The Official 2014 Lions Draft Thread

[gvsulaker82]

I forgot mccaffrey and chrebet, nice ones!

 

[jdwills126]

Barr/Mack or Dennard/Gibert?

The drat was pushed to May and that just adds an extra days to fight endlessly about the best way to build the Lions. IMO no one way is right or wrong but we all have a pretty good belief of what the Lions should do…….exactly as we want be it Watkins, Dennard, Barr, or someone else.

Detroit has a few holes that have to e addressed….WR, CB, OLB, and possibly TE but we will argue about when or how to address them. I have a question that looks at the early position favorites and guys that will be available at 10.

OLB - Mack/Barr vs CB - Dennard/Gibert

Mack a small school star that has shined every chance he has had. Great defender and was hug in tackles for a loss. 6'3'', 250lbs and runs the 40 in 4.64. Big strong and quick only concern is his size may end up projecting him inside eventually.

Barr - 6'4'', 250lbs and runs a 4.48. Played in Pac 10 and was a force but the Pac 10 is not the SEC, B1G, or Big 12. Speed was outstanding and in the spread happy Pac 10 he excelled. Has the same problem as Mack his size could project him inside eventually but his speed helps offset that concern. Definitely a strong side OLB but he may project better to a 3-4 defense.

Dennard - 5'11'', 197lbs runs a projected 4.52. B1G best CB on the best defense. Was solid all year and has the size to support the run and play press coverage. Size and lack of top speed could eventually lead Dennard to a move to the safety position. Speed kills and hair lack of 4.4 type speed would be a big deficit for a team that plays man coverage.

Gilbert - 6', 200lbs, runs a 4.52. Has a knack for the big play but is not seen as strong as Dennard for having similar size and speed. Great athlete but lack of speed makes him a liability in press man coverage. Where Dennard is seen as having better press skills Gilbert is seen as having the better "Big play potential "(whatever that means")!

If the Lions want to address OLB or CB I am guessing it will be one of these 4 players! And It's hard to compare say Barr vs Gilbert since they play different positions but it will come down to is who will give the Lions a bigger impact.

 

[jdwills126]

I like Dennard and Gilbert but do not see either of them as a top 15 pick. If Dennard had that 4.4 speed and an ability to cover guys step for step I would think he would easily be a top 10 guy. If the Lions traded down I would love the move get Dennard and pick up an extra pick. I just don't see that happening.

IMO Mack or Barr would be a better value at 10 than any CB in the draft. They have the same speed as the top CBs play an impact position and adding a guy that can come off the edge like Barr would make Detroit's pass rush one of the best in the NFL. It would force Cutler and Rodgers into quick drops and short passes and force them to keep RBs in to help with the OLB, Suh, Ansah, and Fairley.

 

[Rollingthndr]

I watched Gilbert last night. Offers nothing in the run game but can cover his ass off. Looks like a taller version of Darius Slay. Dennard sounds like a good fit too with his press coverage skills.

I think Barr or Anthony would be perfect in our 4-3 as a SLB. Depending on if our new coaches are creative and can time blitzes well. Combine will sort out the studs from the posers.

 

[RobBase]

I think the Lions like Dennard and Mack in that order. Not sure Barr fits on the current team. I agree that teams are going to draft him as a 3-4 backer.

 

[Rollingthndr]

I think the Lions like Dennard and Mack in that order. Not sure Barr fits on the current team. I agree that teams are going to draft him as a 3-4 backer.

Yeah, Barr looks like a stronger version of Mingo, who went #6 last year. I personally think Barr would fit great for the Lions, he would be fine out in space on 1st and 2nd downs and could be an elite blitzer on 3rd and longs.

 

[lionstop1]

Every time I think about a LB for the Lions, I start thinking about how the team was sixth against the run with what they had. If they really want to upgrade Palmers spot, it shouldn't be too hard to do. I still think Whitehead is in play here. Barr and Mack are great choices but it doesn't do anything for the secondary.

To me, a CB makes a lot of sense. I like Gilbert better but that will play itself out. The good thing is if the Lions want to go that route, they may have the opportunity to grab the best one available.

 

[jdwills126]

No doubt the Lions could use a corner. But when Gilbert and Dennard look to be 12-17th pick material and Mack and Barr to be 5-12 pick talent do you loose talent to address a position that may have a slightly higher need?

I have not seen the Lions draft a play maker OLB since Reggie Brown. And as much as a OLB will help with the run the two guys mentioned Barr and Mack have enough talent to help defend the pass and tie up the stud TEs at the line.

For me it comes down to talent. What guy left at 10 out of these four will have the best career?

 

[Old Lion]

These CBs just don't do anything for me like some in past years. Big and Slow means we would need 2 deep safeties. We don't play that kind of defense. At the very least we would need another LB who can cover a TE and play the run to free up another safety. I would rather wait until round 2 and grab someone like Baptiste.


I think One of the 3 LBs will be our pick. Mack, Barr and Mosely are all good enough to be top 10 picks IMO. Mack seems to fit the best. The other 2 don't necessarily fit that well but I think both Levy and Tulloch are flexible to play anywhere.


I am not even opposed to playing a 4-2-5 with 3 safeties. We have Green and Greenwood who are both Big CBs that could play safety. We signed Carey and have Quin as the high safety. Could even resign Mathis.


All that being said we have more depth at DB than we do at LB or WR. I think that will weigh on the decision more than people think.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

McShay reported Barr has gone from 244 lbs. up to 260 lbs by the 1st part of February. I believe counting on Barr to be even mediocre in coverage at this point is nothing more than wishful thinking, as he's had only (2) years at LB. If Barr shows the frame to stack on another 15 lbs to his frame without losing any athleticism, then I'd look to use him at RDE. He's pretty much a one trick pony at this juncture, rushes the qb, and doesn't have many moves in his arsenal . Yes, he can and will learn to cover as time progresses but why not use him where he excels. He doesn't have great vision locating the ball when in run support. His reads in run support lack too. Ansah and Barr at DE with Devin Taylor as a rotational guy seems a lot more feasible than hoping Barr could be a 3 down LB. Mack has already proved he's capable of dropping into coverage, albeit against a weak conference. Here's some posts regarding Barr.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
UCLA senior edge rusher Anthony Barr fellow another 10 spots in Todd McShay's rankings, moving from No. 6 overall to No. 16.

The drop is not a surprise, as many are catching up to Barr's 2013 footage where his play did not match the production. "We still have more tape to study, and he remains a naturally gifted player with a unique combination of athleticism and size," McShay writes. "He's also still relatively new to the position, given that he's a converted H-back." The buzz could build for Barr again with a strong Combine, but athleticism is already a major part of the edge player's evaluation.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay called UCLA edge rusher Anthony Barr's game against Arizona "a little disturbing."

Our own Josh Norris has ranked Khalil Mack over Anthony Barr for some time, and expect the national evaluation to move that way the closer we get to the draft. Barr will put up great numbers at the Combine, but he is not as far along in his development as given credit for. He still wins with great speed off the edge, but it is apparent that Barr has only spent two seasons on the defensive side of the ball.


Source: [ame="[MEDIA=twitter]426609519637299200[/MEDIA]"]Todd McShay on Twitter [/ame]

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay admits he was surprised, in a negative way, after watching UCLA senior edge rusher Anthony Barr's 2013 tape.

"We didn't see as much explosiveness as we'd expected," McShay writes. "We'll continue to update his evaluation as we study him further." This is something we have noted for weeks and one reason why our own Josh Norris has ranked Khalil Mack over Barr. The Bruin has great burst and closing speed, but he struggles with hand use once his initial line and momentum are stopped. McShay dropped Barr from No. 3 to No. 6.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
Mel Kiper still ranks UCLA edge rusher Anthony Barr as the No. 2 player in the draft.

It will be interesting to see how strong Kiper's belief in Barr remains throughout the process, because many of his contemporaries, including Rotoworld's Josh Norris, are selling Barr stock. "His body profile will be of interest in Indy due to how he'll fit in various schemes," Kiper wrote. "Is he likely to add bulk? That's the kind of question evaluators will consider." Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay recently noted disappointment in Barr's game tape and dropped him from No. 3 to 6.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
UCLA's Anthony Barr and Ohio State's Ryan Shazier rank as NFL.com draft writer Bucky Brooks' top two OLBs in the 2014 class.

Barr "has become the premier edge defender in college football," Brooks writes. "Barr showed tremendous growth as a drop defender, while also adding a few tools to the toolbox as a pass rusher." Buffalo's Khalil Mack, BYU's Kyle Van Noy and Florida State's Telvin Smith follow Ryan Shazier after No. 2.


Source: NFL.com

Scouts Inc. has dropped UCLA edge rusher Anthony Barr to No. 16 in their latest rankings.
Barr has been frequently listed among the draft's top prospects, but our own Josh Norris lists the athletic pass rusher at No. 21 overall. Todd McShay recently said he was disappointed when reviewing Barr's tape, and we agree. The UCLA Bruin should show well at the Combine, but expect his ranking to drop once NFL teams get in the media's ear.


Source: ESPN

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

CB Gilbert gets burned a lot in coverage and lacks the proper technique. Dennard has great technique but is so physical with his hands it's a P.I. automatically. If had to take one of the two, it's Dennard in a landslide. Keep in my Gilbert had the int.'s in 2013 but was a no show in 2012 after having several int.'s in 2011. kind of like Bradley Roby for Ohio State in 2012 and getting burned in 2013. having ball skills is one thing but jumping into NFL receiver's routes is a whole other basket of get your ass burned like Bentley. At #10 take Watkins or Mack and if neither is there drop down to the #18-#22 slot and I'll bet Dennard, Clinton-Dix, Gilbert or Pryor is available there.

 

[Rollingthndr]

Every time I think about a LB for the Lions, I start thinking about how the team was sixth against the run with what they had. If they really want to upgrade Palmers spot, it shouldn't be too hard to do. I still think Whitehead is in play here. Barr and Mack are great choices but it doesn't do anything for the secondary.

To me, a CB makes a lot of sense. I like Gilbert better but that will play itself out. The good thing is if the Lions want to go that route, they may have the opportunity to grab the best one available.

huhuhuhuh he said whitehead.

 

[Rollingthndr]

McShay reported Barr has gone from 244 lbs. up to 260 lbs by the 1st part of February. I believe counting on Barr to be even mediocre in coverage at this point is nothing more than wishful thinking, as he's had only (2) years at LB. If Barr shows the frame to stack on another 15 lbs to his frame without losing any athleticism, then I'd look to use him at RDE. He's pretty much a one trick pony at this juncture, rushes the qb, and doesn't have many moves in his arsenal . Yes, he can and will learn to cover as time progresses but why not use him where he excels. He doesn't have great vision locating the ball when in run support. His reads in run support lack too. Ansah and Barr at DE with Devin Taylor as a rotational guy seems a lot more feasible than hoping Barr could be a 3 down LB. Mack has already proved he's capable of dropping into coverage, albeit against a weak conference. Here's some posts regarding Barr.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
UCLA senior edge rusher Anthony Barr fellow another 10 spots in Todd McShay's rankings, moving from No. 6 overall to No. 16.

The drop is not a surprise, as many are catching up to Barr's 2013 footage where his play did not match the production. "We still have more tape to study, and he remains a naturally gifted player with a unique combination of athleticism and size," McShay writes. "He's also still relatively new to the position, given that he's a converted H-back." The buzz could build for Barr again with a strong Combine, but athleticism is already a major part of the edge player's evaluation.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay called UCLA edge rusher Anthony Barr's game against Arizona "a little disturbing."

Our own Josh Norris has ranked Khalil Mack over Anthony Barr for some time, and expect the national evaluation to move that way the closer we get to the draft. Barr will put up great numbers at the Combine, but he is not as far along in his development as given credit for. He still wins with great speed off the edge, but it is apparent that Barr has only spent two seasons on the defensive side of the ball.


Source: Todd McShay on Twitter

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay admits he was surprised, in a negative way, after watching UCLA senior edge rusher Anthony Barr's 2013 tape.

"We didn't see as much explosiveness as we'd expected," McShay writes. "We'll continue to update his evaluation as we study him further." This is something we have noted for weeks and one reason why our own Josh Norris has ranked Khalil Mack over Barr. The Bruin has great burst and closing speed, but he struggles with hand use once his initial line and momentum are stopped. McShay dropped Barr from No. 3 to No. 6.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
Mel Kiper still ranks UCLA edge rusher Anthony Barr as the No. 2 player in the draft.

It will be interesting to see how strong Kiper's belief in Barr remains throughout the process, because many of his contemporaries, including Rotoworld's Josh Norris, are selling Barr stock. "His body profile will be of interest in Indy due to how he'll fit in various schemes," Kiper wrote. "Is he likely to add bulk? That's the kind of question evaluators will consider." Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay recently noted disappointment in Barr's game tape and dropped him from No. 3 to 6.

Anthony Barr - LB - Bruins
UCLA's Anthony Barr and Ohio State's Ryan Shazier rank as NFL.com draft writer Bucky Brooks' top two OLBs in the 2014 class.

Barr "has become the premier edge defender in college football," Brooks writes. "Barr showed tremendous growth as a drop defender, while also adding a few tools to the toolbox as a pass rusher." Buffalo's Khalil Mack, BYU's Kyle Van Noy and Florida State's Telvin Smith follow Ryan Shazier after No. 2.


Source: NFL.com

Scouts Inc. has dropped UCLA edge rusher Anthony Barr to No. 16 in their latest rankings.
Barr has been frequently listed among the draft's top prospects, but our own Josh Norris lists the athletic pass rusher at No. 21 overall. Todd McShay recently said he was disappointed when reviewing Barr's tape, and we agree. The UCLA Bruin should show well at the Combine, but expect his ranking to drop once NFL teams get in the media's ear.


Source: ESPN

Let's take a look at the combine numbers first. If Mack puts up some good numbers then sure. Evaluators have a big hard on for the guy cause he had a good game against Ohio state. The rest of the teams he played won't even have one NFL player on any of their rosters.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Mack is reminiscent of how Kuechly played college ball. It's not like the ACC has been tearing it up over the last Decade, minus FSU this year. Yes, the ACC has put more players in the NFL Than the MAC but there have been good to great players to come out of the MAC.... BTW, keep No. Ill S Jimmie Ward in mind for this year. I'd take Mack over Barr every time.. The Combine is good to justify what a player has shown on the field. I'm more in line with what a player does on the field than what he does in a forty, 3-cone, 20 yd.... Is he a FOOTBALL PLAYER or an athlete that showed his skill-set for workouts only... For those who want a CB like Dennard or Gilbert at #10 when they'll have to develop just like Slay, Bentley, Greenwood and Green and it will take those (2) time. The same thing will apply to Barr as an OLB... He's a freakishly athletic LB who has much to learn, more so at his position than Dennard or Gilbert..... JMO... Barr as a DE rushing the qb, it's what he does best right now.. and that's about it.... JMO... People, in general, get too caught up in combine numbers... Mack has the shown the ability as an every down LB right now.

 

[themuzzer]

I don't know who I want, I just know it isn't a flipping LBer.......Dang gumit guys........Premium players get selected in the top 10.......Fine Von Miller is a hero......No thanks.......Give me Watkins, The best CB in the draft or the best OT in the draft......I would take Johnny Football over all of them because you can trade QB's for picks a year or two later.......Never hear of teams trading LBs' for 1st round picks.

 

[lionstop1]

I'll continue to follow the trends of the NFL.

The NFL is definitely a copy-cat league as, every team seems to want what is popular or what seems to garauntee success. Big corners and big recievers are pretty trendy in today's NFL and all those mobile QBs that can move around. Then, there is the obvious trends around the league when draft time comes. Every team covets the D-linemen, the LTs and the athetic freaks. Another trend is how some player always impresses and puts up numbers at the combine, forcing teams to take notice and draft them earlier than expected.

That said, I see no reason to believe things will be any different. Here's a clear, cut explanation of what I expect to happen this year as far as the draft and how things might go.

Quarterbacks, Left Tackles and Defensive Ends: As always, these positions will be coveted at the top of the draft, as these ar the premium positions and every bad team needs them. I expect at least three QBs, two LTs and one DE to go in the first ten picks, with the possibility of one unexpected DE to emerge towards the top of this draft. That's six guys right there.

Wide Recievers and Cornerbacks: The WR group has a lot to offer but the guys at the top are exactly what these teams are looking for when looking to build their offenses. Speed and size are attributes that set set players apart and keep teams pulling the trigger. Here, I see two top 15 prospects that could easily become top 10 picks.

We've seen coverage corners come off the board pretty quick and it doesn't take much of a showing for teams to pull the trigger on them early. We have at least two here that will be scratching the surface around 10. Mid-round would seem ideal but following previous trends, one could go earlier. If so, we'll see the next CB follow up soon after.

Linebackers and Safeties: Even though the thought is that three LBs are good enough to be top-end picks, history says otherwise. Usually this position is seperated into ine group or another, causing certain prospects to be a fit for specific teams due to style of play. One LB usually emerges as the top, "must have" guy and usually the "need" for the position dictates where they will be picked. Same thing will happen here- one top ten choice.

For a safety to come off early, he has to be extremely talented and there isnt a prime canidate for that right now

The top ten or fifteen picks will be nothing short of the yearly trend. The Seattle defenses, the Alshon Jefferies, Julius Thomas', mobile QBs, the freakish DEs and the system LTs will have an effect on the top of the draft as always. Everything else just takes care of itself.

You heard it here first,

 

[lionstop1]

Lmao Rolling

 

[themuzzer]

huhuhuhuh he said whitehead.

I know it's a pot head young generation thing, but I still don't want these two guys running the lions.....Maybe WCF needs to smoke some dope to make this team better?

 

[Jonas_steven]

If you are going linebacker, I would take Mack. If you are going CB, I would take dennard. Most reports I have heard are moving Gilbert ahead of dennard but it will eventually resolve itself during the combine. I believe that dennard was the anchor to the stout Michigan State defense and would love my cardinals to draft him if he is the best player on the board.

 

[jayfan]

Why are people still mentioning Watkins? Geesh. It's a complete waste of breath.