The 2018 NFL Draft is officially over, and the Lions ended up with a pretty good haul. Rather than grading each pick, I will just share my general thoughts on this year’s Lions draft as a whole.
Watching the Lions attempt to run the football the last several years has been an absolute joke, and that might be an understatement. Whether it was watching guys get hit behind the line of scrimmage before they even had a chance to make a play, or not being able to pick up a yard on 3rd and short, and all of the other flaws their running game has presented. I mean, just take a look at the Lions team rushing ranks since 2014.
2014 – 28th
2015 – 32nd
2016 – 30th
2017 – 32nd
That honestly might be the worst four-year stretch in terms of team rushing ranks in the history of the NFL, and if it’s not, it has to be damn close.
With all that being said, I absolutely LOVED Bob Quinn’s approach to start the NFL Draft this year. Obviously, the approach was to fix the damn running game at all costs. With their first round selection, the Lions selected Frank Ragnow, center from Arkansas. Per Pro Football Focus, he has put together two of the highest graded seasons as a center in college football in the entire PFF ERA. In 2016, he had a grade of 94.5. In 2017, he had a grade of 93.7. Ragnow seems to have all the intangibles to be a very good offensive lineman in this league and should improve both the Lions’ running and passing game tremendously.
It was also apparent the Lions needed to add another running back to the roster, and they did just that in the 2nd round by trading up for Auburn RB, Kerryon Johnson. I expect Johnson to become the best running back on the roster, as he seems to have the full package of being an inside and outside runner, being effective in the passing game, and having the ability to pass protect.
As far as the 3rd and 4th round go, the Lions selected safety, Tracy Walker from Louisiana Lafayette and defensive end, Da’Shawn Hand from Alabama. I’m not going to complain about either of these picks. Walker seemed to be a reach at the time, but Adam Schefter went onto report that the Carolina Panthers were going to take him two picks after the Lions. Quinn and Patricia seemed pretty excited after the selection, and it seems they have a plan for Walker to get onto the field quickly and more than likely take over for Glover Quin in the years to come. Da’Shawn Hand never seemed to live up to his potential at Alabama, but the Lions desperately needed to add someone to that position group. Hand will be reunited with the man that recruited him though, Bo Davis, who is the Lions defensive line coach who probably believes they can get more out him than expected.
The 5th round selection seemed like a steal. Tyrell Crosby from Oregon, another offensive lineman. Some mocks had Crosby going in the 2nd or 3rd round, and the Lions got him in the 5th, which is great value and he should be able to compete for a job in training camp this summer. Injuries could be a concern though, as he declined to comment on how many concussions he’s had.
I don’t put much value into 7th round picks as the majority of them don’t end up making the roster. But maybe the fullback is back in Detroit? They took Nick Bawden, a fullback from San Diego State in the 7th round. He did block for the leading rusher in the country, Rashaad Penny, for what that’s worth.
Taking everything into account, this was a successful draft for the Lions. It sucks they failed to add a pass rusher for the second straight year, but you can’t address every need in the draft. I’m sick of complaining about their inability to run the football, and it looks like we will witness a change next season regarding that, so I’m definitely satisfied with the first two selections.
QUESTIONS:
“Based off the draft and the current roster, how well can I realistically expect the Lions to do next year?”
I think we should all expect the Lions to make the playoffs next season. I don’t care about how tough their schedule is, Bob Quinn made it quite clear after firing Jim Caldwell that he felt this football team was better than 9 wins. They are not in rebuilding mode, they are in win-now mode, and the Lions are one of the teams in the league that will be in the conversation to make the playoffs, and once you get there, anything can happen.
“Where do you see the Lions running game ranked next season?”
There’s no way the Lions running game should be ranked bottom five again like the last few years. Injuries happen though, and it’s a new group, so I’ll say 14th. A 14th ranked running game would be music to my ears if it becomes reality.
“What do you see the Lions doing with the RB situation?”
I think it’s going to be a committee type approach to start, but I think Kerryon Johnson will become the number one guy. LeGarrette Blount will be an effective runner and will improve the short yardage issues, and Theo Riddick will continue to be one of the best receiving backs in the league. I think the Ameer Abdullah experiment is coming to an end and they will either try to trade him for a late pick, or release him.