Detroit Lions 7-Round Mock Draft: Will Ohio State OT Mike Adams Fall to No. 23?

The Detroit Lions have been drafting superbly of late, but this could be the most important draft of Martin Mayhew's tenure. With expectations in Detroit at an all-time high, and the team just needing to upgrade the offensive line and the secondary to be a deep playoff side.

Also, now that the Lions have a talented roster, the previous draft tactic employed by the front office will start to shift. The strict "best player available" mantra will have to change to "the best player available in a position of need."

In this mock draft, I will predict the draft picks the Lions should be making without including trades.

Enjoy!

Round 1, Pick 23: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Despite his great Senior Bowl, Mike Adams should still be available for the Lions with their late first-round pick, and that in itself makes this a no-brainer. Since the Lions are likely to be a playoff team for the foreseeable future, they are unlikely to have another tackle fall to them with so much ability to be a franchise left tackle. 

The Lions need a new left tackle to groom as the replacement for Jeff Backus. Although Backus was the best tackle in the NFC North last year, he will turn 35 next season and cannot have many good years left in him. Also, with the current importance of the passing game and the success of Matthew Stafford, the Lions cannot risk to have him play for a year behind a leaky left tackle.

Adams represents great value to the Lions because he has the physical makeup of a top 10 pick. At 6'7" and 323 lbs. he has prototypical size for the position. In pass protection his strong base, long arms and quick feet allow him to stonewall pass-rushers despite some technical flaws. The best examples of this were his battles with the star-studded battery of pass-rushers on the South roster in Mobile, Ala. He impressed against the likes of Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram and Courtney Upshaw.

In the running game he is less adept, as his height works against him when trying to gain leverage against defenders. However, his natural power, mean streak and lateral quickness, which allows him to succeed when blocking downfield or outside, suggest he could develop into a good run-blocker.

Other options for the Lions with this pick could be cornerback Janoris Jenkins, offensive lineman Cordy Glenn or linebacker Bobby Wagner. Jenkins is the only one of those players who has the talent and potential of Adams, but because of the greater importance of the left tackle position and the strength of the cornerback class, that means Adams is the best pick.

Round 2, Pick 55: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

With their second pick, the Lions would once again look to a top performer from the Senior Bowl. This time it will be focused on strengthening another position of weakness: the secondary. 

The Lions secondary started strong in 2011, and was one of the premier units in the NFL until the bye week. However, injuries to Chris Houston and Louis Delmas and a regression in the performances of Amari Spievey and Eric Wright turned it into a major weakness to be addressed in the offseason. Now, the Lions are likely to use free agency to patch some of the holes, but getting a young and talented player in the draft would help a lot as well. 

Brandon Boykin is one of the most athletic players in the draft and is expected to run a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at the combine if he competes. He is on the short side at just 5'10", but weighs in at 183 lbs. and has great leaping ability to compensate. He has great burst, can flip his hips smoothly and is a naturally strong kid.

Boykin impressed during his college career as a zone and off-man cover corner, where his burst, agility and recovery speed allowed him to break up passes. He lacks great hands to come up with interceptions but is hard to separate from. He also showed good skills in press coverage at the Senior Bowl before his injury. He was successfully rerouting most receivers at the line with good technique, including the 6'4", 224-lb. Dwight Jones, whom he dominated throughout the practices. This newfound skill set makes Boykin a complete corner.

Boykin is also a willing tackler who fights to get off blocks and uses his strength to hit hard. He will never be dominant because of his stature, but he should never shame himself.

The reason Boykin will fall to the end of the second round for the Lions to pounce is the leg injury he suffered during a practice. Although he claims it is not serious, it could scare many teams away, or even compromise his performance at the scouting combine.

Detroit could go another direction with this pick, especially if it takes a cornerback in the first round. Audie Cole would be a good replacement for Stephen Tulloch if he leaves in free agency, or if Brandon Washington falls to the Lions Mayhew would be sorely tempted by an offensive guard who could develop into an elite mauler inside. 

Round 3, Pick 86: Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami (OH)

In the third round, the Lions will once again go back to fix their greatest need: the offensive line. While Rob Sims was OK this season, Stephen Peterman is on the wrong side of 30 and performing poorly in both facets of the game. The Lions need to get more powerful inside if they want to be able to run the ball consistently, and this is the primary attribute that Brandon Brooks would bring when he cracks the starting lineup.

Brooks is a huge player and stole the show at the East-West Shrine Game weigh-in when he measured 6'5" and 350 lbs. of muscle. He also has 33" arms and physically could play right tackle if he weighed 25 lbs. less. However, at guard he has the size and strength to simply manhandle opponents.

In the run game he plays with good leverage and has the strength to overpower defenders as an in-line blocker. He is also balanced and can stop opposing linemen from getting around him with his wide frame. His mean streak is also ideal, and he will play right to the whistle. However, he is too slow to use on the move and will struggle to break down in space and block linebackers at the second level.

While his dominance in the running game was expected, I was impressed by his ability to pass protect. He has good lateral quickness for a man of his size, and his balance, long arms and unmovable anchor makes him a talented interior pass protector. He deals out a heavy jolt with his hands and can perform in space, a testament of his time at left tackle for Miami.

Brooks will almost certainly need to spend a year learning the nuances of the game before he starts. However, come 2013 he could be the surprise MVP of the Lions offensive line.

If the Lions chose to go a different way in this round, which would be a bad idea given his talent, players like right tackle Jeff Allen, the free safety from Boise State George Iloka or the speedy outside linebacker Demario Davis. 

Round 4, Pick 122: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

This pick may turn heads. After all, the Lions already have first-round scat back Jahvid Best on their roster and have taken a running back in the first two rounds of the last two drafts. However, James is one of the best known players in college football who has rushed for more than 3,000 yards over the last two seasons. 

To answer the first objection, Best's health is a serious question mark. It is very possible he will have to retire within a year due to persistent and serious concussion issues, and he also struggled to establish himself as a runner in his limited time for Detroit. These fears are confirmed by the Lions organization, which showed obvious interest in running backs at the Senior Bowl. This indicates the health issues Best faces are indeed career-threatening.

Also, it is widely established that James would be a reach in the third round. He tore up college football in a spread offense, but his diminutive 5'9", 195-lb. frame, lack of elite 4.3 speed and the simple fact he will never be an inside runner means he will not be a high priority for most teams. Also, the devaluation of the running back position will help keep him low. If Trent Richardson, the closest thing to a complete running back we have seen in years, could possibly drop to the 20th pick of the draft, a prospect who is an injury risk and will be a complementary back only will not be picked on the first two days of the draft. 

However, James does fill a need for Lions, that of a third-down running back to replace Jahvid Best. He has breakaway speed, great acceleration, the vision to find open running lanes and the quickness and agility to make defenders miss. He is also a decent pass protector and dangerous receiver out of the backfield. He has the potential to be just as good as Best as a third-down runner, receiver and return man who can carry the ball five to 10 times a game and break big runs.

If Detroit decides it is comfortable with Best's future, it could instead go a different way with this pick. The Tennessee defensive end Malik Jackson would be available, as would the athletic outside linebackers Travis Lewis from Oklahoma and Keenan Robinson from Texas.

Round 5, Pick 155: Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss

The Lions may have already taken two offensive linemen in the draft, but the value of Bobby Massie in the fifth round makes this a no-brainer "best available player" pick.

As mentioned earlier, the Lions need four new offensive linemen in the next two years to fill the gaps on their old and bad offensive line. Johnny Culbreath was taken late in 2011 as a developmental offensive lineman, and in 2012 Massie will be exactly that. He played right tackle in the SEC, so certainly has the pedigree to take over from Gosder Cherlius opposite Mike Adams. He could also play guard, although with Rob Sims acting as the living embodiment of "solid" at left guard, and Brandon Brooks drafted to replace Stephen Peterman, Massie would probably not get much of a look in there. 

Massie was a three-year starter for Ole Miss and during that time went up against some of the best pass-rushers in college football. He has prototypical size for the offensive tackle position (6'6", 320 lbs.), and has the quick feet, long arms and natural power to excel at left tackle if his development goes perfectly. He is a very balanced player, but has technical issues that need to be cleaned up such as his high pad level.

Massie is a personal favorite of mine that impressed me especially when he played Alabama. I originally watched the game to see D.J. Fluker and Barrett Jones, but Massie looked the best of all the offensive tackles in the game, even though he was battling with Courtney Upshaw for most of the game. He was assured in pass protection and was getting some push in the run game. It baffles me why he is not getting more attention from the media and scouts (most seven-round mock drafts do not even feature him), but their loss would be the Lions' gain. 

Round 7, Pick 203: Tyrone Crawford, DE, Boise State

The Detroit Lions are avowed lovers of depth on the defensive line, and with Kyle Vanden Bosch not playing to the level of his current contract and Cliff Avril possibly leaving in the offseason, the Lions will be looking for young pass-rushers to fill their shoes. Tyrone Crawford is a talented but raw defensive end who could provide quality rotation play in a few years. 

Crawford is a limited pass-rusher because of his lack of speed, elite burst and flexibility. However, he has a prototypical frame, natural power and the potential to develop into a rotational player who can play the run and provide some pass rush from the left end position. 

Crawford is quite a good value pick in the seventh round.

Round 7, Pick 218: Robert Golden, CB/S, Arizona

The Lions were very pleased with the development of Amari Spievey at the start of last season, but as the year progressed his performances got worse and worse. This culminated with a woeful game in the playoffs against the New Orleans Saints, where he (along with the rest of the secondary) was dominated by Drew Brees and his high-powered offense. Therefore, drafting a young safety is a moderate need in this draft.

Golden may have played cornerback last season, but early in his career for the Wildcats he was a strong safety, so he certainly has the experience to make the move again. Much like first-round prospect Dre Kirkpatrick, Golden is a great zone-coverage corner who has great awareness of routes, breaks very quickly on the ball and has the hands to make plays of the ball. 

Golden also plays the run very well for a cornerback, and can shed blocks and make solid, wrap-up open-field tackles. Also, his experience at cornerback means he has the skills to come down and play man coverage against receivers. This would let the Lions stay in their base defense more and stay stronger against the run.

Golden would be a definite developmental pick, but he has the potential to be a starter at free safety. For a seventh-round pick, that is brilliant potential.

There is a real possibility Golden would be available as an undrafted free agent, but drafting him late would make sure that Detroit got its man.