Detroit Lions: Latest Combine News and Rumors

Like every other front office in the NFL, the Detroit Lions are playing it close to the vest with whom they'll be watching at the NFL combine.

That leaves us in the dark. Luckily, the Internet hype machine is in full swing with speculation of potential draft-day darlings. 

The NFL combine kicks off in Indianapolis on February 17 for six days of 40-yard dashes and bench presses as the Twitter-verse makes definitive, irrefutable opinions that will flip-flop four times by May. We wouldn't have it any other way, so click through for a sneak peak at the Lions' interests in Indianapolis.

Look Past the Left Tackles

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

A popular premise heading into this year's draft has been kicking left tackle Riley Reiff inside to guard and drafting a prototypical left tackle to flank him. 

There's a lot to like there. Reiff's short arms would seem to transition well to guard, where he won't have to deal with many speed rushes while adding some athleticism to the position.

Jeff Risdon of Real GM doesn't see it coming to pass, and it's hard to beat his sources:

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@NFLdraftboard @MathBomb @extrapointIan I've raised that with Lions coaches, consistent response is "why?" They like Reiff at LT.

— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) February 8, 2015"

Obviously, everything said predraft by a coaching staff or front office needs to be taken with a pillar of salt. There's no benefit in letting your intentions be known.

But there is a good point here. It's easier to find someone to play guard than it is to play tackle.

Reiff built upon an average (minus-1.3 Pro Football Focus grade) 2013 by finishing with a tidy 6.8 in 2014. He's trending up at a tough position so why take a high-risk gamble in the first round when you can grab a serviceable guard in free agency or even a later round?

Everybody Loves Malcom

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Some call it laziness. Others just think it is a matter of convenience. Regardless of the reasoning, a lot of draftniks are eyeing Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Malcom Brown as a bridge to the future of Detroit's defense.

I get why some fans are so disinterested in this narrative because they believe that Ndamukong Suh will be back. I do, too, based on his importance to the team and team president Tom Lewand's recent statements. 

However, as ESPN draft guy Todd McShay explained, Brown isn't seen as a Suh replacement:

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The Lions could go with a cornerback or offensive tackle here, but defensive tackle is a position of need even if Ndamukong Suh does return in 2015 (C.J. Mosley, Andre Fluellen and Nick Fairley are all free agents), and it's a gaping hole if he goes somewhere else in free agency. Brown is a versatile D-lineman who has experience playing NT, DT and DE in a 4-3 defense, and NT and 5-technique in a 3-4. He's strong versus the run and showed more as a pass-rusher during his final season in Austin under head coach Charlie Strong.

"

There's a line of thinking here that some folks haven't taken notice of yet: Suh needs a running mate.

General manager Martin Mayhew didn't spend three first-round picks in four years on the defensive line to let it slide back into mediocrity. Brown will be a player to keep an eye on at this combine, along with a host of other defensive tackles, because the strength of this defense is in the middle. It allows the Lions to make teams one-dimensional by stuffing the run.

If there's one thing Brown can do, it's eat up the space necessary to keep the defense stout.

But Others See a Cornerback

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The other big position of need heading into this offseason is outside cornerback. Darius Slay took a huge step forward in 2014, giving the Lions one building block, but he cannot hold it down by himself.

That's why Bleacher Report NFL national lead writer Michael Schottey thinks there's more work to be done: "Now, corner was not a terrible position for the Lions last season, but one of the Lions' starting corners (Rashean Mathis) and nickelback (Cassius Vaughn) are free agents, and Darius Slay is still growing as a player and inconsistent for stretches."

Schottey mocked Michigan State's Trae Waynes to the Lions in an effort to address that issue. Waynes will certainly be a focal point of the cornerbacks at the combine, but there are quite a few others that warrant mention here.

Washington's Marcus Peters will be looking to cement his status as a top-10 talent, while P.J. Williams of Florida State has an eye on overtaking Waynes as the best big, physical cornerback. Another name to keep your eye on is the fast-rising Eric Rowe:

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Here's my top 3 (in no order) of most realistic pick for the Lions at #23 overall: Eric Rowe, Cam Erving and Trae Waynes

— BeastMode (@BeastFBall) February 10, 2015"

The former Utah Ute has shown his versatility by playing both cornerback and safety in college and at the Senior Bowl. There are a lot of cornerback prospects on Detroit's radar, and Indy is where they can start separating themselves from the herd.

The Safest Pick May Be a Safety

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Mayhew is a passionate believer in the "best player available" philosophy. In short, it means he's going to take the most talented guy, regardless of positional need.

But if Alabama safety Landon Collins falls to Detroit with the 23rd overall pick, it's possible that Detroit could check both boxes.

Collins has a lot on the line in Indy. He can prove himself to be the best safety in the class and lock down a spot in the top 15.

DetroitLions.com's Tim Twentyman recently highlighted him in an article previewing the combine's safety participants, and he had this to say: "Collins is the best strong safety in the class and probably the only sure-fire first rounder of the bunch. He's better in the box than in coverage. He has the skill set to be a productive in-the-box safety in the NFL."

That sounds an awful lot like Detroit's current starting strong safety. James Ihedigbo is 31 years old, and next year is the final season on his contract. Collins is certainly in play in the first round, and he's probably the only safety worthy of selection in the first two days.

The Running Back Pool Is Deep

There is a definite divide on whether Detroit should make a move at running back. On one hand, people want to run Reggie Bush out of town because his total-yardage output dropped by 63 percent. The thorn in the Lions' paw is the lack of salary-cap savings ($1.7 million if pre-June 1), along with $3.8 million of dead money.

That's a tough pill to swallow.

Yet, if Mayhew pulls the trigger, there are plenty of draft options available. All of those skill drills in Indianapolis will be closely watched by Detroit's brass because Day 2 of the draft will bring T.J. Yeldon (featured in the video above) and a bevy of talented ball-carriers.

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Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Duke Johnson, Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah, Jay Ajayi, David Cobb, Josh Robinson might be difference making RBs

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) February 14, 2015"

And no, Mr. Kelly isn't exaggerating. Tevin Coleman and Duke Johnson are home run hitters, while Jay Ajayi and David Cobb have a bit more Joique Bell in them. They fight and claw their way for extra yards, and what looks like a quiet day could still result in 100 yards on the ground because they extend every run.

There are flaws that need to be addressed with each of them, but this year's running back class could be the signature of the 2015 NFL draft, much like the wide receivers last year.

All salary-cap numbers are sourced from Spotrac.com. All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.