Third-rounder Kevin Smith will be given every
chance to be the starting running back in the wake of Kevin Jones' departure.
The Lions re-signed Tatum Bell, but Bell has never proven he can be an
every-down back, and with new offensive coordinator Jim Coletto emphasizing the
run, Kevin Smith could be the guy. In order to improve the rushing attack, the
Lions revamped the offensive line with first-rounder Gosder Cherilus.
Round 1, Pick 17 (17)
(From Vikings through Chiefs) Gosder Cherilus OT 6'7" 315 Boston College
The Lions take Cherilus, as they look to build up their offensive line on the
right side. Cherilus projects to be able to start right away and give Detroit
some consistency on the right side, having started 53 consecutive games for
Boston College
.
Round 2, Pick 14 (45) Jordon Dizon OLB 6'0" 229 Colorado
Dizon's lack of size and speed has many questioning how effective he will be at
the pro level. With names such as Dan Connor and Xavier Adibi still on the
board, the Lions likely took Dizon according to a pressing need on the outside.
Round 3, Pick 1 (64) (From Dolphins) Kevin Smith RB 6'1" 217 Central Florida
Smith's a big kid who fits the inside zone running scheme that the Lions are
implementing this year. His football grade is probably a high second-round pick
but he fell somewhat due to off-field issues and a poor game against Mississippi
State to end the year.
Round 3, Pick 24 (87) (From Browns) Andre Fluellen DT 6'2" 296 Florida State
Fluellen is a big, athletic defensive lineman who fits the Lions' 4-3 system as
a lane-clogging, run-stuffer.
Round 3, Pick 29 (92) (From Cowboys) Cliff Avril OLB 6'3" 252 Purdue
The Lions traded up to take Avril. There's a good chance he'll play linebacker
in Detroit. He had 48 plays behind the line of scrimmage in 45 starts and ran a
very impressive 4.5 at the combine.
Round 5, Pick 1 (136)
(From Dolphins through Chiefs) Kenneth Moore WR 5'11" 195 Wake Forest
Moore had a huge senior year with 98 catches for 1,011 yards. He is versatile
and despite his qualities as a receiver, you can also put him in the backfield
as his 500 rushing yards his junior year demonstrate.
Round 5, Pick 11 (146) (From Saints) Jerome Felton FB 6'0" 246 Furman
Jerome Felton is a big back who can do more than just block. He had 63 rushing
touchdowns at Furman.
Round 7, Pick 9 (216) Landon Cohen DE 6'3" 278 Ohio
Cohen is small for a defensive tackle but dominated his conference. He's not
real fast, but has talent as a run-stopper.
Round 7, Pick 11 (218) (From Saints) Caleb Campbell S 6'2" 229 Army
Campbell has size and is a very smart player. He has strong safety skills and
can come up in the box and make plays. His coverage skills are underappreciated.
A new rule allowing military academy grads to go straight to the NFL and delay
their service may have helped him get drafted. He is the poster child for Army
football.
Detroit Lions News 2008 NFL Preview
The
Lions decided that they really didn't like scoring so many points, so
they got rid of Mike Martz and drafted Kevin Smith to challenge Tatum
Bell. Don't worry Lions fans, Jon Kitna will still be around to make all
the mistakes you love so much. The biggest news of the off-season in
Detroit was that the Lions actually waited until the 5th round to take a
wide receiver. Amazing
Offense: Jon Kitna is still around, and He will still make a ton
of mistakes when allowed to throw the ball. Getting TE Dan Campbell back
from another surgery should help Kitna and the offense. The goal for
this year is to be more balanced offensively so don't throw any fantasy
eggs into this team. They will run the ball effectively with Kevin Smith
and Tatum Bell as Cherilus fills a gaping hole at RT. Even if he
struggles early on, he’ll almost certainly be better than George Foster
Defense: Shaun Rogers leaving left a huge hole in the middle of
the defensive line. NT Chuck Darby should be adequate as he has played
in this system before. The Lions however still lack an elite pass
rusher. The coverage units have been overhauled and should improve, but
without any pressure from a fairly weak line, expect some problems.
Overall: This team overachieved
last year by capitalizing on timely turnovers en route to a 6-2 start.
Their 1-7 finish was closer to reality. Given Detroit’s upgrades, six or
seven wins seem likely for 2008. The Lions have a good enough
offense but some problems on defense. They will give away some games due
to a weak defense and yet they did very little to improve the defense in
the draft. Pretty typical for Matt Millen though we again want to
congratulate him on staying away from early round wide receivers.
