What Positions Offer Most Value for Detroit Lions in 2015 NFL Draft?

Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew is under plenty of pressure to come through this offseason. With six starters eligible to leave, he'll have to find value in the 2015 NFL draft to offset the expense of retaining the services of Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Rashean Mathis.

Luckily, three probable positions of need have classes that match the talent at the top with depth to give the Lions plenty of viable options throughout the draft. Let's dive into the spots that give Detroit the best chance to remedy the defections that are sure to come.

Defensive Tackle

There's no way around it. Detroit will need to pick up a defensive tackle in the draft if the Lions want to keep the position as a center of strength.

And this draft has the potential to heavily mitigate whatever loss may come.

In the first round alone, there are a couple of options that should tickle the fans' fancy. Malcom Brown has the potential to be the type of run-stuffing, pass-play penetrator that has been popular in Detroit. He's bigger than either Suh or Fairley at 320 pounds, and he has shown the ability to pierce the pocket from the middle of the field with effective hands.

Eddie Goldman's early declaration and Washington's Danny Shelton both provide first-round insurance in case someone decides to swoop in for the big Texan. Shelton almost certainly won't be there at No. 23, but Goldman isn't a consolation prize. He's a double-team occupier who will help Detroit keep opposing rushing attacks under wraps.

There are options in the later rounds who could help, including one you won't see come off the board until the final day:

"

Lions meeting with Chattanooga DT Derek Lott, who has made himself some $$ this week

— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) January 14, 2015"

Chucky Hunter from TCU is also an intriguing choice who could be had in the fifth round, and a run-stuffer like James Castleman may be there even later.

There are a lot of healthy options to give Detroit an impact defensive tackle near the top of the draft. The Lions could also spend the money to keep the top of the rotation intact while drafting a talent late to fill out the bottom of the roster.

Offensive Tackle

The need for large men to fight in the trenches doesn't limit itself to the defensive side. Detroit will likely lose two starters along the offensive line with guard Rob Sims' and center Dominic Raiola's imminent departures, and the obvious plug for one of those holes isn't on the roster.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The Lions could keep Riley Reiff at the left tackle spot and focus on finding someone to fill the "void" left by Sims. However, while Reiff is a serviceable to good left tackle, his lack of athleticism can get exposed on the outside. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's system requires its linemen to be agile and powerful, something Reiff doesn't have in spades.

But Reiff's power game isn't the issue. He has the right playing style (more straightforward) to play guard, and it's possible Detroit could start both LaAdrian Waddle and Cornelius Lucas. However, the deep pool of offensive tackle talent in this draft could provide the key to this puzzle.

Check out the various options who could be available to Detroit using NFL draft lead writer Matt Miller's rankings:

Player	Height	Weight	Ranking
Andrus Peat	6'7"	312	26
Ereck Flowers	6'5"	324	40
T.J. Clemmings	6'5"	305	41
Jake Fisher	6'6"	299	52
Tyrus Thompson	6'5"	336	59
Corey Robinson	6'7"	344	103
Rob Havenstein	6'8"	327	171

T.J. Clemmings could end up being the headliner of this group. He has the athleticism Reiff lacks. It looked like he could be there at the 23rd pick, but some are predicting bigger things for the big man from Pitt:

"

Worth saying before Senior Bowl week, but get used to seeing Pitt T TJ Clemmings mocked in the top 15. pic.twitter.com/Wo0tmMr2cC

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) January 15, 2015"

Brandon Scherff from Iowa is another player many fans would love. For our exercise, we'll consider him insurance, meaning that he will get picked way before Detroit has a chance. So that's at least one less spot a targeted tackle can be taken at.

I'm not sold that Clemmings won't be available in the first round. If someone does pull the trigger, the Lions could still grab Ereck Flowers or Andrus Peat without making too big of a reach.

If Detroit opts for a defensive tackle or cornerback early, Mayhew could grab a tackle in the second. Jake Fisher or Tyrus Thomas could be available the second time the Lions are on the clock.

There's also the option that the entire starting offensive line is already on the roster as discussed above or the starters are bolstered by a free-agent acquisition. Then Detroit could turn to a player like Corey Robinson or Rob Havenstein, starting in the fourth or fifth round.

Running Back

Reggie Bush is currently the 1B to Joique Bell's 1A. Yet it looks like the partnership had the shelf life of Josh McDaniels' and Tim Tebow's marriage since Bush fell 962 total yards short of the bar he set in 2013.

It's unlikely Detroit swallows the $5.3 million cap hit for his services when it can cut him now and save $1.7 million, per Spotrac.com. Even better, if Detroit waits until June 1, it can split the cap hit between the 2015 and 2016 salary caps.

The savings won't be enough to bring in a veteran, and Theo Riddick is a pass-catching dynamo who averaged 2.6 yards per carry. The draft is Detroit's best option to fill Bush's air casts—err, cleats.

Let's get this out of the way: Todd Gurley should not be taken at No. 23 overall. No running back available is going to offer the requisite value for a first-round investment.

Instead, the top running back on Detroit's board should be Tevin Coleman but not until the second round. It could be a stretch to secure his services with the 53rd overall pick. However, he's a no-brainer if he's there. He's an all-around threat (2,036 rushing yards in 2014) who can take a dump-off and turn it into a 70-yard touchdown while also efficiently handling 10-15 carries a game.

That's why Coleman may not be available that late. Yet there are other options sure to be available who can provide plenty of value.

Melvin Gordon dominated college football last season with 2,587 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. The only concern with the Wisconsin running back with an affinity for Lions hats was his relatively scant 19 receptions.

Another popular Detroit target in the second round is Miami's Duke Johnson. He has the breakaway burst that Detroit could be seeking to better complement the plodding Bell, and he's a viable receiving threat considering he had 65 receptions in 2012 and 2014 combined.

And if Detroit waits to pull the trigger, Jay Ajayi from Boise State would be a nice pickup in the third or fourth round. He would give Detroit another Bell type, meaning he fights for every yard and is a one-cut runner who could benefit from Lombardi's zone-blocking scheme. 

"

1) Still very early, but my top-3 RBs are Gurley, Gordon and Jay Ajayi. I'm higher on Ajayi than most but I'm okay with that. All-around RB

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 8, 2015"

There's also Jeremy Langford from Michigan State in the fifth round. The Spartan averaged just over 5.5 yards per carry and racked up 22 touchdowns in 13 games.

Lastly, the Lions could take a chance on Karlos Williams of FSU or Michael Dyer, formerly of Auburn fame, in the sixth or seventh round. Williams could double as a kick returner while the latter might resurrect the promising career he started with Cam Newton in 2010.

I considered including the cornerback position as well. There is some top-flight talent and a few developmental types, but the value doesn't seem as readily available there as it does for the positions listed above.

Things have a way of changing in the months leading up to the draft. But as it stands now, Detroit has plenty of options to add effective pieces in late April and early May.

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

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.