Detroit Lions Looking to NFL Draft For Rushing Help

The Detroit Lions need some offensive backfield help. Will they get it in the draft? What kind of help are they looking for?

Current starter Kevin Smith is likely to land on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list to start the season. Even if he is able to play, he wouldn't be at 100 percent.

Then again, some think Kevin Smith is garbage even when healthy.

That group tends to forget that Smith played hurt through much of 2009 with shoulder and knee injuries slowing him down, limiting his lateral mobility, and ability to run through tackles.

Often, “sophomore slump,” becomes “average back with no upside” too quickly in the minds of football fans.

Matt Forte is a great example of a young back who, when used properly, was a phenomenal back. In his second year, the offensive line failed on a monumental basis and Forte shouldered an unfair share of the blame.

The Kevin Smith situation isn't much different. His line was horrible and he was injured. Other than those two “minor things,” Kevin Smith is a solid back.

But, the Lions still need help in the backfield and wouldn't turn away a running back if one fell to them.

Kevin Smith is neither a “power back” nor a “speed back.” At 100 percent health, Kevin Smith is a poor man's Pierre Thomas—a good all-around runner who can catch passes and block. Smith is best suited for a third down type role but in a situation where the carries are divided 60/30/10 with Smith getting 30 percent of the carries and a fair share of looks in the passing game.

Maurice Morris played extremely well in relief for Smith last season, but the Lions don't look at him as a No. 2 or change of pace guy. The coaching staff looks at him, almost, as a second starter. As someone who is second in the rotation, but doesn't complement Smith as much as replace him.

Then there's Aaron Brown.

If Brown could ever get out of the dog house, he could probably find himself garnering Pro Bowl votes. Speed, decent size, agility, balance...Brown has all of the physical tools to succeed but was spoon fed offense at Texas Christian. His inability to handle an NFL playbook led to benching after benching in 2009.

So, if the Detroit Lions are looking for help, who will it be?

At pick No. 2 in the first round, probably no one. C.J. Spiller is the consensus “Best in Show” this year in the running back category but the greyhound-type back is less Chris Johnson than his supporters would love to believe.

Spiller is great in short bursts and can certainly change the game in one hand-off, but he's not going to carry the load Johnson does in Tennessee...then again, the Titans drafted him with the same thoughts in mind. It is very unlikely Spiller goes to the Lions at No. 2, especially with Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy on the board.

Then there's the trade down option—if Detroit can trade down to the 7-10 range, C.J. Spiller would be a fine possibility. In fact, no offensive player (save possibly Russell Okung) would be a better fit for the Lions in that range.

If the words, “there has been a trade...” comes at pick No. 2, “The Detroit Lions select C.J. Spiller” should come a few minutes later.

What if there isn't a trade down from the second pick?

At No. 34, the Detroit Lions have a couple of feasible options.

Ryan Mathews out of Fresno State is physically talented but a stiff runner—reminds scouts of Donald Brown. Mathews spent his collegiate career running in a zone blocking scheme, a scheme the Lions just 86ed. My opinion on Mathews is that he doesn't create for himself, the talent is there but the instincts aren't.

The other option is Jahvid Best of California-Berkley.

In early March, Tom Kowalski of MLive.com posted an article suggesting Best might be a good fit. Later, on March 20, John Niyo of the Detroit News gave the same opinion. The reasoning is clear: the Best case scenario would be that the California Golden is a Darren Sproles-type back with the ability to gash between the tackles and hit the edge.

Personally, that doesn't seem like the most-likely scenario. At least not to this amateur scout.

Why not Jahvid Best? Who Else Could Be the Pick? Check Out The Owner's Blog- Blue And Silver Pride-for More.

Michael Schottey operates Blue And Silver Pride and is a Detroit Lions featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also serves as a team correspondent for DraftTek.com and is a guest blogger for Mlive's Highlight Reel. Check out his Podcasts and add him on Twitter!