Official Draft Discussion Thread

[weasel]

I don't think this would change any choice I made in my mock except maybe drafting an OLB in the third instead of a safety. But I'd still take a safety if I had a chance and there was no suitable OLB.

[Prowler]

I like that we can probably still get a starting caliber safety with the 4th round compensation pick. He can play behind Delmas and get reps on special teams and during 4th quarter blowouts so we don't get Delmas hurt in meaningless snaps.

There are so many awesome wide receivers that one will fall to our 3rd round slot. I can see:
1) Eric Fisher
2) Damontre Moore
3) Robert Woods

as our killer top of the draft. Marquise Goodwin is also the obvious guy to look for if he's still there in that 4th comp-5th round range and we go a different direction with that 3rd pick. I do love the idea of Barrett Jones to take over at center and allow depth to develop on our oline with Nagy, Hilliard, and Fox fighting for roles.

I'd still love Quanterus Smith in 5th or 6th round. I don't have a problem grabbing Rambo at S if he falls or taking a flier on Mathieu.

[detroit4life]

Originally Posted by Prowler

I like that we can probably still get a starting caliber safety with the 4th round compensation pick. He can play behind Delmas and get reps on special teams and during 4th quarter blowouts so we don't get Delmas hurt in meaningless snaps.

There are so many awesome wide receivers that one will fall to our 3rd round slot. I can see:
1) Eric Fisher
2) Damontre Moore
3) Robert Woods

as our killer top of the draft. Marquise Goodwin is also the obvious guy to look for if he's still there in that 4th comp-5th round range and we go a different direction with that 3rd pick. I do love the idea of Barrett Jones to take over at center and allow depth to develop on our oline with Nagy, Hilliard, and Fox fighting for roles.

I'd still love Quanterus Smith in 5th or 6th round. I don't have a problem grabbing Rambo at S if he falls or taking a flier on Mathieu.

We resigned Spievey for this year. I don't see us drafting a safety since he can serve as a back up to both FS and SS. I would rather us use our later picks to find some LBs and possibly a C to try and groom this year behind Riaola

[Prowler]

I want Tahir Whitehead to step up and take the starting spot. I wouldn't mind Gerald Hodges, currently mocking in the 3rd-5th rounds.

[Maybe This Year Mayhew]

I'm a Hodges fan too. Or Khassim Greene.

I think I want Travis Lewis to step up but it will probably be Ashlee Palmer.

[detroit4life]

Someone had us with a mock of Fischer, Moore, Mcfadden through the first 3 rounds.

I'm not sure the draft could work out any better than that for us.

[Prowler]

I don't know why I keep forgetting Ashlee Palmer. I remember that I thought he was awesome a couple of years ago. He had an athletic pick in the preseason and was really fast. It seems like he's been a permanent backup. He even came from Compton and then played college in SEC. 4.45 40. He's always had the tools and now has the experience.

[weasel]

005) Eric Fisher LT
036) Tank Carradine, Damontre Moore, Sam Montgomery, Alez Okafor DE
065) Phillip Thomas S
5th) Tyrann Mathieu
6th) Quanterius Smith DE
7th) Keith Pough OLB
we should get 4th rd and 7th round comp. picks/
Ryan Swope WR
Ethan Pocic C

[Silver & Blue]

My first three rounds would look something like this:

1. Eric Fisher
2. Larry Warford
3. Marquise Goodwin

I was thinking in the 5th round they could pick up someone like Khaled Holmes since Raiola probably isn't too far behind Backus when it comes to retirement. I know Schwartz and Mayhew seem to be kind of hoping Nagy ends up being Raiola's replacement, but I'm not necessarily comfortable on depending on someone we claimed off waivers. If the draft went that way, then we wouldn't have to worry about doing anything with the oline in the near future.

[Iamcanadian]

I'm hoping for

1) Fisher LT
2) Carradine/Montgomery DE's
3) Ryan Swope WR
4) Tyrann Mathieu CB
5) Jon Bostic MLB

[Nastradamus]

I'd like an OLB, but maybe later. Take a gamble on someone who falls or a small school type. I say let Whitehead and Palmer battle it out for the strong side. Its not a high priority anyways.

I'd like Fisher/Ansah in the 1st, Carradine/Watson in the 2nd and the best WR left in the 3rd, whether Woods,Swope,Wheaton or whoever else. I love the idea of Mathieu with our comp pick in the 4th, assuming we get it, or with our 5th rounder. After that gimme an OLB and a P, maybe a DT like Will Campbell.

[Iamcanadian]

There is a post in the draft section where they state that Detroit will get a 4th rounder in compensation for Eric Wright and a 7th rounder for Stanton in compensatory picks.

[Maybe This Year Mayhew]

Yep we got 136 overall (4th) and a 7th.

8 picks now. Can't trade those picks

[SINCE1978]

Love the "newly acquired" picks; 4th for Wright & 7th for Stanton.
I think with the ST headaches this team has been experiencing, even with HOF Hanson coming back for 1 last hurrah, I would turn two 7th rd picks into legs of the future in P Brad Wing, LSU & K Caleb Sturgis,Florida. (if they are still around)
Not "sexy", just practical in foundation building.

[SINCE1978]

Why is a MAC lineman in Fisher such a hot commodity in here for our Lions @ #5, even some #1 overall consideration??
I don't get it. Local tie? Senior bowl practices?
He did not overly impress me against MSU's Gholston or Rush this year. I think he is a workout warrior. We took the #2 T last year in Reiff, he has to be given every shot to replace Backus.

[Prowler]

Senior Bowl practices and general rating. His mauling of Alex Okafor, consistent technique, measureables, and he did have a great season.

2012 Second Team All-America (SI.com)
2012 Third Team All-America (Associated Press)
2012 First Team All-MAC (conference and Phil Steele)
2012 Senior Bowl All-Futures Team
2011-12 CMU Offensive Upfront Player of the Year
2011 Third Team All-MAC

2012: [Game-by-Game Statistics] Named Second Team All-America by SI.com ... selected Third Team All-America by AP ... received First Team All-MAC honors from conference and Phil Steele ... earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl ... honored on the inaugural Senior Bowl All-Futures team … named team Offensive Upfront Co-Player of the Year ... started all 13 games at left tackle ... part of an offense that averaged 6.2 yards per play, second best in the MAC, produced nearly 400 yards of offense per game, and scored 30 more points in 10 games … helped anchor an offensive line that allowed just 15 sacks, which ranked No. 17 nationally in 2012 … helped pave the way for running back Zurlon Tipton to rush for 1,492 yards and 19 touchdowns, the second highest total ever by a Chippewa … protected quarterback Ryan Radcliff as he threw for 3,000-plus yards for the third consecutive season (3,158) and posted the best touchdown-to-interception ratio of his career (23-9).

Heck, he even majored in Mechanical Engineering in his spare time. He's got the brains and the program pedigree to be something special.

And I completely disagree about Reiff. We need the best possible players with the fewest question marks. Fisher completely deserves his current grade and is a top 3 player this year. I personally say that he's the best offensive tackle this year. Fisher grades out as a top 5 pick, whereas Reiff was a top 20-late 1st type. He's a tier higher and we throw the ball 727 times a year. Do you really trust Reiff, Hilliard, and Fox to get it done? Or even stay healthy?

[Prowler]

To clarify the difference between Fisher and Reiff...

Trait Fisher vs Reiff
Ht 6'7 1/4" 6'5 3/4"
Wt 306 lbs 315 lbs
Bench 27 Reps 23 Reps
40 yd 5.05 secs 5.23 secs
20 yd 4.44 secs 4.75 secs
3 cone 7.59 secs 7.87 secs
Vert 28.5" 26.5"
Broad 116" 98"

Throw in the visual eyeball test against good competition and he has earned his grade.

Also...Jason Smith had his degree in Recreational Education from Baylor...So, I don't think we should allude to Fisher being a workout warrior and shooting up the charts like Smith did. They are massively different.

[Iamcanadian]

Originally Posted by SINCE1978

Why is a MAC lineman in Fisher such a hot commodity in here for our Lions @ #5, even some #1 overall consideration??
I don't get it. Local tie? Senior bowl practices?
He did not overly impress me against MSU's Gholston or Rush this year. I think he is a workout warrior. We took the #2 T last year in Reiff, he has to be given every shot to replace Backus.

Fisher entered the post season with a late 1st round grade because he came from the MAC and didn't have a lot of tape against solid college DLmen. However, at the Senior Bowl, he demonstrated that the upgrade in DLmen didn't affect him one bit and he dominated the DLmen at the Senior Bowl. Once he demonstrated that the upgrade in talent didn't affect him, he took a quantum leap up draft boards and didn't hurt his cause when he looked sensational during his workouts at the Combine.

[weasel]

In my humble opinion, he'll never get by Philadelphia. However, if he does get by Philly and we take him, Our offensive line gets nastier and better. You have a guy who is gifted playing left tackle for the first time since Lomas Brown. It immediately makes us better at LT and one other position because Rieff can play four out of five OL positions. We have Sims at LG, Dom at C, Rieff at right guard and Hilliard/Fox at RT. To me if Nagy or another guy beats out one of those guys we're even better. If everything the fans have been spouting off is close to true (and Rieff is good enough to play LT but with the shorter arms and inferior athletic ability when compared to Fisher) then we would be fine playing him at RT and we'd have two OT's who can pass block. No need to provide a chipper. Or, if he is good enough to be our RG Dom gets help and our pocket doesn't have two holes anymore.

I'd be ecstatic.

Then, give me 2nd) Phillip Thomas S or Eric Reid S and 3rd) Cornelius Carradine DE. Maybe a D. J. Hayden CB in the fourth or Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB.

I'd be all set after getting an OLB that could run and cover like Jelani Jenkins and a guard like Alvin Bailey who is just one great,big, powerful lineman.

That's my draft for now:
005) Eric Fisher LT 6'7" 310 lbs. but I'd love to get Mingo, too
036) Phillip Thomas S 6' 210 lbs. Slight trade down or take Thomas right here. or Eric Reid.
065) Tank Carradine 6'5" 265 lbs. has first round talent we get him here because of his injury.
132) Compensatory pick Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB 6' 190 lbs. is available here because of the depth of this corner class.
Jelani Jenkins OLB 6' 237 lbs. We trade next year's fourth for a pick here and grab him
137) Alvin Bailey G 6'5" 315 lbs. powerful
171) DJ Hayden CB 6' 188 lbs. Depth Corner
211) Corey Fuller 6'3" 193 lbs. 4th WR
245) Brandon Kaufman 6'4" 215 lbs. Red Zone
threat

[Brothgar]

Philly doesn't really need a LT they have Peters back and in good health I see them going D early in this draft.

[Nastradamus]

Originally Posted by Brothgar

Philly doesn't really need a LT they have Peters back and in good health I see them going D early in this draft.

They need a RT short term and a LT long term.

[P-L]

Originally Posted by SINCE1978

Why is a MAC lineman in Fisher such a hot commodity in here for our Lions @ #5, even some #1 overall consideration??
I don't get it. Local tie? Senior bowl practices?
He did not overly impress me against MSU's Gholston or Rush this year. I think he is a workout warrior. We took the #2 T last year in Reiff, he has to be given every shot to replace Backus.

I'm not sure we saw the same game. I thought Fisher dominated the Michigan State ends for almost the entire game. He struggled a bit picking up Denicos Allen when he blitzed, but I didn't feel that Gholston or Rush gave him much trouble.

[Brothgar]

Originally Posted by Nastradamus

They need a RT short term and a LT long term.

Peters is just beginning his prime and spending a #4 overall on a RT no thanks.

[Prowler]

My Current Lions Draft Board

1. Fisher
2. Joeckel
3. Ansah
4. Milliner
5. Johnson

[noondog]

Mine would be:

1. Joeckel
2. Fisher
3. Milliner
4. Ansah
5. Warmack