2012 NFL Mock Draft Detroit Lions: Looking Offensive Line
Every week I look around the web at the mock drafts while focusing on one team to see what the consensus out there is for the teams, I also prefer to take teams that are picking later in the draft because it affords the opportunity for variation. This week I thought I’d go with a team that is considered to be a team that takes Best player available kind of team. This week it’s the Detroit Lions. Let’s see what options might be out there for the Lions.
SI’s Don Banks
Selection: Mike Adams, T, Ohio State
Explanation:
The Lions have to get younger and more talented on the offensive line, because age and ineffectivness really started showing at times in 2011. Left tackle Jeff Backus and center Dominic Raiola are both in need of a heir apparent, and that should put Detroit in the position of seriously considering a pair of Big Ten linemen, either Adams or Wisconsin center Peter Konz.
Draftek.com
Selection: Brandon Washington, OL, Miami Hurricanes
Explanation:
Like last week, this pick looks like a reach on the surface, but it could be a very real reality off the board come April. If Kalil, Martin and Adams all go in the top 15 (which is looking more and more like it will happen), and DeCastro is already off the board (a near certainty) the Lions may find themselves desperate for help on the offensive front. Washington isn’t the best player available according to most boards, but it isn’t crazy that he could go first round. At 6’4″, 320, Washington has played tackle, but has the natural build of a guard and should start on the right side of the line right away in the NFL. Still, for many Lions fans, it’s easier to envision Martin Mayhew taking the “Best Player Available” so Nick Perry could be the pick here in this scenario, but remember, Mayhew will be looking at his board when he makes that pick and Washington could very likely be the best player on it as well.–Michael Schottey, DraftTek Analyst.
Selection: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
Explanation:
Martin Mayhew begins to address the corner position in the draft.
Selection: Cordy Glenn
Explanation:
Detroit would be wise to reinforce its offensive line in the draft.
Thoughts:
Interestingly there’s not much variation in these picks. It’s either offensive linemen or cornerback. I think this is a big reason why (even though I like mock drafts) sometimes they are silly. If the Lions are a team that drafts best player available (which nearly everyone would agree with) how likely is that they would only pick one of two different positions regardless of how the board fell?
Cornerback an OL make sense for the Lions, but by the same token so does Safety Mark Barron, a linebacker like Zach Brown or perhaps Dont’a Hightower to play the SAM position. The Lions could consider a DE depending on what happens with Cliff Avril. It’s not so cut and dry as either OL or cornerback.
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