jack Conklin from Michigan State, Taylor Decker from Ohio State, and Jason Springs from Indiana. I would prefer Conklin opposed to the other two based on the pro style offense he played in at Michigan State. If the Lions choose to go a different direction in the first round a couple options that make sense in the later rounds for the Lions to fill their need for an offensive tackle include Kyle Murphy from Stanford and Tyler Marz from Wisconsin. As far as the Center position goes I would love the Lions to pick Ryan Kelly from Alabama. Kelly may end up going as high as the first round. If Kelly is there in the second round the Lions should not hesitate to take him. The other center I like in this draft is Nick Martin from Notre Dame. The Lions would be lucky to have either one of these guys.
This draft is especially deep at defensive tackle. I think the Lions are hoping that Sheldon Rankins from Louisville falls to them at sixteen in the first round. Rankins would step in and be a rotational player right away and would eventually be able to replace Ngata who only has a two year contract. Another guy to keep your eye on is Robert Nkemdiche from Ole Miss. Nkemdiche is a dominant player on the field, but there are character concerns along with some off the field issues he had at Ole Miss last season. If the Lions go a different direction in the first round a nice defensive tackle option in the mid rounds would be Sheldon Day from Notre Dame, or Willie Henry from Michigan. The Lions are also in need of a defensive end to put opposite of Ziggy Ansah. I really like Shaq Lawson from Clemson in the first round if he falls to the Lions. My dark horse of the draft is Bronson Kaufusi from BYU. Kaufusi would be be a mid round pick.
Last year the Lions struggled mightily after Deandre Levy went down for the season. Stephen Tulloch looked like a pylon trying to stop the run. In the first round I like only one LB for the Lions and that is Reggie Ragland from Alabama. Ragland would be a huge upgrade over Tulloch in the middle and would make a pretty formidable pairing with Levy. Ragland will probably be off the board when the Lions draft in the first round. A guy to keep an eye on is Jaylon Smith from Notre Dame. He was projected to be a top five player this year but then he tore up his knee badly in the Fiesta bowl. If he is cleared by doctors I would take a chance in the second to third rounds. Smith will probably sit out all of next year. Another option at linebacker for the Lions would be Scooby Wright from Arizona. I love the way this guy plays. All Scooby does is make plays on the football field. He is not the most athletic guy but when you watch the film on him all he does is make play after play.
It seems like every year Lions fans clamor for the Lions to get some secondary help. The secondary has been a weak spot more seasons than not. I highly doubt that the Lions will use their first round pick on secondary help, but I think the second round through the end of the draft is wide open for the Lions to find secondary help. The corner I really like in this draft is Daryl Worley from West Virginia. He is a really big corner and had a nice year last year. He probably will be available between the third and fifth rounds. The best safety for the Lions in this draft in my opinion is Karl Joseph from West Virginia. He has been called one of the hardest hitters in this draft. Joseph will probably not make it past the second round. A safety option later in the draft would be Sean Davis from Maryland or Justin Simmons from Boston College.
I believe the Lions will look for value when it come to drafting for the skill positions on offense. I believe the Lions will look to build depth on the offensive and defensive lines early in the draft and look for value when it comes to drafting a receiver or running back. As far as a receiver goes I really like Daniel Braverman from Western Michigan. I believe he could be a valuable slot receiver in the NFL. The running back I really like is Alex Collins from Arkansas. I think Collins could be a bell cow in the NFL and help you limit the carries for Ameer Abdulah. I would also look for the Lions to draft a quarterback late in the draft. The option I really like is Kevin Hogan from Stanford. He has experience running a pro style offense and could be a better option at back up than Dan Orlvosky.
I believe in the first round the Lions will either take an offensive tackle or a defensive lineman. I don't see Quinn taking a receiver with the sixteenth pick. That's not how New England has operated over the years. I believe Quinn will be well prepared and make the pick he thinks will help the Lions not only now bu in the future. Here is too a fresh start for this franchise!
1st Round Prediction: Jack Conklin OT Michigan State
