The NFL Draft starts with the first round this Thursday, April 25 at 8pm and the Detroit Lions currently hold the 5th overall selection. They have a lot of needs to fill and have plenty of options to consider. Let's go over their possibilities and who might be the best fit.
Eric Fisher 6-7 306 OT Central Michigan
Why They Should - Eric Fisher is the #2 offensive tackle behind projected #1 overall pick Luke Joeckel. He already has the size of a NFL lineman and great foot-speed as well. Fisher was first-team All-MAC in his senior year and had a standout game in the Senior Bowl, which even further boosted his draft stock. Not only can Fisher run and pass block well, but he has the athleticism to get downfield blocks to help bust big runs. Coming out of Central Michigan University, naturally he'll be compared
to Joe Staley, who has been a Pro Bowl tackle for the San Francisco
49ers the last two years. If he's anything like Staley, that bodes well for whoever drafts the fellow Chip.
Why They Shouldn't - There's not much to say negatively about Fisher as he has almost all the tools to look for in an offensive tackle. One knock on him is that he has size but maybe not the strength to handle NFL defensive ends, but that can come over time. Also, the Lions drafted another offensive tackle, Riley Reiff, at #22 overall in last years draft. However, with the departure of Gosder Cherilus to the Indianpolis Colts and the retirement of Jeff Backus (and his false starts), the Lions might have room to add another tackle.
Dee Milliner 6-0 201 CB Alabama
Why They Should - It's well-known that the Lions need a lot of help in their secondary, especially at the cornerback position. That position has been a revolving door lately and Dee Milliner would definitely provide an anchor for that part of the defense. Already being labeled as the next Darrelle Revis, Milliner ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine (fastest for his position) and shut down Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert in the BCS Championship game. He's shown that he has size and enough strength to handle bigger receivers and the speed to stay with quicker players. He was named a unanimous first-team All-American and All-SEC member last year after his junior season.
Why They Shouldn't - Milliner has decent size but is not the best tackler. Strong receivers and runningbacks are able to break through most of his tackles. He's great at defending passes, he had 22 PD's last year, but doesn't have the best hands, only two interceptions. If you are going to take a corner in the top five you better make sure they are either Pro Bowl material or have longevity for your team.
Dion Jordan 6-6 248 OLB Oregon
Why They Should - Dion Jordan has the combination of size and speed you look for in great defensive players as he has ability to rush the passer and cover tight ends down the field. Jordan's numbers from Oregon won't wow you but he was troubled with a lingering shoulder injury his senior year. Even with that he was still able to rack up 44 tackles, 10.5 for loss and five sacks. The potential for Jordan to grow is obvious and that's why he's so high on draft boards. Detroit lost Justin Durant to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency so they are looking to fill a linebacker spot to go along with Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy.
Why They Shouldn't - Jordan is looked at to be a tweener in the NFL, which is never a good label for anybody in any sport. Depending on what type of defensive scheme the team that drafts him runs, he might find himself as a defensive end or linebacker. Also, I mentioned his shoulder injury that was aggravated in the Ducks bowl game, it required surgery in the offseason and could develop into a continuous problem the longer his career goes. His numbers were good but not great at Oregon and for a this high of pick you would want to be wowed when looking at his stats, could have been the system though with how much he was in coverage.
Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah 6-5 271 DE BYU
Why They Should - A player that whose draft stock has sky rocketed since the combine and Senior Bowl has been Ziggy Ansah. In some mock drafts he's going as high as #2 overall. Coming out of BYU, the native from Ghana originally wanted to play basketball and when that didn't work he turned to the gridiron. He showed surprising quickness for a 270-pound defensive end and is similar to the New York Giants Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. In his senior year at BYU he recorded 62 tackles, 13 for a loss and 4.5 sacks. That was his only year as a full-time starter as he went from never playing the sport, to special teams player, to starter in three seasons. The improvements and learning ability over that time shows that Ansah is very coachable and applies what he's taught. Not to mention he's the freak athlete of this class. The departure of Cliff Avril to the Seattle Seahawks and decline of Kyle Vanden Bosch leaves a lot of room open for a new stud defensive end to join Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
Why They Shouldn't - He is the biggest project in the entire draft. To go from trying to play basketball to projected top five pick in the NFL draft before he even fully learned how to fully play the game of football is a quick turnaround. Like Jordan, he had good numbers but not great and when playing in a non power conference you should be more dominant against lesser competition. He's completely raw and risking this high of a pick on someone that needs a lot of coaching isn't always the best move. The high risk, high reward of players like this is enticing for some general managers but it scares others away. It will be interesting to see if, first of all he makes it to #5 and secondly if the Lions are willing to take him.
Chance Warmack 6-2 317 OG Alabama
Why They Should - Chance Warmack was the stud of the NFL draft combine as he was the highest graded player by NFL.com once it was all said and done. A massive man, he's paved the way for Alabama running backs Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Eddie Lacy on their way to the NFL. Warmack has proved he has NFL talent playing on those Alabama teams and if his health allows it, he's someone that will have a long career and multiple Pro Bowls. The offensive guard spot has been a big problem for Detroit for a long time and Warmack has a the ability to sure up the inside of the line quickly.
Why They Shouldn't - Offensive guards are the least important part of an offensive line and can be found later in the draft. Since 1980 only seven OG's have been drafted in the top 10 and only one in the top five, Bill Fralic #2 overall in 1985. Also, with how much the Lions like to throw the ball, led the league in passing attempts the last two seasons, and even adding Reggie Bush doesn't make it necessary to bolster the interior linemen when the outside is more important.
So here we are, the Detroit Lions sit at #5 in the draft with five options at five different positions. Now, it all depends on who is going to be available because Fisher, Jordan, and Ansah could be gone before the Lions have a chance to pick. But I definitely think they should go with Fisher. He is the most sure thing out of these players to produce at a high level and when you have a franchise quarterback like Matthew Stafford you have to protect him. Ansah has the most upside out of the group so he might get called but when drafting in the top five it's difficult to take risks. Milliner was the choice early on but seems to dropping quickly. Jordan doesn't have a natural position and might struggle finding himself in between roles. Warmack, let's face it offensive guards just shouldn't be drafted this high. And that's my rankings for these players...
1. Eric Fisher
2. Ziggy Ansah
3. Dee Milliner
4. Dion Jordan
5. Chance Warmack
All of these players have a chance to great in the NFL but like every draft there's always going to be busts near the top. Let's just hope we don't see a wide receiver picked at #5, Tavon Austin anyone?
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