Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tight end Michael Williams (89) makes a touchdown catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Williams, TE, Alabama
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 278 lbs.
40 Yard Dash: 5.19 sec
Vertical Jump: 25.5″
Broad Jump: 8’0″
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.90 sec
3-Cone Drill: 8.15 sec

At first glance, you might mistake Williams for an offensive tackle. His huge frame comes at the expense of the type of speed that allows many tight ends in today’s NFL to become down-field threats in the passing game. Still, Williams is a reliable receiver when given the opportunity and would give Matthew Stafford another big target in the red zone.

In addition to a solid set of hands, Williams can contribute in the running game as well as his biggest strength is his run blocking. He got plenty of practice at Alabama helping to clear the way for the likes of Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. Williams would allow the Lions to run a lot of the same packages they ran last year with Riley Reiff as a jumbo tight end.

The Detroit Lions appear set at tight end for at least the upcoming year with Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler playing major roles. But the Lions have also found ways to use Will Heller as an H-back role as their third tight end. With Williams, the Lions have an opportunity to get younger, more skilled and save some cap space over Will Heller who is one of the many Lions players that became free agents at the start of the new league year. Williams played a bit of an H-back role at Alabama and also played special teams so he is used to doing the kind of things the Lions would be looking for if they were to draft him later this month. The Lions connection goes beyond last week’s visit. The coaching staff got a chance to work with Williams during Senior Bowl week.

Even with a veteran’s discount, Heller counted $605,000 against the Lions 2012 salary cap. For the sake of comparison James Hanna – a tight end the Cowboys drafted in the sixth round last year – carried a cap hit of less than $420,000. It might not sound like a lot of savings, but every dollar counts for a team like the Lions looking to maximize their impact with what little salary cap space they have left.

Play-by-play videos:

What you see is what you get with Williams and there may not be much more of a ceiling in terms of his development. That isn’t necessarily a problem considering it is easy to see right away how he could step in and contribute doing a lot of the things the Lions have done over the last couple years. A realistic projection for where Williams might be drafted is the sixth round according to various opinions around the web.

What do you think about Michael Williams as a late round option for the Lions in the 2012 NFL Draft?

November 3, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Zach Mettenberger (8) is sacked by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dee Milliner (28) during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

A full week has passed since the NFL Combine’s conclusion making this a great time to check in on our Detroit Lions mock draft database to get a feel for what mock drafters across the internet are thinking the Lions will or should do in next month’s draft.

I took a look at 144 mock drafts published between March 1-March 7 and they contained a total of 12 different names. Here they are, sorted by popularity:

In previous looks at the Lions mock draft database, Milliner was the most popular pick, but defensive end was the most popular position. Milliner keeps control of the player popularity title but we see that this time it is enough to flip the position battle in the favor of a cornerback. Here is the position-by-position breakdown:

Check out the mock-by-mock breakdown of each pick on the next page.

In the 2012 NFL draft the Lions addressed their issues at the cornerback position with Bill Bentley (third round), Chris Greenwood (fifth round) and Jonte Green (sixth round). The Lions also signed corner Jacob Lacey in free agency, who started sporadically for the Lions when he was healthy.

The Lions intend to improve with a big athletic corner and Dee Milliner fits the bill. Milliner is the best cornerback in the draft with great size at 6-1, 198 lbs. He isn’t as athletic as Patrick Peterson or Morris Claiborne, the first corners taken in the 2011 and 2012 drafts, but he is just as good of a cover corner as both players if not better. Milliner doesn’t come down with very many interceptions because his speed and leaping ability aren’t elite, but he is always in a great position to make plays because of his exceptional awareness and read/reaction ability.

November 24, 2012; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dee Milliner (28) celebrates his fumble recovery with teammate defensive back Robert Lester (37) against the Auburn Tigers during the second quarter at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Traits and Projected Round

Prototypical size for an NFL corner and great ball skills when playing the pass and excellent in run support. Milliner is projected to be a top five to ten pick after he dazzled scouts at the combine posting 4.31 and a 4.38 forty times, proving he is an elite athlete.

Why the Lions Should Draft Milliner

He’s exactly what the Lions are looking for in their defensive backfield. Good size and durability, he can covering bigger NFL receivers, he’s good in run support, makes plays on the ball, and most importantly, he would start right away. Last season, the Lions addressed the cornerback position, but for depth, with Bill Bentley and Jonte Green, and for a the future, with Chris Greenwood (Greenwood was drafted out of Albion, a division III school in Michigan and is viewed as a developmental player). It’s time the Lions draft a player in the secondary that can start from day one.

The video below contains highlights from Dee Milliner. Watch his physicality in both the run and the pass game. Milliner’s toughness is the most intriguing part about his game and that could go a long way for the Lions’ front office after watching the secondary get beat time and time again last season.