Detroit Lions: Defensive Tackle Should Be Top Priority in Draft

With just days remaining until the kickoff of the three-day extravaganza that is the NFL Draft, teams across the league are finalizing their plans. At this point needs are clearly defined and all of the potential prospects have been targeted. It’s just a matter of where the dominoes fall.

For the Detroit Lions, it may an issue of which line gets top priority.

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Many draft analysts like Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com have Detroit selecting a defensive tackle with the No. 23 overall pick. Malcom Brown, a run disruptor out of Texas, is a popular name mocked to the Motor City. However, he may not still be there when the Lions are on the clock.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com has Brown coming off the board at No. 19 to Cleveland.

“Cleveland had trouble stopping the run in 2014 and desperately needs to address the defensive line this offseason. Brown has a great mix of quickness, power and versatility to be an instant contributor for Mike Pettine’s defense.”

Another option is possibly trading down a few picks to select defensive tackle Carl Davis, or just taking him outright at No. 23.

Once thought of as a second-round talent, Davis is believed to have played himself into the first-round after a strong showing during Senior Bowl week.

It’s also worth noting that Davis is a Detroit native, which isn’t going to hurt his chances of being selected by his hometown team.

“With Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley expected to hit free agency, the Lions will be in the market for interior defensive line depth this offseason. Davis has worked himself into the first-round conversation after his impressive Senior Bowl week in Mobile,” wrote Brugler.

“The Lions will be in the market for interior defensive line depth this offseason. Davis has worked himself into the first-round conversation after his impressive Senior Bowl week in Mobile.” – Dane Brugler

I honestly believe the Lions can’t go wrong with either option. Both Brown and Davis fit the bill for a spot next to Haloti Ngata along the defensive line.

It’s ultimately the smart move to go with a defensive lineman in round one because of how much talent was lost at the position in the offseason. Ndamukong Suh, like him or not, is a perennial Pro-Bowler and a huge difference-maker. Nick Fairley underachieved during his time in Detroit, but he’s no slouch in terms of ability.

The addition of Ngata was good, but the overhaul of the d-line won’t be complete until the best possible player at the position is off the board when the Lions select at No. 23.

While the offensive line clearly needs some attention early on the in the draft as well, the chances of finding first-year starter talent is still pretty high in round two. Not that offensive lineman aren’t impact players, but Detroit is more in need of finding an impact defensive lineman who can truly make a difference next season.

Ideally the Lions will find a player like Sheldon Richardson, who was projected as a mid first-rounder back in 2013, and came in and played like a veteran with the New York Jets from day one. His case was a little different, as he was the first tackle off the board at No. 13, but the point is that he ended up performing like a top five caliber pick.

Players like Richardson are hard to pluck out, but he’s a perfect example of what the Lions should shoot for on April 30th.

Whether it’s lucking out and having Brown fall or making a move to ensure they get their guy, the Lions must commit to filling the void on the inside of their defensive line.

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