Detroit Lions: 5 Players to Stay Away from in the NFL Draft

There are five players the Detroit Lions should avoid as they continue to make preparations for the 2012 NFL draft.

The scouting of prospective NFL talent is in full swing as participants of both the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl have had their week of preparation and game performance “put on tape.”

Although you can tell a lot about a man from personal interaction, the way he carries himself in practice and the proverbial “eye-test," the measurables that will be ascertained from stopwatches, wooden pegs and bench presses are still unknown and will go a long way in determining the first professional destination for these young men.

From early returns, here are five players I feel the Detroit Lions should avoid in the upcoming draft.

Peter Konz, Center, Wisconsin

Peter Konz is a popular first-round pick and it’s easy to see why.

The Badger captain is a three-year starter at center, earning All-Big Ten honors this year as a junior. At 6’5” and 315 pounds, he offers a bigger frame than Dominic Raiola, but would probably be asked to play guard next to the Hawaiian native in his introductory NFL season.

Playing the numbers game, any first-round guard would allow the Lions to say Aloha to the $2.5 million due Stephen Peterman and begin chipping away at the salary cap number that needs to be reduced to make a legitimate run at cornerback Courtland Finnegan.

Quick out of his stance for pass blocking, but at 6’5”, Konz is a bit tall for the center position, but my real concern are the injuries.

He has had ankle injuries in 2010, during 2011 spring practice and missed the final four games of 2011 including the Rose Bowl with more ankle problems.

Konz also dealt with blood clots in his lungs that caused him to miss time in 2009. He will probably end up with a good NFL career, but to put first-round money into a guy who has never played a full, 12-game collegiate season is a red flag for me.

Most college players find it difficult to get through their first NFL, 16-game season. It appears it will be even harder for Konz.

Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback, Northern Alabama

OK, the guy is talented, we all know that, but some of the best basketball players in the country are not in the NBA.

They’re wasting their talents in neighborhood parks hustling The King and The Duck, because they never were able to get their act together.

Jenkins is obviously going to do much better than Sidney and Billy, but FOX Sports and NFL Network Analyst Charles Davis put it best.

“Athletically, I think he’s the best corner here. That part is no issue. It’s the rest of it he’s going to have to work his way through. But we have those every year…”

Former Detroit Lion Charles Rogers was dominant as well, torching collegiate secondaries with ease. Then he got his NFL contract and was better known for torching leaves, as Rogers himself said “Ay Day.”

With multiple charges of marijuana possession and getting the boot from the University of Florida, first-round money on a guy who puts on a good face for a week in Mobile should not erase his entire past.

The Lions would be wise to let another team take their chances on a me-first, time bomb with checkered decision-making skills who is about to get incredible money shoved into his bank account.

Vontaze Burfict, Inside Linebacker, Arizona State

Yes, Vontaze Burfict is a bad man, but following Yogi Berra rationale, he’s a bad man.

If you thought Ndamukong Suh had issues controlling himself on the field, you need to check out this junior middle linebacker from Arizona State.

Burfict was benched by his own coach for having too many personal fouls. Are you kidding me? That’s the last thing Detroit needs is another guy who adds to the laundry pile.

He’s got the perfect make-up to play the middle: nasty, aggressive and violent. But he’s a poor tackler, failing to wrap-up and has too many whiffs and bad-angle pursuits.

For a defense that's predicated on the front four causing havoc, and the backers filling the lanes and making the stops, Burfict would be a bad fit for Detroit’s 4-3 scheme.

If the Lions can't re-sign Stephen Tulloch, Burfict would be a replacement for the position, but I think other players such as Senior Bowl MVP Bobby Wagner or Audie Cole would be better options.

I would even prefer moving Levy back into the center of the defense and drafting an outside linebacker instead of dropping Burfict into the Lions locker room.

Jared Crick, Defensive End, Nebraska

If there’s a guy who knows how much easier life can be playing aside Ndamukong Suh, it’s Jared Crick.

The Nebraska Senior had arguably his best year playing next to the House of Spears earning second-team All-Big 12 honoree with 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four pass break-ups and 16 quarterback hurries.

With his size of 6’4” and 285 pounds, Crick could play the three-technique and defensive end; the type of versatility Schwartz covets.

But with passing rushing skills not being his best attribute, he doesn’t really make a good fit for the Lions attacking philosophy.

Crick will probably find a home in a 3-4 scheme, and his days of playing with Suh should be over.

David Molk, Center, Michigan

As an alumnus, it pains me to say this. The Lions should stay away from Michigan center David Molk.

He won the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award this year. An award given to the best center in the country, but at 6’2” and 288 pounds, he’s a Nutri-System version of current center Dominic Raiola.

Another center who plays the position on roller skates is not moving forward, to say the least. Vincent Wilfork has probably had bigger meals than young David.

Molk is much better suited for a zone-blocking scheme, as opposed to what Schwartz truly envisions—knocking the snot out of the defensive line and moving scrimmage several yards down the field.

Molk just doesn’t have the body to make the transition Detroit wants.

If the Lions plan to wait till later in the draft to get a center, the better risk is Baylor’s Philip Blake who has more girth and has never missed a start for the Bears.