Detroit Lions 2014 NFL Draft Grades

Posted By Chris Ransom

Detroit Lions: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina

Detroit Lions Day 1 Draft Grade: (A+) Eric Ebron has worked hard all off-season in the rookie minicamps and OTA’s. The tenth overall pick surpassed Brandon Pettigrew as the #1 tight end on the depth chart. In two years Ebron, could be Mo town’s version of Jimmy Graham.

Detroit Lions 2014 Day 2 Picks

Team	Round	Overall Pick	Player	Position	College
	Round 2	40th Overall Pick	Kyle Van Noy	LOLB
	Round 3	76th Overall Pick	Travis Swanson	C

Detroit Lions Day 2 Draft Grade: (A-) Detroit retained DeAndre Levy and Kyle Van Noy will start across from him at left outside linebacker. Detroit has the passing game and front seven to contend. Van Noy is better than you think plus he brings the necessary versatility and run-stuffing that you look for in a linebacker prospect. He can play in a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense on the inside or the outside. Center Travis Swanson was the top center available and will make a good successor to Dominic Raiola. I still cannot believe the Lions’ passed on Weston Richburg, the top center in the 2014 NFL Draft for Travis Swanson. Richburg was still on the board in the second-round. Detroit waited for Swanson in round 3 and took a guy on defense that they liked in Kyle Van Noy.

Detroit Lions Day 3 Draft Picks Slideshow

Detroit Lions Day 3 Draft Grade: (B+) Utah State corner Nevin Lawson looks awful in coverage. Detroit will still have problems at cornerback. Right now Lawson is the dim cornerback on the roster. Ignoring safety was also foolish. How does Detroit expect to stop Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, and Teddy Bridgewater? The Lions are capable of defeating Minnesota and Chicago in Ford Field. Green Bay will sweep Detroit in 2014.

Larry Webster registered 13.5 sacks in 2012 and 12.5 sacks in 2013. You love drafting a 6-foot-2 and 260-pound right end with that much consistency for depth. Talk about a small school guy straight out of Bloomsburg. Webster has the statistics of a pass-rushing defensive end. Can play right end or left end. Would not be surprised if this guy beat out Devin Taylor for starting left end job in training camp. Right now Webster is competing with Jason Jones and Devin Taylor for the starting left end job. With Ziggy Ansah out until the regular season, Webster is getting all the first-team reps at right end since he is considered Ansah’s backup at the right end position.

Caraun Reid is an Ivy League defensive tackle straight out of Princeton. Reid used his rip and swim moves to assult Yale’s offensive guards in 1-on-1 battles. I’m disappointed in Reid because I thought he would be a backup to Suh and Fairley right away. He has to compete with Andre Fluellen and C.J. Mosley just to be a backup defensive tackle. Right now Reid looks like a third-string defensive tackle who will be lucky to crack the 53 man roster.

T.J. Jones was captain of Notre Dame’s offense in 2013 after Notre Dame made the BCS Championship game in 2012. Jones will be a backup. Ryan Broyles will play slot receiver if he is healthy with Kris Durham being a fill-in guy. Right now Jones is behind in Lions’ training camp, and may get cut. Jones just has to make a roster spot and hope an opportunity opens up if Broyles goes down with an injury again.

Boston College kicker Nate Freese was a 4 year starter at Boston College. He never missed a game and has the versatility to be a kicker and a punter. Freese is known for his unrivaled leg distance when it comes to kicking power. His other outstanding quality is his precise kicking accuracy. He went 20/23 as a redshirt freshman in 2010 when Anthony Costanzo was in his final year as a left tackle at Boston College prior to the NFL. After Costanzo went to the NFL, Freese had a bit of a slump going 10/16. When Luke Kuechly left for the NFL, Freese stepped up on special teams going 18/20 in 2012. This season Freese went a perfect 20 for 20. Nate grew up in Strongsville, OH. Despite the Michigan VS Ohio state rivalry, I think most will agree that Nate Freese can replace Jason Hanson. Freese will start right away at kicker. I like the fact that Detroit found a premium kicker. This bumps their day 3 grade up from a solid B to a B+.