Detroit Lions Post Draft Review by Lauren Beasley
Well Detroit Lion fans the draft is over and it’s time to discuss and evaluate the Lions draft picks in this year’s draft.
Detroit Lions had some needs in this draft, mostly on the defensive side at Linebacker and in the Secondary. However there were some offensive needs we needed to address in the draft and I feel the Lions addressed him.
I will start off with the first round, I liked the way the Lions handled this pick. Obviously I believe if someone like CB Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama had been available then I am sure we would have drafted him. However since he wasn't available I like the idea of going to get the next best offensive tackle off the board, because it is a need. We drafted Iowa OT Reilly Reiff, this was a good pick, he was considered the second best OT on the board, plus we all know Jeff Backus is getting older and we needed to address the fact that we needed a good replacement. Reiff is great all around OT coming out of the great conference called the Big Ten. When it comes to pass blocking, he has a natural knee-bend and reach to escort edge rushers around the pocket. He also is an effective cut blocker despite his height. As for his run blocking, he is an athletic run blocker with quickness and lateral movement to effectively wall off opponents on the edge and reaches linebacker easily, taking precise angles. I feel this young man is exactly what the Lions need, he will definitely help to protect QB Matthew Stafford and also help are run game excel.
In the second round, I was a little shocked, I expected Lions to take a receiver in this draft, but I didn’t expect them to take a receiver in the second round of the draft. I also was a little shocked at the receiver they picked, which was Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles, I like this young man but I was a little shocked we didn’t take LSU WR Ruben Randle who was also available. Nonetheless let’s get back to Ryan Broyles, now I do like him mainly because he has faced adversity when he tore his ACL and he has triumphed by getting healthy and getting selected in the draft. Broyles has quickness off the snap to shake off corners and create room. He knows how to create separations with hesitation moves and nice acceleration. His hands and toughness are among his greatest strengths along with Good sideline awareness. I like this pick by the Lions it shows they are looking towards the future with this pick, maybe to replace Nate Burleson at some point. Now the Lions have an elite 4 receiver reckoning crew, actually its 5 receivers if we count TE Peter Pettigrew.
Finally in the third round we selected a cornerback, which was a huge need for the Lions. We selected La-Lafayette CB Dwight Bentley. Now I will admit I don’t necessarily understand why the Lions choose this young man over others corners such as UCF CB Trumaine Jackson, Virginia Tech Jayron Hosley or Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard. However I assume this young man made an impression on the Lions and that they say something on him. Now there are some good things about Bentley that I like, he was a four year starter at Lafayette, he may be small but he has great athletic ability. He is very quick in short movements and is an instinctual player. He is very natural when working on the line of scrimmage and in zone coverage. However, Bentley does struggle in man coverage at his level, so it could be a huge issue for him in the NFL. He also is basically non-existent in run support. So there is some work to be done with young man but there is plenty of potential.
In the fourth round the Lions addressed another need; we drafted Oklahoma LB Ronnell Lewis. Lions needed another good linebacker to add to the roster and to the starting core. This young man is known as the “The Hammer" by teammates for the way he hits, and that’s what the Lions need a hard hitting linebacker. When it comes to Pass rushing, he is very good athlete who plays fast and accelerates quickly up field. He also plays with fluid quickness and sharp footwork. He does struggle to shed once engaged and plays with very predictable hand use. In run defense, he keeps his eyes up and quickly locates the ball with good patience and overall awareness. Yet he needs to develop better pre-snap recognition skills and anticipation. He is known as hard hitter but from what I have seen he is a reliable tackler in small areas with strong hands to secure tackles and knock the ball out of the ballcarrier's grasp. However he is tight-hipped and will miss tackles in space. Strong hands to secure tackles and knock the ball out of the ballcarrier's grasp. Tight-hipped and will miss tackles in space. Overall I would say he has a lot of raw ability and overall upside for the next level.
As for the 5th round, the Lions had 2 picks, in which once again the Lions selected two more defenders. First the Lions selected Temple LB Tahir Whitehead. Overall, Whitehead is a good all-around linebacker prospect who will not blow anyone away with his play, but he is serviceable and will be a good special teams player at the next level. He doesn't do as well to stay with the man downfield, and he shouldn't be relied upon much against the pass in any capacity. Lions also selected Albion CB Chris Greenwood. Greenwood is the Michigan Hometown Kid basically; he graduated from Detroit King High School and went to Albion College. Greenwood is smooth and explosive athlete with very good acceleration to get to top speed in a hurry. He has good height and length for the position with excellent leaping ability to highpoint the ball and knock down passes. He also has good ball skills and reliable hands. Greenwood has a lanky frame and needs to bulk up for the next level. Lastly he played at Division-III level so he is in for a big jump in competition and that is a concern.
In the 6th round Lions selected Oklahoma New Mexico State CB Jonte Green. This is also is a pretty decent pick in my opinion. At New Mexico State he was a three-year starter awarded all-conference as a senior with totals of 64 tackles/1 interceptions/14 pass breakups. Green is an athletic cornerback who's displayed a variety of skill in his game. Plays with an aggressive nature, works hard to defend the run and makes a lot of tackles up the field. However, Green does not consistently play to his 40 times or show a burst. Loses opponents, blows assignments and does a lot of trailing down the field.
Lastly in the 7th round the Lions selected Oklahoma LB Travis Lewis. This is another decent pick by the Lions. Lewis is a read & react type linebacker, he has very good instincts with above-average reaction skills and almost always finds the ball in traffic. He has a great feel in coverage, sees quarterback and receiver and jumps routes to prevent completion. When it comes to run defense, he is tougher between the tackles than many expect. As for tackling he is not necessarily explosive, but more physical than a chase-and-drag linebacker. Breaks down well in space, corrals elusive ball carriers on the edge or inside by wrapping torso and holding on. He was a team captain who led the team on and off the field with words and by example and four-year starter for one of the top programs in the country. I think he will is a good add, who has the potential to be a future leader and I think he will do well with the Lions.
Detroit Lions also signed 13 Undrafted Free Agents
Williams & Mary -- TE Alex Gottlieb
Illinois - K Derek Dimke
Boise State - QB Kellen Moore
Houston - WR Patrick Edwards
Elon - G Rodney Austin
New Mexico - LB Carmen Messina
Kentucky - ILB Ronnie Sneed
Penn State - OL Quinn Barham
Washington State - WR Jared Karstetter
Idaho - DT Michael Cosgrove
Jacksonville State - DE Monte Lewis
Weber State -- OL J.C. Oram
Oklahoma -- S Sam Proctor