The Detroit Lions made moves in stabilizing the right side of their offensive line during free agency with the signings of Ricky Wagner and T.J. Lang. Now, the Lions will look to fill one of these three needs with the 21st pick in the NFL Draft.
Detroit Lions 2017 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Defensive End
Last season, with the injuries to Ezekiel Ansah, the Lions pass rush was incredibly weak. While they were not nearly as bad against the run, ranking 11th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, they could not get after the passer. The team had 26 sacks for the season while their opponents had 37 when playing against the Lions. Kerry Hyder gave the Lions a big jump last year during his breakout season, adding eight sacks which ranked 22nd in the league. Outside of Hyder, the Lions next highest sacks total came from Devin Taylor who had 4.5 sacks.
The Lions should look to add DeMarcus Walker, the defensive end from Florida State. Walker was one of the most productive players in the entire nation last year, having 16 sacks for the season and 25 in the last two seasons combined. Some scouts have questioned Walker’s athleticism and wonder if his production can translate to the next level but Walker has clearly shown a knack for getting after the quarterback. In addition, Walker was having this level of production in the ACC which had last year’s national champion, Clemson and was one of the most talented conferences top to bottom. Walker may still be on the board when the Lions select at 53 in the second round, in which case Walker would be a great addition. The Lions desperately need Ansah to remain healthy in 2017 and if he can do that and the Lions add an early round talent to the mix, look for the defensive line to make a big jump.
Running Back
Last season, the Lions leading rusher was Theo Riddick with 357 yards which was only 100 more yards than quarterback Matthew Stafford who is by no means a running quarterback. Riddick’s highest rushing performance was for 70 yards and he also missed five games. His lack of production says a lot more about his style of play than it does about his talent. The former Notre Dame player is one of the best receiving backs in the league and is extremely dangerous in open space but he has not shown he can be successful running up the middle. Second year running back Ameer Abdullah missed all but two games last season and he will be returning. However, he has a very similar play style to Riddick and he also has had troubles staying on the field and has had a fumble issue.
The Lions should look at selecting Dalvin Cook, the former Florida State running back. In his career at Florida State, Cook was a bonafide star. He had almost 700 carries, 4,464 rushing yards and also had 46 touchdowns for his career. Another reason Cook would be a fantastic fit with the Lions is he fills the Lions need for someone who can run in between the tackles. If Cook does fall to the Lions, I expect them to pounce at the opportunity of drafting him.
Linebacker
The Lions battled injuries all over the field in 2016 but last season was especially difficult for their linebacking corps. Despite a career full of injuries, the Lions were relying on DeAndre Levy to play well for them in 2016. However, this did not happen, as Levy ended up missing all but five games and was cut at the end of the season. Tahir Whitehead started in the middle for the Lions and brought solid play, adding 99 solo tackles and 33 assisted tackles for a total of 132.
The Lions should draft former Temple linebacker Haason Reddick if he is still on the board when they select. Reddick is a player with great athleticism but he is also a very smart player. Reddick would add some athleticism at the outside linebacker position for the Lions. Not only that, but he would also help the Lions rush the passer, something they really struggled to do in 2016.
