Laken Tomlinson to Detroit Lions: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

Some teams stick strictly to picking the best player available. Apparently the Detroit Lions are no longer in that boat after selecting offensive guard Laken Tomlinson.

That's not to imply that Tomlinson isn't a good player, but his selection was a huge nod to the need for a left guard. And what's more was the trade general manager Martin Mayhew completed prior to picking the Duke guard:

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Lions send their 1st round pick (No. 23) to Denver, get Denver's 1st (No. 28) & 5th round pick (No. 143) and OL Manny Ramirez & a 5 in 2016

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) May 1, 2015"

You really never know what Mayhew is going to do, but did he get it right?

Was Tomlinson a Good Call?

Any analysis of Tomlinson's selection has to include the trade. The Lions added two fifth-rounders along with a veteran offensive lineman who can back up all three interior positions. That's a huge bonus for a club that came in with only one guard and one center on the roster.

As for Tomlinson himself, the Lions found themselves someone they can plug into the starting lineup immediately. I initially gave this pick and trade an B+, and I'm sticking with it.

How does Tomlinson Fit?

The obvious answer is he wipes away the biggest concern Detroit had entering the draft. Detroit now has five starting linemen—the oldest of whom is 26 (Riley Reiff)—who can grow together to help get the Lions offense back on track.

As for Tomlinson himself, he was a four-year starter at Duke. He has a big enough build (6'3", 323 lbs) to hold his own in the NFL, and he graded out as Pro Football Focus' fifth-best run-blocking guard in college last season.

He isn't, however, the most athletic guard prospect out there. The big question is whether he'll be able to create holes when Detroit runs the outside stretch play, a favorite of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

But no prospect is without an issue or two. And the previous problem is mitigated because the left guard's biggest priority is pass blocking. Luckily, that's an area where Tomlinson excelled according to PFF's Michael Renner:

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The fact of the matter is that he was the best pass protector in the NCAA last season. The numbers above are simply remarkable as he allowed four total pressures on the year playing in a Power 5 conference. While the Duke guard managed to skirt the talented interiors from Clemson and Louisville in the ACC, he can only play who’s in front of him and he dominated any and all comers.

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In case you skipped the excerpt of Renner's article, Tomlinson allowed four hurries last year. That's an incredible number that proves Tomlinson has the right mix of strength and technique to overcome his limited mobility. Renner also mentioned that Tomlinson must improve against stunts, a problem area for Detroit's line as a whole in 2014, but these are small blemishes on a much better resume than I originally perceived.

Lastly, Tomlinson is going to be an asset in the locker room. He went on a mission to Ethiopia to dig wells and spent time visiting with sick kids in the States, per Jim Oliver of DukeReport.com. That meshes perfectly with Detroit's quest to build a high-character team.

it's hard to find a reason that Tomlinson won't fit well in Detroit. I didn't have him as a first-rounder initially, but considering the New England Patriots weren't going to let him linger much longer, it appears the market thought otherwise. And that's all that really matters.

All combine statistics are sourced from NFL.com.

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.