The Official 2014 Lions Draft Thread

[lionstop1]

They had Watkins on NFL Network yesterday. His trainers are expecting big things from him.

 

[lionstop1]

If Evans puts up a 4.4 or so, watch out.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

If Evans puts up a 4.4 or so, watch out.

If Evans runs a 4.4 -- he will be the 1st WR off the board. Don't see it happening though.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Hoping they land a LB with the first pick but wouldnt be opposed to trading down a few spots and landing a CB.

 

[gandydancer]

I am still in the Watkins camp. I do not think he will be there. Do not want Barr!! Would rather see Tulloch's replacement if LB is drafted. Palmer can be replaced in later rounds. I will take Gilbert over Dennard.
Wish trade down was a option, guess other would have sufficed. AFter the Suh extension Lions will have to hit on some extra draft picks to contend with cap problems.

 

[jalopy]

I am still in the Watkins camp. I do not think he will be there. Do not want Barr!! Would rather see Tulloch's replacement if LB is drafted. Palmer can be replaced in later rounds. I will take Gilbert over Dennard.
Wish trade down was a option, guess other would have sufficed. AFter the Suh extension Lions will have to hit on some extra draft picks to contend with cap problems.

If I had included trade down/up, it would have been a shutout. I guess I could have better formatted the question to ask what is Detroit's biggest need but I believe some positions (WR) are easier to address through FA than others. It seems like most that chose "other" want Khalid Mack but the chances of him being available at #10 is small.

As I have stated before, ideally I would like to see the Lions trade down 8-10 spots and draft Barr or Gilbert there. Under no circumstances do I want to see the WR position left unresolved going into the draft.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

If I had included trade down/up, it would have been a shutout. I guess I could have better formatted the question to ask what is Detroit's biggest need but I believe some positions (WR) are easier to address through FA than others. It seems like most that chose "other" want Khalid Mack but the chances of him being available at #10 is small.

As I have stated before, ideally I would like to see the Lions trade down 8-10 spots and draft Barr or Gilbert there. Under no circumstances do I want to see the WR position left unresolved going into the draft.

Not from a financial perspective, it isn't easier to address (we currently have about 3 mil left under the cap and Suh may not be a guarantee should he get to greedy not to mention re-signing Joique for 2-3 mil a yr). FA WR's have experience in the Pro scheme, YES, and those FA's can be costly. It can take college WR's 1-2 years to get adjusted to the pro level before you see their projected production.

 

[Rollingthndr]

Got a strange feeling it is going to be Ebron out of UNC. Especially is he runs 4.5 or less.

 

[jalopy]

Not from a financial perspective, it isn't easier to address (we currently have about 3 mil left under the cap and Suh may not be a guarantee should he get to greedy not to mention re-signing Joique for 2-3 mil a yr). FA WR's have experience in the Pro scheme, YES, and those FA's can be costly. It can take college WR's 1-2 years to get adjusted to the pro level before you see their projected production.

This is the way I look at the cost of the Lions taking Watkins at #10:
He would get a contract similar to Tavon Austin (#8,2013) He made $405K in '13 and will make $985K and got a $7.65MM signing bonus (spread over 4 Years).
A first round WR has about a 50 delta (chance) of becoming a long term starter so you would have to draft 2 WR in the first round to have mathematical certainty of having a starter.
That means that a team would take an annual cap hit of $3.8MM for 4 years in addition to the salary(Year 1&2:$1M Year 3: $1.5MM Year 4: $2MM)

So, on average you are paying over $5MM a year to get a receiver through the draft. For that amount of money (4yr/$20MM), you could get a legitimate, PROVEN starter.

You could go the cheaper route but you run the risk of drafting someone that doesn't pan out.

If you run the same scenario for a LB or CB, the disparity between costs is greater and that is why I would rather draft a LB.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Got a strange feeling it is going to be Ebron out of UNC. Especially is he runs 4.5 or less.

That would be the worst possible pick..

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

NFL Combine News and Notes

2014 NFL combine schedule

Originally Published: February 11, 2014

The annual NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 19-25 in Indianapolis, with 335 prospects working out at Lucas Oil Stadium for NFL scouts.




2014 NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

The 2014 NFL scouting combine is Feb. 19-25 in Indianapolis.

• Combine daily schedule
• List of invitees
• NFL draft home





Players will also take part in medical examinations, psychological testing and interviews with NFL teams.


Below is a daily breakdown of events.

​

Wednesday, Feb. 19
• PK/ST/OL/TE medical pre-exam and X-rays, orientation, interviews



Thursday, Feb. 20
• PK/ST/OL/TE measurements, medical exams, media, interviews
• QB/WR/RB medical pre-exam and X-rays, orientation, interviews



Friday, Feb. 21
• PK/ST workout; PK/ST/OL/TE bench press, psychological testing, interviews
• QB/WR/RB measurements, medical exams, media, interviews
• DL/LB medical pre-exam and X-rays, orientation, interviews


Saturday, Feb. 22
• OL/TE on-field workout (timing, stations, skill drills)
• QB/WR/RB psychological testing, bench press, interviews
• DL/LB measurements, medical exams, media, interviews
• DB medical pre-exam and X-rays, orientation, interviews


Sunday, Feb. 23
• QB/WR/RB on-field workout (timing, stations, skill drills)
• DL/LB psychological testing, bench press, interviews
• DB measurements, medical exams, media, interviews


Monday, Feb. 24
• DL/LB on-field workout (timing, stations, skill drills)
• DB psychological testing, bench press, interviews


Tuesday, Feb. 25
• DB on-field workout (timing, stations, skill drills)

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

McShay

2. McShay: Handicapping the race to be draft's fastest player



There is always some debate over who owns the fastest-ever 40 time in the history of the combine, as to whether it's Darrell Green or Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders. The more recent success stories are well-documented, however. Here's a look at the fastest 40-yard dash times in every year dating back to 2005:

Year Pos. Player 40-time School Drafted Round
2005 CB Fabian Washington 4.29 Nebraska Raiders 1
2006 CB Tye Hill 4.30 Clemson Rams 1
2007 WR/RS Yamon Figurs 4.30 Kansas State Ravens 3
2008 RB Chris Johnson 4.24 East Carolina Titans 1
2009 WR Darrius Heyward-Bey 4.30 Maryland Raiders 1
2010 WR Jacoby Ford 4.28 Clemson Raiders 4
2011 CB Demarcus Van Dyke 4.37 Miami (FL) Raiders 3
2012 CB Josh Robinson 4.33 UCF Vikings 3
2013 WR Marquise Goodwin 4.27 Texas Bills 3




Who will win the title this season? Here are my top eight contenders, listed in alphabetical order:


Dri Archer, RB, Kent State: Injuries limited Archer this past season, but there's no questioning his explosiveness. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry over the last two seasons, and some consider him to be on De'Anthony Thomas' level in terms of speed and quickness.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU: He emerged as a big-play threat in 2013, averaging 19.5 yards per catch and scoring eight touchdowns. He has very good initial burst and good top-end speed.
Robert Herron, WR, Wyoming: He is a smaller-school burner who averaged 15.5 yards per catch over the past two years.
Marqise Lee, WR, USC: If Lee's 40 time matches up with the speed and explosiveness we see from him on tape, he'll be a contender. He's a big-time vertical threat who can take the top off a defense.
Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida: He's still a bit of a project as a cornerback, but he is a very good natural athlete with very good top-end speed.
Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State: Roby struggled with his discipline early on in the season, but he improved as the season went along, and his athleticism stands out on tape. He could climb up draft boards with a good 40 time.
De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon: I don't know if I've ever seen a prospect look faster in a live game situation with the ball in his hands than Thomas. He's also a track guy, and was a Division I All-American in 2013 as the anchor leg of Oregon's 4x100-meter relay team.
Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson: The top-ranked wide receiver prospect in our rankings, Watkins has elite acceleration and outstanding top-end speed on tape.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Kiper 5 questions

3. Kiper: Top five questions for players entering the combine

2. Do you really care that much about Mike Evans' 40 time? Yes. I had a friend in one front office tell me he feels Evans has the best ball skills he's seen in 20 years. I won't go that far, but If Evans shows off mid-4.4 speed, we'll have teams debating the top wide receiver in this draft between him and Watkins.

3. Which player could go from second-round status to the first round with a strong Combine workout? I'll give you three. Jarvis Landry, WR from LSU; Kelcy Quarles, DT/DE from South Carolina; Dee Ford, edge rusher from Auburn. There could be more, but those come to mind.

4. Your pick for biggest combine freak overall? I'll give you two. On offense, I think UNC tight end Eric Ebron could be a size/speed freak. On defense, I'll go with Khalil Mack.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

McShay measuring up

. McShay: Measuring up the top players, by position


Measurements and test results are far from the only factors that NFL teams will consider when evaluating a prospect, as what a player shows on tape in terms of his production and athleticism has the most significant impact on where a player is drafted.
But how a prospect tests out still matters, which is why this year's class will be measured and tested in the following areas at the combine: height, weight, arm length, hand size, bench press, 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle, 3-cone drill and wing span.
See below for the average measurements and test scores in each of those categories over the last five years -- you can use these numbers as a reference point when watching this year's prospects go through drills the next few days.

Pos HT WT Arm Hand Bench 10 40 VJ BJ 20 3-C Wing OG 6040 314.5 33 1/2 9 7/8 26.5 1.85 5.35 27 08'03" 4.83 7.81 79 1/2 OT 6054 314.9 34 1/8 10 3/8 25.0 1.83 5.29 28 08'05" 4.80 7.81 81 1/2 OC 6032 304.5 32 5/8 9 5/8 27.7 1.84 5.33 27 08'02" 4.70 7.74 77 3/4 TE 6041 251.3 33 1/4 9 3/4 21.1 1.66 4.77 33 09'07" 4.39 7.09 78 3/4 QB 6030 223.7 32 1/8 9 5/8 17.3 1.69 4.88 31 1/2 09'03" 4.34 7.08 76 1/2 WR 6006 202.5 32 9 1/4 14.8 1.58 4.54 35 1/2 10'00" 4.24 6.90 75 5/8 RB 5103 213.2 31 9 1/4 20.4 1.60 4.60 35 09'09" 4.27 7.00 73 1/2 FB 6010 243.0 31 7/8 9 5/8 23.7 1.66 4.84 33 1/2 09'05" 4.40 7.23 75 1/2 DE 6034 266.4 33 5/8 9 7/8 24.8 1.69 4.87 33 09'05" 4.45 7.21 80 1/2 DT 6026 306.4 33 3/8 9 7/8 28.7 1.77 5.13 29 1/2 08'08" 4.66 7.64 79 1/2 ILB 6012 242.0 32 1/8 9 1/2 22.4 1.66 4.81 33 1/2 09'07" 4.32 7.10 76 5/8 OLB 6015 239.7 32 3/8 9 5/8 22.7 1.64 4.74 34 1/2 09'10" 4.33 7.14 77 3/8 DS 6001 209.7 31 7/8 9 3/8 18.1 1.62 4.63 35 1/2 10'01" 4.22 6.96 75 7/8 DC 5110 193.1 31 1/2 9 1/8 14.9 1.60 4.56 35 1/2 10'01" 4.15 6.88 74 3/8

 

[jalopy]

Been reading a lot of chatter about the Lions drafting a safety at #10. Calvin Pryor or Clinton-Dix. I like the idea better than a WR but 10 is pretty high for a safety.
Also, I was looking at the CBS WR projections and they have as many as 13 receivers being taken in the first two rounds. To me that screams for a trade down in the draft and certainly looking elsewhere at #10.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Jalopy

I totally can see your thought process in that Clinton-Dix or Pryor at #10 seems high or somewhat of a reach, but when you dig deep into all the other FS, they're not even close in comparison. Most are stiff hip, questionable back-pedal/footwork transitioning to turn and run, poor coverage and ball skills. Maybe Jimmie Ward (No. Ill.) can continue to prove what he did at the Senior Bowl wasn't a fluke as he received great reviews from many scouts. Keep in mind that teams like Stl, Chi, Pit, Dal, GB, Phi, SD, are in need of FS.


I've pretty much come to the conclusion once Clowney, OT's Matthews and Robinson, Watkins and Mack are gone before #10 that Mayhew drafts WR Mike Evans, JMO. I'd prefer a couple trade downs in the 1st round somewhere around the #18-#20 slot... My biggest concern with the Lions is in their secondary and a replacement for Palmer, it's not about finding a 1st rd wr as they can be had in rounds 2-4. Find a S and an OLB in the 1st two rds, JMO.

 

[jalopy]

I totally can see your thought process in that Clinton-Dix or Pryor at #10 seems high or somewhat of a reach, but when you dig deep into all the other FS, they're not even close in comparison. Most are stiff hip, questionable back-pedal/footwork transitioning to turn and run, poor coverage and ball skills. Maybe Jimmie Ward (No. Ill.) can continue to prove what he did at the Senior Bowl wasn't a fluke as he received great reviews from many scouts. Keep in mind that teams like Stl, Chi, Pit, Dal, GB, Phi, SD, are in need of FS

SUMMARY: We are extremely thin at safety and it is a position of demand. Better not completely cut the cord with Delmas. Would be nice to trade down and get Pryor. Kid can hit.
I have the Lions getting one WR in FA (Tate) and one later in the draft. I like Cody Latimer
Use 2nd rd on Shazier or Van Noy.

 

[LPinSLC]

Thanks for starting this thread, should be an interesting read.

 

[Mebert]

I really don't think Van Noy lasts until the Lions pick in the second round. I think he goes late 1st.

 

[Old Lion]

3. Kiper: Top five questions for players entering the combine

2. Do you really care that much about Mike Evans' 40 time? Yes. I had a friend in one front office tell me he feels Evans has the best ball skills he's seen in 20 years. I won't go that far, but If Evans shows off mid-4.4 speed, we'll have teams debating the top wide receiver in this draft between him and Watkins.

3. Which player could go from second-round status to the first round with a strong Combine workout? I'll give you three. Jarvis Landry, WR from LSU; Kelcy Quarles, DT/DE from South Carolina; Dee Ford, edge rusher from Auburn. There could be more, but those come to mind.

4. Your pick for biggest combine freak overall? I'll give you two. On offense, I think UNC tight end Eric Ebron could be a size/speed freak. On defense, I'll go with Khalil Mack.

I agree with Kiper on too much of this. I am now going to have to rethink my position on these players.