The Official 2014 Lions Draft Thread

[Gulf of Brazil]

Kiper's Top 10 TE (espn insider)

Tight ends


1. *Eric Ebron, North Carolina
2. *Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
3. *Troy Niklas, Notre Dame
4. *Jace Amaro, Texas Tech
5. C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa
6. *A.C. Leonard, Tennessee St.
7. Marcel Jensen, Fresno St.
8. *Colt Lyerla, Oregon
9. *Jake Murphy, Utah
10. Joe Don Duncan, Dixie St.
The biggest rise here is from ASJ. I keep coming back to how good he can be if it all comes together given his frame and athleticism. Amaro drops a bit for me due to the question of whether he provides anything at all from a blocking standpoint, while holding on to the ball is a small question. Another riser here is A.C. Leonard, a sleeper most fans haven't seen. Lyerla also moves up a step.

 

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Kiper's Top 10 OT

Offensive tackles


1. *Greg Robinson, Auburn
2. Jake Matthews, Texas A&M
3. Taylor Lewan, Michigan
4. Zack Martin, Notre Dame
5. *Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
6. Ja'Wuan James, Tennessee
7. Morgan Moses, Virginia
8. Jack Mewhort, Ohio St.
9. Billy Turner, North Dakota St.
10. *Antonio Richardson, Tennessee


Not much shifting here. Billy Turner of North Dakota State jumps on, and Tennessee's James moves up a few ticks. It's an impressive group when a physical talent like Richardson is all the way down at No. 10, while good tackles like Cameron Fleming of Stanford and former top prospect Seantrel Henderson are just off the list. All of these guys could be gone by the end of Day 2, really.

 

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Kiper's Top 10 OG

Offensive guards



1. Gabe Jackson, Mississippi St.
2. *David Yankey, Stanford
3. *Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA
4. Joel Bitonio, Nevada
5. Brandon Thomas, Clemson
6. **Trai Turner, LSU
7. Kadeem Edwards, Tennessee St.
8. Cyril Richardson, Baylor
9. Ryan Groy, Wisconsin
10. Dakota Dozier, Furman
The guy I've really moved up is LSU's Turner. He wasn't ranked here previously, but I got through more tape on him and liked what I saw. Jackson isn't a fit in any blocking scheme, but I think he's the most consistently dominant guard of the bunch. I'm not willing to move Thomas down much, even after an ACL tear. I have him pegged as a guard due to a lack of length, but watch him play tackle and you wouldn't think he needs to move off that position.

 

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Kiper's Top 10 C

Centers


1. *Marcus Martin, USC
2. Weston Richburg, Colorado St.
3. *Russell Bodine, North Carolina
4. Travis Swanson, Arkansas
5. Jonotthan Harrison, Florida
6. Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma
7. James Stone, Tennessee
8. Bryan Stork, Florida St.
9. Corey Linsley, Ohio St.
10. Tyler Larsen, Utah St.
Linsley is the new addition to a list that doesn't change much. There was a time when I thought Martin could sneak into the late first round, but the depth of overall talent at more crucial positions makes that more unlikely.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Kiper's Top 10 DE

Defensive ends


1. *Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
2. *Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame
3. *Demarcus Lawrence, Boise St.
4. Marcus Smith, Louisville
5. *Kony Ealy, Missouri
6. Kareem Martin, North Carolina
7. *Scott Crichton, Oregon St.
8. Chris Smith, Arkansas
9. Larry Webster, Bloomsburg
10. Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
This is mainly supposed to reflect players who can handle a 4-3 DE assignment, but we know Tuitt could be better-suited to a 3-4 scheme, and Lawrence could also be on the edge in a 3-4. So there's no certainty that we'll call everyone here a "defensive end" at this time next year, but you can never group defensive players perfectly. Clowney is a runaway at the top, with workouts that back up his disruptive, explosive play on tape. I think Martin is a potential sleeper given his athletic ability.

 

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Kiper's Top 10 DT

Defensive tackles


1. Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
2. *Timmy Jernigan, Pittsburgh
3. Ra'Shede Hageman, Minnesota
4. *Louis Nix III, Notre Dame
5. Brent Urban, Virginia
6. *Dominique Easley, Florida
7. DaQuan Jones, Penn St.
8. Justin Ellis, Louisiana Tech
9. Caraun Reid, Princeton
10. Jay Bromley, Syracuse
Donald rises to the top after a fantastic run of postseason work. He was an absolute terror in 2013, and he now seems likely to go in the middle of Round 1. The guy who really rises for me is Urban. He broke his foot after the season and didn't get to participate in the Senior Bowl, but I think his length and ability to beat blockers could make him an appealing Day 2 pick. Easley, of course, would be higher with fewer injury concerns. He can be awesome when he's healthy.

 

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Kiper's Top 10 ILB

Inside linebackers


1. C.J. Mosley, Alabama
2. Chris Borland, Wisconsin
3. Shayne Skov, Stanford
4. Preston Brown, Louisville
5. Max Bullough, Michigan St.
6. Avery Williamson, Kentucky
7. *Khairi Fortt, California
8. *Yawin Smallwood, Connecticut
9. DeDe Lattimore, South Florida
10. Glenn Carson, Penn St.
Mosley is still easily the top guy on this list, though Borland has closed the gap, and I see a greater chance that he could go late in Round 1 than I did during the season. As far as moves, Williamson moves up a few slots, and I've added Lattimore for the first time. Carson drops a few notches.

 

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Kiper's Top 10 OLB

Outside linebackers


1. Khalil Mack, Buffalo
2. Anthony Barr, UCLA
3. *Ryan Shazier, Ohio St.
4. Kyle Van Noy, BYU
5. Dee Ford, Auburn
6. Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech
7. Trent Murphy, Stanford
8. Telvin Smith, Florida St.
9. Jordan Tripp, Montana
10. Howard Jones, Shepherd
This is another list that blends traits. While Mack is a versatile player, he's obviously highly valued as a pass-rusher. Barr is going to be drafted for his pass-rushing skills. Shazier, on the other hand, is more of a 4-3 OLB, a playmaker who can attack gaps and chase down plays from the weak side. Van Noy moves up one spot, and Jones is added to the list for the first time.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Kiper's Top 10 CB

Cornerbacks
1. Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma St.
2. Darqueze Dennard, Michigan St.
3. Jason Verrett, TCU
4. *Bradley Roby, Ohio St.
5. Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech
6. Lamarcus Joyner, Florida St.
7. Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska
8. Keith McGill, Utah
9. Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma
10. Pierre Desir, Lindenwood
I have Verrett up one spot from the previous ranking, and I don't think it would be much of a shock to see him go late in Round 1. I know my pal Mr. McShay thinks very highly of Verrett, who lacks length but you wouldn't know it. I'm putting Colvin back on the list. He was injured at the Senior Bowl practice, but when he's healthy he's a really versatile talent, and he's on a good recovery timetable.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Kiper's Top 10 S

Safeties


1. *Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama
2. *Calvin Pryor, Louisville
3. Jimmie Ward, No. Illinois
4. Terrence Brooks, Florida St.
5. Deone Bucannon, Washington St.
6. Ahmad Dixon, Baylor
7. Maurice Alexander, Utah St.
8. *Ed Reynolds, Stanford
9. Antone Exum, Virginia Tech
10. Daniel Sorensen, BYU
The biggest mover from the last ranking is Reynolds, who I had just off the list previously. I took more time on his tape, particularly from his junior season, and I see an instinctive player who can close quickly and takes good routes to the ball. Clinton-Dix slides back ahead of Pryor at No. 1, with his coverage skills the difference.

 

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Kiper's Top 10 PK

Kickers


1. Anthony Fera, Texas
2. Zach Hocker, Arkansas
3. Chris Boswell, Rice
4. Cairo Santos, Tulane
5. Carey Spear, Vanderbilt
6. Mitch Ewald, Indiana
7. Andrew Furney, Washington St.
8. Vincenzo D'Amato, California
9. Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson
10. Cody Parkey, Auburn
I hate to say it, but I don't have a single change at kicker. Once you've been through the results and matched it up with what you can see in terms of height, kickoff hang time and conditions, there's not much more you can learn.

 

[tpaulus_2]

10. Detroit Lions: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama



This feels early to take a safety, but Clinton-Dix would give the Lions a premier young talent at the free-safety position, and his range in coverage and run support would be welcomed. Between him and free-agent signee James Ihedigbo at strong safety, the Lions could quickly turn around the safety position, which was a glaring weakness last season. Taylor Lewan is the best available on my board at this point, but I obviously don't see the Lions drafting a left tackle. And while Detroit needs a corner, none of the cornerbacks in this year's class are worthy of a top-10 pick in my opinion.


BB_72 This is from McShay's Mock 4.0 on his ESPN Insider

Maybe I'm just easily annoyed, but statements like this one drive me nuts. In what universe would Ihedigbo knock Quin out of the starting line-up?

I feel like the talking heads should know this kind of shit. It amazes me how many quality players they manage to completely over-look when they're trying to put together who fits where...

 

[tpaulus_2]

Wide receivers



1. *Sammy Watkins, Clemson
2. **Mike Evans, Texas A&M
3. *Brandin Cooks, Oregon St.
4. *Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU
5. *Marqise Lee, USC
6. **Kelvin Benjamin, Florida St.
7. **Davante Adams, Fresno St.
8. *Cody Latimer, Indiana
9. *Bruce Ellington, South Carolina
10. *Jarvis Landry, LSU
Two new additions here, with Latimer and Ellington joining the mix. Latimer is one to watch, as I've heard some teams talk about him as a potential first-rounder. He has the length and the speed coaches covet. While Lee has dropped, I associate that more with the rise of Cooks (who tore up the combine) and Beckham. Lee wasn't consistent as a junior, but he has a lot of good tape to fall back on.

I'm surprised that Allen kid from Penn St. doesn't crack his top ten...

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Tpaul, I totally agree. It's no different than some of their rankings of players throughout last season. I'll go back to LT Kouanjdio and CB Purifoy. What did these guys "Not See' that I clearly did see all season long. McShay missing on Quin is absolute joke. Ihedigbo is Quin's personal water cooler boy when comparing skill-set career wise. I get annoyed too but I shrug it off and move on. I could pick apart many a talking heads/experts. I'm not a talent evaluator nor have I ever been one but I wouldn't miss that one. You just laugh at it then move on. We all make mistakes. Maybe they have some of their flunkies write this shit up, IDK.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

I'm surprised that Allen kid from Penn St. doesn't crack his top ten...

Allen is my "this years drop aka the Keenan Allen drop" into the 3rd round

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Jordan Matthews isn't there either. I'd take either of Matthews or Allen in the 3rd round. Yet Jarvis Landry, who ran a 4.77 forty at the combine, is in the bottom 5 of that top 10. Go figure.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Kiper's Mock 3.0 (03-27-2014)

10. Detroit Lions: WR Mike Evans, Texas A&M



After the Lions signed Golden Tate, the obvious reaction is to think they go another direction here. I'll counter and say that the Lions didn't just need one wide receiver, they needed two, and I'd also say that while Tate is a nice addition, he doesn't do much to ease the worry of what this offense looks like when Calvin Johnson isn't healthy. The Lions shouldn't be done at this position, and I think Evans is too good to pass up here. Tate's presence doesn't mean this is no longer a need.

 

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Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor visit the Titans

Alabama S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Louisville S Calvin Pryor recently visited the Titans.

A workout had been reported for Clinton-Dix, but a team visit could be considered a higher level of interest. The two safeties are fairly different, with Ha Ha projecting as a rangy free safety, with Pryor winning with aggressiveness. Pryor did play a free safety role while in school, but it might not be the case in the NFL.
Source: [ame="[MEDIA=twitter]454324115332005888[/MEDIA]"]Jim Wyatt on Twitter [/ame]
Apr 10 - 3:13 PM


Alabama S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has visited the Ravens and Lions.
Clinton-Dix has also met with the Titans. Ha Ha is one of the few true free safeties in this class, something the Ravens absolutely need with Matt Elam expected to move closer to the line of scrimmage. We consider him a top 10 talent.
Source: Baltimore Sun
Apr 10 - 10:40 AM

 

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Report: Pats OL coach working out C Richburg

Patriots OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo is working out Colorado State C Weston Richburg, according to draft insider Tony Pauline.

Richburg is a name to keep in mind in the very later parts of the first-round and early second-round picks. Most teams will have him listed as the top prospect at the position, and the center class looks shallow.
Source: [ame="[MEDIA=twitter]454333918939197440[/MEDIA]"]Tony Pauline on Twitter [/ame]
Apr 10 - 4:30 PM

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Clinto-Dix doesn't seem so much as a reach at #10 with Tenn at #11 looking at him and Pryor...


I still want Donald tho