2013 NFL Draft Grades: Detroit Lions
By Josh Hill
The 2013 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time for some reflection. While some teams traded around to get who they want, others stood pat to see who would slide to them — and if there’s one thing to remember about this draft it’s players that slid around the rounds. But now that the draft is behind us, the all important grading phase has begun, so lets take a look at how the Detroit Lions did in this year’s NFL Draft.
Draft Picks
- (5) Ziggy Ansah, de, BYU
- (36) Darius Slay, db, Mississippi State
- (65) Larry Warford, g, Kentucky
- (132) Devin Taylor, de, South Carolina
- (165) Sam Martin, p, Appalachian State
- (171) Corey Fuller, wr, Virginia Tech
- (199) Theo Riddick, rb, Notre Dame
- (211) Michael Williams, te, Alabama
- (245) Brandon Hepburn, lb, Florida A&M.
Best Pick: Darius Slay, CB/Mississippi State
Many had Slay pegged as the second or third best cornerback in the draft, and by taking him the Lions addressed a serious position in need of help. They only took one cornerback in but Slay was the right guy to be the pick if the Lions wanted to only take one cornerback.
Worst Pick: Michael Williams, TE/Alabama
Williams is a prototypical ‘Y’ tight end and he’s really nothing special at all in the Lions offense. He’s not going to start, he’ll contribute largely on short-yardage situations and won’t be a guy that breaks through anytime soon for Detroit.
Analysis: All in all, the Lions put together one of the better drafts this season out of all the teams. They grabbed Ziggy Ansah to come off the defensive line, Darius Slay was a steal in the second round and even Theo Riddick will be able to make the offense more dynamic and dangerous. If I’m a Lions fan, I’m really happy with what my team did.
2013 Draft Grade: B+