The Official 2014 Lions Draft Thread

[Gulf of Brazil]

These Mock Draft Sites have selected the following Players for the LIONS

UsaToday 1st rd. CB Darqueze Dennard

Kiper 1st rd. WR Mike Evans

McShay 1st rd. FS Hasean Clinton-Dix...... 2nd rd. WR Devante Adams

CBS 1st rd. CB Justin Gilbert (Rang, Brugler, Prisco, Kirwan)

NFL.com 1st rd. OT Taylor Lewan (Jeremiah)
.............1st rd. DT Timmy Jernigan (Brooks)
.............1st rd. CB Justin Gilbert (Davis)
.............1st rd. CB Justin Gilbert (Huguenin)
.............1st rd. WR Mike Evans (Goodbread)
.............1st rd. FS Hasean Clinton-Dix (Smith)
.............1st rd. FS Hasean Clinton-Dix (Fisher)

DraftTek 1st rd. FS Hasean Clinton-Dix.....2nd rd. LB Cristian Jones......3rd rd. C Travis Swanson
............ 4th rd. OT Joel Bitonio.............. 4th rd. DE Trevor Reilly....... 4th rd. WR Robert Herron
.............6th rd. QB Jimmy Garoppolo.....................................7th rd. CB Bennett Jackson

Walt's.....1st rd. DE Anthony Barr.............2nd rd. CB Kyle Fuller..................3rd rd. C Travis Swanson
.............4th rd. DT Caraun Reid...............4th rd. WR Brandon Coleman........4th rd. OG Jon Halapio

Charlie's..1st rd. WR Mike Evans...............2nd rd. LB Marcus Smith...............3rd rd. SS Craig Loston
..............4th rd. DT Kelcey Quarles...........4th rd. CB Pierre Desir..................4th rd. DE Larry Webster

 

[Rollingthndr]

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

Derrick Williams

 

[tpaulus_2]

Derrick Williams

Not even remotely close to the same type of WR. Robinson is a bigger (6'2") possession WR, not a 5'10" slot guy...

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

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

Derrick Williams

Not even remotely close to the same type of WR. Robinson is a bigger (6'2") possession WR, not a 5'10" slot guy...

NOW, NOW Gents.. Life is better than that kind of banter... there's proof

 

[gandydancer]

Why is that guy in front and not behind looking?

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

by Michael Rothstein at espn

In May, Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew will run the team for his sixth NFL draft. He'll have been involved with the team's personnel decisions, at that point, for 10 seasons.

While Mayhew's first draft as the team's actual general manager took place in 2009, he had been working with the team since the middle of the 2004 season as the Lions' assistant general manager. He did not make final decisions when it came to the draft in those first few years -- Matt Millen was still the general manager then -- he was certainly part of the group that helped influence what happened with the Lions.

For that reason, we start our first round review with the year 2005, the first draft Mayhew would have been intimately involved in with the Lions. Over the next two weeks, we'll look at the first round picks in each year for the Lions, who else would have been available and whether or not that pick ended up being a good call.

The pick: 10th

The player selected: Mike Williams, WR, USC

The player's credentials at the time: Williams was a star at USC. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, he had 176 catches for 2,579 yards and 30 touchdowns in two seasons with the Trojans. He tried to declare for the NFL draft after his sophomore season and hired an agent after a lawsuit by Maurice Clarett seemed to abolish the rule where draft-eligible players had to be out of high school for three seasons. When the initial ruling was overturned, Williams tried to be reinstated to USC for his junior season and the NCAA denied that petition.

Still, Williams was one of the top players in his class and one of the top wide receivers in the country. Yet Millen apparently didn't want to draft Williams in 2005, as his son said during the NFL Network's “A Football Life” special on Millen.

Who else was available at the pick: DeMarcus Ware, LB, Troy; Shawne Merriman, LB, Maryland; Aaron Rodgers, QB, California; Heath Miller, TE, Virginia.

Did the pick make sense at the time: If the Lions wanted to construct a dynamic offense, yes. Williams was a freakish athlete with immense skills and could have caused major headaches for opposing secondaries -- think what Chicago has now with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. But as Millen's son said in "A Football Life," his father also liked Ware, who was a pass-rusher with his own set of freakish skills.

Did it end up being a good pick: No. Not even close. Williams had 127 catches for 1,526 yards and five touchdowns in his five seasons in the NFL, less numbers than he put up in his two seasons at USC. He had more than 500 yards receiving in a season only once -- 2010 in Seattle -- and that was the only year where he caught more than one touchdown pass. For a top 10 pick, Williams did not pan out at all for Detroit or anyone else who signed him.

Who should the Lions have taken: While hindsight would have said Rodgers would have been the obvious player to take, the team was still committed to Joey Harrington after drafting him with the No. 3 pick in 2002. He had also come off his best statistical season, throwing for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions -- the only time in his career where he would throw for more scores than picks. But Harrington appeared to be slowly improving.

Millen would have been correct in taking Ware, who has made 576 tackles and had 117 sacks since being drafted by Dallas with the No. 11 pick in 2005 -- one slot after the Lions passed on him. Ware made seven Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro four times and was the NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.

What can Detroit learn from this: This draft could actually provide a smart blueprint for Detroit in regard to May's draft. The Lions are flirting with taking a wide receiver -- perhaps Texas A&M's Mike Evans -- to pair with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate in hopes of creating a dynamic offense. But the Detroit defense is full of positions in need of upgrades, and if there is a player who can make an impact on defense -- like linebacker Anthony Barr from UCLA, defensive tackle Aaron Donald from Pitt or cornerback Justin Gilbert from Oklahoma State -- available at No. 10, upgrading the defense should be the priority over adding to the offense that early. If the Lions had taken Ware, the team's entire last decade might have changed.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Analyzing McShay mock 4.0: Lions

April, 10, 2014 12:15PM ET
By Michael Rothstein | ESPN.com

The Detroit Lions are in the midst of a somewhat public lovefest with Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins -- a player they would certainly have to trade up for to acquire.

But until they make that trade -- if they make that trade -- the best we can project is what Detroit will do if the team stays at No. 10. And considering the Lions are not in need of a quarterback (or an offensive tackle, really), they have a bunch of options.

In Todd McShay's fourth mock draft, this one of the two-round variety, he gives the Lions one pick on defense and one pick on offense. In the first round, he has Detroit taking safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from Alabama. Clinton-Dix is the most sensible pick at No. 10 from a talent/need standpoint. The Lions need a young safety to eventually pair with Glover Quin despite signing James Ihedigbo during free agency. They also have shown interest in Clinton-Dix as he was among the first prospects the team brought in for a pre-draft visit. And safety is a clear need for the Lions.

In the second round, McShay has Detroit going with wide receiver Davante Adams from Fresno State. Adams would be an intriguing receiver prospect because he possesses the requisite size -- he's a shade over 6-foot -- and has a 39.5-inch vertical jump. He also ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He rates out as the No. 49 overall prospect and eighth-best receiver according to ESPN.com's rankings, just behind Indiana's Cody Latimer and just ahead of LSU's Jarvis Landry and Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about McShay's mock draft -- from a Lions perspective -- is where he has some other potential targets going. He has cornerback Darqueze Dennard going at No. 15 to Pittsburgh, safety Calvin Pryor at No. 20 to Arizona, cornerback Justin Gilbert at No. 25 to San Diego, cornerback Kyle Fuller at No. 27 to New Orleans and linebacker Anthony Barr dropping to the second round at No. 36.

If the aforementioned scenario were to unfold and the Lions didn't move up at the start of Round 1, it would definitely be conceivable for them to move up into the late first round or early second round to grab Barr or Gilbert or even Fuller. That would make it an extremely interesting draft for Detroit.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

following quote by Pete Prisco in one of his recently written articles. It's not like we don't know this already but all the chatter surrounding trade up. Then the next quote by Pat Kirwin.


• Don't believe any pre-draft chatter you hear supposedly coming from teams. They lie. A lot.
Monday Musings: Lining up Clowney, centers, Wonderlic, Garoppolo - CBSSports.com


Ten teams that could go defense

by Pat Kirwin
At this point it appears close to 10 teams are looking to have a defensive draft in the first three rounds.


The Bears, Bengals, Cowboys, Broncos, Lions, Colts, Giants, Eagles, Steelers and Chargers might all consider three defensive players in the first three rounds if the draft falls the right way. The men running the draft for these teams are too smart to draft exclusively for need, and I don't suspect we will see any of them take a defensive player with a fourth- or fifth-round grade in the first three rounds.
But I do expect a few teams to be disappointed when the well runs dry before they satisfy their defensive needs.


I'm not so sure the same could be said for the defensive tackles, which I break down later in this article.


In the secondary there should be enough corners to repopulate most rosters but the safeties may fall short. By my preliminary count 11-12 teams need a safety fairly early in the draft to come in and play early, but I don't see enough safeties with grades in that area. I ran these observations by one GM. Without giving away his draft intentions he thought with all the teams looking to infuse a lot of defensive talent this year it might cause some reaching, or as he said, "rushing" to grab talent.



GMs have to think to the future because of contract issues on the horizon, age and injury problems, and possibly personality conflicts that are heading in the wrong direction. Here are a few teams that may look at this draft with a bigger eye on the future than on the present.

Teams eyeing defense in 2014 NFL Draft may be forced to reach - CBSSports.com

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

2014 NFL Draft Stock Up

Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State
WalterFootball.com has confirmed with from multiple sources from around the league that Richburg is getting consideration as a late first-round pick. Many teams have graded Richburg as the top center in the 2014 NFL Draft - this class isn't deep at the position. He is viewed as a player who can come in and start immediately. Richburg is athletic, strong and quick; he also can play ability to play guard. If Richburg doesn't go in the first round, sources say he shouldn't escape the top half of the second round.


2014 NFL Draft Stock Down

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
As stated above, momentum plays a part in the draft process. Unlike Lewan, Dennard has it in a bad way heading into the final month of draft season. There are concerns about his ability to play off-man coverage, and some teams rate Kyle Fuller and/or Bradley Roby ahead of Dennard. Dennard should still be a first-round pick, but the projections of him in the top 16 seem to be too rich. He's more likely to go in the 20s or later in the first round.

WalterFootball.com: 2014 NFL Draft Stock - Pre-Draft Visits

 

[Rollingthndr]

by Michael Rothstein at espn

In May, Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew will run the team for his sixth NFL draft. He'll have been involved with the team's personnel decisions, at that point, for 10 seasons.

While Mayhew's first draft as the team's actual general manager took place in 2009, he had been working with the team since the middle of the 2004 season as the Lions' assistant general manager. He did not make final decisions when it came to the draft in those first few years -- Matt Millen was still the general manager then -- he was certainly part of the group that helped influence what happened with the Lions.

For that reason, we start our first round review with the year 2005, the first draft Mayhew would have been intimately involved in with the Lions. Over the next two weeks, we'll look at the first round picks in each year for the Lions, who else would have been available and whether or not that pick ended up being a good call.

The pick: 10th

The player selected: Mike Williams, WR, USC

The player's credentials at the time: Williams was a star at USC. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, he had 176 catches for 2,579 yards and 30 touchdowns in two seasons with the Trojans. He tried to declare for the NFL draft after his sophomore season and hired an agent after a lawsuit by Maurice Clarett seemed to abolish the rule where draft-eligible players had to be out of high school for three seasons. When the initial ruling was overturned, Williams tried to be reinstated to USC for his junior season and the NCAA denied that petition.

Still, Williams was one of the top players in his class and one of the top wide receivers in the country. Yet Millen apparently didn't want to draft Williams in 2005, as his son said during the NFL Network's “A Football Life” special on Millen.

Who else was available at the pick: DeMarcus Ware, LB, Troy; Shawne Merriman, LB, Maryland; Aaron Rodgers, QB, California; Heath Miller, TE, Virginia.

Did the pick make sense at the time: If the Lions wanted to construct a dynamic offense, yes. Williams was a freakish athlete with immense skills and could have caused major headaches for opposing secondaries -- think what Chicago has now with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. But as Millen's son said in "A Football Life," his father also liked Ware, who was a pass-rusher with his own set of freakish skills.

Did it end up being a good pick: No. Not even close. Williams had 127 catches for 1,526 yards and five touchdowns in his five seasons in the NFL, less numbers than he put up in his two seasons at USC. He had more than 500 yards receiving in a season only once -- 2010 in Seattle -- and that was the only year where he caught more than one touchdown pass. For a top 10 pick, Williams did not pan out at all for Detroit or anyone else who signed him.

Who should the Lions have taken: While hindsight would have said Rodgers would have been the obvious player to take, the team was still committed to Joey Harrington after drafting him with the No. 3 pick in 2002. He had also come off his best statistical season, throwing for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions -- the only time in his career where he would throw for more scores than picks. But Harrington appeared to be slowly improving.

Millen would have been correct in taking Ware, who has made 576 tackles and had 117 sacks since being drafted by Dallas with the No. 11 pick in 2005 -- one slot after the Lions passed on him. Ware made seven Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro four times and was the NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.

What can Detroit learn from this: This draft could actually provide a smart blueprint for Detroit in regard to May's draft. The Lions are flirting with taking a wide receiver -- perhaps Texas A&M's Mike Evans -- to pair with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate in hopes of creating a dynamic offense. But the Detroit defense is full of positions in need of upgrades, and if there is a player who can make an impact on defense -- like linebacker Anthony Barr from UCLA, defensive tackle Aaron Donald from Pitt or cornerback Justin Gilbert from Oklahoma State -- available at No. 10, upgrading the defense should be the priority over adding to the offense that early. If the Lions had taken Ware, the team's entire last decade might have changed.

Millen openly admitted that was his greatest drafting mistake. Fully knowing Ware was an absolute stud and him and his son agreeing to draft him if he fell to the Lions. Got talked out of it at the last minute.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

PK Nate Freese (Boston College)

Freese hasn't been mentioned prior to now.. TWENTYMAN: Lions host trio of pre-draft prospects

Excuse Freese if he can’t immediately recall the last time he’s missed a field goal.

The nation's top field-goal kicker made all 20 of his attempts last season, including six from 40-plus yards and two from beyond 50 yards.

“I was talking with coach about that today, actually, and I can’t really remember,” Freese told detroitlions.com when asked about his last miss. “I think it may have been Wake Forest my junior year.”
Freese connected on 18 of 20 attempts as a junior and finished his career 70 of 81 (86.4 percent) in 50 games. He holds the school record for field goals and points (324).

“The No. 1 thing we need to do is find a kicker,” Lions special teams coach John Bonamego said at a town hall meeting at Ford Field Monday night. “From a scouting standpoint, it’s our top priority in my department.

 

[tpaulus_2]

Freese hasn't been mentioned prior to now.. TWENTYMAN: Lions host trio of pre-draft prospects

Excuse Freese if he can’t immediately recall the last time he’s missed a field goal.

The nation's top field-goal kicker made all 20 of his attempts last season, including six from 40-plus yards and two from beyond 50 yards.

“I was talking with coach about that today, actually, and I can’t really remember,” Freese told detroitlions.com when asked about his last miss. “I think it may have been Wake Forest my junior year.”
Freese connected on 18 of 20 attempts as a junior and finished his career 70 of 81 (86.4 percent) in 50 games. He holds the school record for field goals and points (324).

“The No. 1 thing we need to do is find a kicker,” Lions special teams coach John Bonamego said at a town hall meeting at Ford Field Monday night. “From a scouting standpoint, it’s our top priority in my department.

I think Martin gives us the ability to focus on an accurate kicker vs. getting a big-legged kicker and hoping to hone in his accuracy b/c Martin can handle the kickoffs...

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

It's a long read but good in detail for CB vs WR

Cornerbacks playing catchup with taller, faster receivers - ESPN... some of the statements in this article are below if you're NOT interested in reading entire article.

"This league is a bigger, faster, stronger league," Denver Broncos coach John Fox said. "And you win when you win matchups, and if you're the bigger, faster and stronger guy, you're going to win more matchups.

Now, not only are the wide receivers consistently getting bigger than the cornerbacks being asked to cover them, the data from this year's NFL scouting combine shows those receivers are getting faster, too. Twenty wide receivers were timed at 4.49 seconds or faster on the electronic clock -- the "official" time for the players -- in the 40-yard dash at this year's event.



Among the "smaller" group of cornerbacks, just 12 were clocked at 4.49 or better. So, in a bigger, faster, stronger league, there will be times when most of the cornerbacks in this draft class will be 0-for-3 against the players across from them.


Spin ahead to this past February's scouting combine, and a deep class of strikingly big wide receivers checked in at an average of 6-foot-1½, 200.1 pounds, while the cornerbacks invited to Lucas Oil Stadium averaged just more than 5-foot-11, 194.4 pounds.

In all, 26 of the 48 wide receivers invited to this year's combine were at least 6 feet tall, while there were only nine cornerbacks who reached that mark.

It all means the hunt is on for bigger cornerbacks, to find those big, tall, fast defensive backs who have escaped the constant pursuit of offense as they have progressed toward the NFL. It's why many personnel executives around the league are routinely moving bigger cornerbacks up their boards during the draft and selecting them earlier than expected.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

More backers in the trade up camp to take a WR, so U R not alone LionStop/Micro

This from 04-18-2014 Birkett live chat, maybe it is LionStop..jk


Hey Dave i am on the band wagon of trading up to acquire Sammy Watkins i just think if you plug him into this lineup our offense goes to ELITE category our offensive line was extremely underrated and with a healthy Calvin and Tate along with bush and bell and pettigrew and Fauria i can see us being unstoppable it just makes sense that if we want to win now the motto built through years past has been assemble a dominant offense to out score teams and bring along the defense. Your thoughts on making the offensive side of the ball ELITE by acquiring Sammy?
by Chad 4/18/2014 2:17:52 PM 9:17 AM

I think it would be a good move, too, as long as they don't overpay. I wouldn't give up a future first-rounder, so I think moving up to 1 or 2 will be too expensive. Maybe they can find a reasonable trade partner at 4. I wouldn't sell the farm for him, but I think he's good enough and explosive that he can be an impact receiver for a long time, and I think he can take over for Calvin Johnson eventually as the Lions' No. 1.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:19:28 PM 9:19 AM

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Birkett's Live Chat

So you believe that the Lions should draft offense and not defense. I believe that before an NFL team can win they have to have a very good defense. Do you consider that the Lions are there with what they already have?
by LWM57 4/18/2014 2:21:27 PM 9:21 AM

I believe that in the NFL you win with elite players and/or elite units that can dominate a game and deliver in crunch time. Clowney, Watkins and even Mack I think fit that bill. Some think Evans could be a game changer in the same way as Watkins because of how big he is and how defenses would have to play the Lions. By adding Watkins, they would certainly have all the pieces to be elite on offense and it would be up to Stafford to deliver.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:22:56 PM 9:22 AM

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Birkett's Live Chat

I would not be shocked if Mayhew moves back in the draft but then uses those extra picks to end up with two first round picks to grab a solid WR like Lee and an OLB.
by V 4/18/2014 2:36:53 PM 9:36 AM

My read - and no one has told me this, just my sense from talking to a lot of people - is that the Lions would like to go up and get one of those elite talents but will not overpay. If they fail to do that, then it makes sense to trade back because they have a lot of holes and there are a lot of similarly graded players - Barr, Gilbert, Pryor, Donald, etc. If you can get the same caliber player at 10 as you can at 16, go down a few spots and pick up an extra third-round pick.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:38:28 PM 9:38 AM

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Birkett's Live Chat

How would you rate the coaching staff to previous groups and compared to other NFL teams
by Vince 4/18/2014 2:39:15 PM 9:39 AM

Young promising coordinators, but no experience so I think there will be growing pains. Caldwell's biggest negative was supposedly his Xs and Os - he's very good with people - so that's not an issue. There's a lot of smart people in the NFL, but they haven't done anything yet. I know what I'm getting in McCarthy and even Trestman to a certain extent, so those two get the edge in the division for now.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:40:37 PM 9:40 AM

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Birkett's Live Chat

DO you get tired of the Trade Suh comments? He is a elite Tackle that comes by only once and awhile.
by Ryan Nestingen 4/18/2014 2:42:43 PM 9:42 AM

I understand it from the standpoint of all the drama that surrounds him - the off-field incidents, not showing up for workouts, the stomp, dragging his feet on the agent. He's still a very good player though and as has been stated a million times, the Lions are trying to win now. You don't trade your best defensive player for an unproven rookie when you're trying to do that.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:43:49 PM 9:43 AM

Suh doesn't want to be here though
by nick 4/18/2014 2:43:58 PM 9:43 AM


Suh wants to be a billionaire. He'll play for whoever helps him get there the fastest.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:44:14 PM 9:44 AM

BB_72...BTW, Suh has met with Warren Buffett on numerous occasions in private.. statement by Birkett is not far fetched.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Birkett's Live Chat

Hey Dave, I'm a K. Mack fan for the draft. I don't remember him being in for a visit. What do you think are the chances we move up and get him?
by JKfromNM 4/18/2014 2:45:49 PM 9:45 AM

They like him a lot, that's all I know. It's a major position of need. If Clowney, Watkins, Robinson go top 3, I could see them making a move to 5 (in front of Atlanta) to get Mack. The Raiders could be willing to go back again.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:47:06 PM 9:47 AM

EVANS is a winner, I'd say. He has size, speed good hands.
by james rosen 4/18/2014 2:49:52 PM 9:49 AM

I said back in February, there are a lot of scouts that think he's a baller, big time. His size and ability to win contested balls are major plusses. I don't think he gets out of the top 10.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:50:43 PM 9:50 AM

 

[Thruthefog]

How would you rate the coaching staff to previous groups and compared to other NFL teams
by Vince 4/18/2014 2:39:15 PM 9:39 AM

Young promising coordinators, but no experience so I think there will be growing pains. Caldwell's biggest negative was supposedly his Xs and Os - he's very good with people - so that's not an issue. There's a lot of smart people in the NFL, but they haven't done anything yet. I know what I'm getting in McCarthy and even Trestman to a certain extent, so those two get the edge in the division for now.
by Dave Birkett 4/18/2014 2:40:37 PM 9:40 AM

They can have growing pains and still be worlds better than what we had.