Tuesday, February 19, 2013
RB in the draft for Detroit?
By Tim Kavanagh
Given the Detroit Lions' myriad needs on the defensive side of the ball -- as we've repeatedly noted in this space, they have six starters from 2012 hitting unrestricted free agency, in addition to having released veteran DE Kyle Vanden Bosch already -- one would think they'd focus on that side of the ball in free agency and the draft. And they very well may choose a player on the D-line at No. 5 overall; there should be several really good ones from which to choose. However, in Round 2 and after, their focus may shift back to offense.
Specifically, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that RB is perhaps their biggest position of need on the offensive side of the ball. And it just so happens that there are some players that could make sense for them on the second or third day of the draft.
The goal for Detroit, in the words of GM Martin Mayhew, is to add some "juice" to the backfield, and moving beyond metaphor into reality, they're really trying to find a replacement for Jahvid Best, whose NFL future is up in the air. Some names to keep in mind: UNC's Giovani Bernard, Clemson's Andre Ellington, Oregon's Kenjon Barner and Oklahoma St.'s Joseph Randle.
