NFL Draft 2011: Why Daniel Thomas Should Go to the Detroit Lions in Round Three

The Lions need a top running back to complete their offense.

While I foresee Jahvid Best becoming a valuable contributor in the years to come, he has to be seen as the second coming of Reggie Bush, not of Barry Sanders. Best will contribute on third down, as a receiver, as a returner and as a scat back brought on to provide explosive plays and make mismatches.

To make the most of his skills, though, the Lions need a good two-down back who can run with power between the tackles, keep the chains moving and carry the load for Best.

This sort of power running back is available in free agency, but in almost every case they are pink elephants. By definition, a power back takes a lot of hits in his career. Even the greatest of them all, Earl Campbell, lasted just six seasons before his body began to wear down.

How, then, does it make sense for a team to spend money on a running back who will be successful for eight seasons when he has already given up at least five of his best years to another franchise?

The draft is the only way to go when powerful running backs are concerned.

Disregarding Mikel Leshoure, Ryan Williams and Mark Ingram, who will all be gone by the 45th pick of the draft, Daniel Thomas is the best inside running ball carrier in the draft.

After not competing in the Scouting Combine because of a hamstring injury, he will probably be available in the late second/early third round. Now that other backs like Leshoure, Ingram, Williams, Roy Helu, DeMarco Murray and Kendall Hunter have all put their best foot forward, Thomas will slip from the fourth-best back in the draft to the sixth or seventh.

Thomas is a big boy who carries his 230-pound weight well on his 6-foot frame. Although he was a dangerous complete running back in college, he lacks the speed and agility to be an outside runner at the NFL level. Instead, he will be a two-down back, which suits Detroit just fine.

The overview of Thomas is that he's a powerful back who can break arm tackles, churn his legs for extra yards and make tacklers miss in the hole with his agility. He has great running vision and surprising burst in and out of his cuts. He is also a great pass protector.

This all makes him sound like a first-round pick, but Thomas is also a worse than average receiver, runs far too upright and is not athletic enough to be a feature back in the NFL. A flaw in his game, running too high, can be remedied with coaching.

Thomas and Best would combine to make a devastating one-two punch, with Thomas carrying the ball 200-300 times and Best taking 100-150 carries while also contributing as a fourth-string wide receiver. He would allow the Lions a balanced offense, which they lacked in the 2010 season.

The weakness of the Detroit offensive line when run blocking is a serious red flag. Thomas is not the sort of back who can be really successful unless he has some holes to hit, and will be ineffective if forced to constantly beat tacklers behind the line and make multiple cuts.

The argument could be made that Thomas is not enough of an extraordinary prospect to justify taking him over a good run blocking interior lineman who would make life easier for running backs taken in the future.