Detroit Lions: Full Seven-Round Mock Draft Predictions

"With the 23rd pick, in the 2012 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select..."

And, insert question mark here.

We know for certain that the Detroit Lions will be drafting 23rd overall. We also know that they lost a sixth-round pick to Kansas City but somehow gained an additional seventh-rounder.

We know where the Lions' biggest needs are—for now. We also know that the Lions hesitate to break from their "best player available" strategy, and rightfully so.

What we don't know is, who best fits the Lions in all seven rounds?

ESPN draft "expert" Mel Kiper, Jr. has the Lions selecting Zach Brown, the linebacker out of North Carolina, in his latest mock draft, and now it's time for me to play Kiper, or heck even Nostradamus, and give my predictions.

So here we go. With the 23rd pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select...

Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Lions fans have been clamoring for an offensive tackle for years, and they might finally get their wish.

I know that sometimes it's a stretch to take a tackle with your first-round pick, but the Lions need to start looking for Jeff Backus's replacement.

Backus is injured, and there's no guarantee he'll be ready to go by the start of the season. His only replacement, tackle Jason Fox out of Miami, has been on injured reserve the past two seasons.

Fox is a fourth-rounder, so it's boom or bust for him this year. If he can't find a way to stay healthy, unfortunately, he might not make the team in 2012.

As the Lions try to dance around the salary cap, Martin fits here because at 23, the Lions don't have to pay him top-tier money as opposed to if he were a top-five pick.

Martin also fits because he's a beast. Listed at 6'6", 305 pounds, he could easily protect Stafford's blind side.

He also could maybe, just maybe, open up some holes for running backs to go through, though his pass blocking grades out much better than his run blocking.

That's fine, though, since the Lions offense goes to the air more times than a package being shipped overseas.

With Martin, there is no such thing as passiveness.

Martin has an all-around nasty streak. Some say he plays the game like his could-be counterpart on the right side, Gosder Cherilus, only more consistent. This will help him adapt to the NFL quicker.

The second-team AP All-American is a solid character guy with a strong work ethic and above-average football IQ and overall intelligence. He will seamlessly step in for Jeff Backus when the time comes or, if necessary, fill in at the guard position, where he has played frequently in short-yardage situations for the Cardinal.

Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback, North Alabama

Trust me, loyal readers, there's a method to my madness.

Janoris Jenkins has some serious character issues. I get it. However, the league analysts said the same thing about Jimmy Smith. Last time I checked, Smith played a pretty important role this year.

While the Lions are known to pass on guys with character issues ever since the Charles Rogers debacle, Jenkins fits here. Here's why.

The reason I sent Jenkins down to the second round is because of those exact character issues. Kiper and his counterpart Todd McShay both have him slotted mid-to-late second round at last check.

Jenkins may be small, but he is fast. He's a former Florida standout too, so he has some----I repeat, some----championship pedigree. He can also double as a kickoff and punt returner if need be.

Looking at the upcoming class of free agents, the Lions can't really afford to bring in any of them on more than a one-year deal.

We know names like Cortland Finnegan, Carlos Rogers and Brent Grimes will all be demanding multi-year contracts, and the fact is, unless the Lions do some major restructuring, the cap space just isn't there.

There's always the prospect of bringing a guy like Eric Wright back on a one-year deal, but drafting Jenkins in the second round means the Lions don't have to pony up to pay him.

David Molk, Center, Michigan

While there's a likelihood that Molk may be gone by the time the Lions pick in the third round, there are many experts who believe that Molk would be a perfect upgrade on the O-line.

A four-year letterman and starter at center, Molk earned high honors this season. He is the 2011 recipient of the Rimington Award, a 2011 consensus All-American, captain of the Wolverines and recipient of the 2011 Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award.

One problem though: Molk is horrendously undersized for an NFL center.

At 6'2" and 286 pounds, Molk reminds me a lot of the guy we already have on our roster in Dominic Raiola. In fact, all that separates the two are an inch and five pounds.

One thing the Lions have wanted in recent years, though, is not only hard-working, tough players, but smart players as well. This falls in Molk's favor, because Molk has often been described as a student of the game.

Molk's work ethic, leadership skills and determination will suit the Lions very well. After all, they need someone to keep their composure when times are tough.

Also, being that Molk played for Michigan, he has had his fair share of big time competition. While not exactly SEC or ACC level, the Big Ten has still produced some of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. He also played against some SEC competition in the 2008 Outback Bowl against Florida.

Should he be there at this point, this will be the pick of the draft for the Lions. Raiola is getting on years, so it's time to start looking for his replacement.

Tavon Wilson, Safety, Illinois

If he is available here and many experts suggest he will be, this will have Mel Kiper and Todd McShay going gaga.

Wilson has played well this season for Illinois. He has 74 tackles with 5.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and five passes broken up.

Wilson is a good athlete and could be a quality sleeper/developmental prospect. He has quality instincts.

Wilson is an experienced starter who has been a solid player for Illinois. Wilson had 48 tackles with eight passes broken up and one interception last season. In 2009, he had 74 tackles with seven passes defensed and one interception.

Wilson started out his career at cornerback before wisely being moved to safety. He is expected to be a leader on the Illinois defense in 2011.

He also is listed at strong safety, which will provide a nice complement to Louis Delmas. Amari Spivey is good, but wildly inconsistent. Wilson has the potential to start right away too.

Wilson has the prototypical body, at 6' and 205 pounds, but also runs a 4.51 40-yard dash, so he's got speed to boot, too. Can you say sleeper?

Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy

Massaquoi had 52 tackles with six sacks and 10.5 tackles for a loss this season. He received extra blocking attention, but needed more production to help his draft status.

Troy played Clemson and Auburn to start the season, and it hurts Massaquoi's draft stock that he didn't produce against some of the top opponents his team faced.

Massaquoi broke out with 13.5 sacks last season and 20.5 tackles for a loss as a sophomore. He also had 76 tackles with a forced fumble.

The speedy and athletic Massaquoi has a good get off with strong pursuit skills. He needs to add some strength for the NFL.

That being said, Massaquoi doesn't shy away from taking on offensive linemen and plays with physicality. If he duplicates that production with all the double-teams that are coming his way in 2011, his draft stock could soar.

Greg McCoy, CB/KR, TCU

McCoy and the rest of the TCU defense were torched in the first game of the season by Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. McCoy played better on special teams than he did on defense and was a quality kick returner for the Horned Frogs.

The senior played well in the bowl game against Southern Miss and quarterback Austin Davis. For 2011, McCoy had 32 tackles with two interceptions and seven passes broken up.

Greg McCoy had a quality season in his first year as a starter in 2011. McCoy had 40 tackles with two interceptions and six passes broken up.

He averaged 33.4 yards on kick returns after averaging 35.9 yards per return during his sophomore season.

McCoy is extremely fast, and he could raise his stock by improving his coverage and ball skills as a senior.

Not the greatest of notes on him, but still a solid seventh-rounder who can double as a kickoff/punt returner.

Damarlo Belcher, WR, Indiana

Gotta keep up with appearances, right?

This last pick is, of course, assuming the Lions don't trade it away, which they've been known to do from time to time.

Damarlo Belcher has had two productive seasons in a row for Indiana. Last year, he had 78 receptions for 832 yards and four touchdowns.

The previous season, Belcher had 61 receptions for 770 yards and five scores. He is a huge receiver who projects to be a red-zone weapon and work the short to intermediate part of the field.

There are some character and discipline issues with Belcher, however. Belcher found his way off the football team this year for unspecified reasons, but there is no discrediting what he's done at IU for the past two seasons.

Then again, most late seventh-round draft choices don't make the team anyway.

So those are my picks, let's see how many I can get right. Knowing my luck, I'll have to go with...none.

Happy speculating everyone!