2019 NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams
By Conor Dorney
Detroit Lions
Grade: B+
Best pick: T.J. Hockenson (TE, Iowa)
Questionable pick: Isaac Nauta (TE, Georgia)
Sleeper pick: Travis Fulgham (WR, Old Domnion)
Many figured that the Lions were a team primed to trade back out of the top ten but it never materialized and instead, the team took the class’ top tight end in Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson. Hockenson is exactly the type of player that head coach Matt Patricia will love having on his roster, as a capable in-line blocker who offers some excellent upside as a pass-catcher. Hockenson should really help to open up the passing game for Matthew Stafford on the outside and figures to have an immediate impact in his rookie season.
Jahlani Tavai, linebacker out of Hawaii, offers intriguing upside and was a late riser throughout the draft process. He was a tackling machine in college and at minimum, should be a dynamic special teams player early on in his NFL career. The fact that we’ll potentially get to see Matt Patricia do the Haka dance before games makes it an even more special pick, if you ask me.
Detroit got some excellent value in the later rounds in the form of Old Dominion wide receiver Travis Fulgham and Penn State cornerback Amani Oruwariye. Fulgham was one of my favorite sleeper wideouts in the class and while he isn’t much of a downfield threat, he’s just as fun to watch punishing opposing defensive backs as a blocker in the run game as he is at catching passes. That attitude and willingness to do the dirty work as a run blocker should make him a candidate for significant playing time early on in his Lions career.