If recent history were any indicator of potential draft selections, Detroit would be almost certain to pick up a top flight receiver with their first round choice this April, in spite of glaring holes at other key positions. But with a solid young quarterback under center and a fairly talented group of skill players behind him, the Lions are almost sure to focus on finding the best player available with their pick, preferably on defense.

According to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press, second year general manager Martin Mayhew has made it clear that the team is determined to acquire as much talent as possible in this draft class, doing their best to avoid reaching for a particular player just because they need to fill that position. Obviously, there has to be some amount of balance between the two approaches, as drafting solely on talent could leave the Lions vulnerable in other key areas, and selecting by need alone would inevitably leave quality players in other positions still on the board.

One area Detroit is almost sure to focus on is their defensive line, as the Lions struggled immensely in putting pressure on opposing QBs last season, and were consistently gashed for yards by opposing runners as well. Depending on what the Rams decide to do with the first pick, Detroit could very well have to choose between the top two defensive tackles on the board in Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. At this point, Suh is the likely winner in that contest, but things could change in a heart beat once the scouting combine is complete next weekend.

The Lions could also choose to solidify their offensive line with a selection of the top rated tackle on the board, likely to be either Russell Okung or Anthony Davis. Protecting Matt Stafford will be key next season, and the addition of either Okung or Davis would go a long way towards doing that.

All in all, this draft will be a big one for Detroit, in that they could position themselves for a strong run in the next few years if they can come away with a solid class of players. Hunting high and low for the best talent available, and not settling for the hype will be a major key, but so too will be the character of the players selected, as a career with the Lions takes a strong level of determination and desire to succeed.

Other posts you may enjoy:

1. Updated Mock – 02/12
2. Updated: Mock Draft Round One