Michael Burton to Detroit Lions: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

You never leave a draft without a fullback, and the Detroit Lions didn't want to look foolish by bucking that trend. 

"

A fullback?!?!

— Nick Kostora (@nickkostora) May 2, 2015"

All kidding aside, general manager Martin Mayhew knew he had a need at fullback with only Emil Igwenagu on the roster. The selection of Michael Burton won't please the fans, but this isn't about keeping the masses happy. It's about addressing Detroit's biggest deficiency last season.

"

Well I guess Jim Caldwell wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to revamp the running game

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) May 2, 2015"

How Does Burton Fit?

Detroit rushed for just 1,422 yards on 3.6 yards per carry. Those numbers ranked 28th and 29th, respectively, in 2014 across the league. That limited production put the offense in too many untenable third-down situations, which resulted in the Lions converting 38.6 percent of those drive-sustaining opportunities.

Thus, after spending a first-round pick to upgrade the left guard and the second on an explosive running back, Detroit completed the running-game reconstruction by nabbing Burton.

As mentioned above, the Lions only had Igwenagu on the roster. The former Eagle hasn't played in a game as a fullback and has mostly been a practice-squad guy during his young career.

Burton will at least give the Lions someone who should be able to make an impact on the field, per Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus:

"

New Lion FB Michael Burton was our highest graded run blocking FB among draft eligible FBs

— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) May 2, 2015"

It's a good thing the kid can block because there isn't much to go on regarding his running ability. He garnered a total of 22 carries in college for 116 yards over four years. However, Burton did contribute through the air, and that caught Detroit's eye:

"

Lombardi said FBs may be a dying breed but he loves to have one. Burton has great hands out of backfield.

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) May 2, 2015"

Burton finished his college career with a respectable 47 catches for 407 yards and three scores. 

But again, that isn't going to be his main duty. Detroit selected Burton to take out linebackers, something he doesn't do with a great amount of power (despite putting up 25 bench reps at the combine, per NFL.com) but rather technique. And he's especially adept at staying in front of his assignment in pass protection.

Final Analysis

The big question will be whether Burton was worth the pick.

Unfortunately, the answer won't be forthcoming. The Lions had a need for a fullback, which is akin to a special teams player. Few were as vocal as me when it came to punter Sam Martin's selection a couple years ago, but look how that's worked out. 

Plus, Jalston Fowler came off the board in the fourth round. There's no guarantee that Burton would have been there in the sixth, although that will be a big point of debate moving forward.

This wasn't a great pick. It wasn't a bad pick. It's one of those picks that teams have to make when they identify their guy. So with that in mind, I'll give the selection a C.