2016 NFL Mock Draft: Detroit Lions Steal OT Ronnie Stanley
A recent well-respected 2016 NFL Mock Draft has offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley falling to the Detroit Lions at number 16. This would be a great pick and massive steal for the Lions’ organization.
With the Senior Bowl behind us and the NFL Scouting Combine right around the corner, the 2016 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. That means, as you have undoubtedly noticed, mock drafts are popping up all over the place. One of the more respected insiders of the industry released his second mock draft of the year recently with plenty of interesting selections throughout the process.
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Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah completed his mock draft for NFL.com earlier this week, and this is always one to keep an eye on. Jeremiah is extremely plugged into NFL circles, and always seems to have a strong idea what teams are thinking. Do yourself a favor and check out his 2016 NFL Mock Draft.
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There are many selections worth noting throughout this mock draft. Joey Bosa to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jared Goff to the San Francisco 49ers, Jaylon Smith to the Miami Dolphins and Ezekiel Elliot to the Oakland Raiders all stand out as interesting picks that we have not seen in many mock drafts. However, it was the selection of Ronnie Stanley by the Detroit Lions with the 16th overall pick that stood out to me the most.
Stanley is a true left tackle prospect with great upside at the next level. Some people involved with the draft process are concerned with his relatively raw ability, but Stanley is a blue chip prospect who has always seemed to be valued highly. He is a strong prospect at a premium position in the NFL. Rarely do we see Stanley falling out of the top ten in early mock draft.
While this pick was certainly a surprise to me, I totally trust that Jeremiah did not just place him there by accident. I imagine that he has heard something about Stanley slipping down the draft board a bit. If this is even remotely true, the Lions could be in a great position to hit a home run on draft day.
Physically, Stanley has it all to be an elite franchise left tackle at the next level. He has ideal size (6’5″, 315 pounds), great quickness, huge raw strength, obvious athleticism and fantastic length that he uses well to a distance from defenders. Stanley is a physical run blocker and reliable pass protector who has a nearly unlimited ceiling at the next level.
That being said, there are some concerns about his game, and most of them are about his technique. Stanley tends to play too high, causing himself to get driven off the snap by defensive linemen at times. He is strong enough to handle powerful players, but if he does not use his leverage to his advantage it does not matter. He can count on getting over-powered at the next level if this continues.
Stanley’s technique is a concern that could clearly effect his draft stock. However, the skills are undoubtedly there for him to shine at the next level. He needs proper coaching, and must be willing to adapt at the next level, but there is no reason to think he would not take well to proper coaching.
The lack of technique is undoubtedly an issue, but it is something that can get ironed out. NFL coaches are the best, and as long as Stanley is willing to grow as a player, they will be able to beat the bad habits out of him.
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His skills are too tempting for the Lions to pass up. Selecting Stanley would allow them to move current left tackle Riley Reiff to a more natural right tackle position, significantly upgrading two positions at once.
If Ronnie Stanley falls in the 2016 NFL Draft like Daniel Jeremiah predicts, the Detroit Lions need to be ready to pounce.