April 27, 2012; Allen Park, MI, USA; Detroit Lions first round draft pick Riley Reiff is introduced along with general manager Martin Mayhewat (left) , head coach Jim Schwartz (second from left) and president Tom Lewand (right) at Detroit Lions training facility. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012 NFL draft has come to its conclusion and the Detroit Lions have put together an interesting group.

The class checks in at eight members strong and includes three cornerbacks and three Oklahoma Sooners. It’s unlikely that this entire group is contributing to the team a couple years down the road but the overall depth of the draft class and value some of the picks came at bodes well for the Lions securing at least a few highly productive players that they can count on for many years.

Here is your 2012 Detroit Lions Draft Class:

Round 1, Pick 23: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Round 2, Pick 22: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
Round 3, Pick 22: Dwight Bentley, CB, UL-Lafayette
Round 4, Pick 30: Ronnell Lewis, DE, Oklahoma
Round 5, Pick 3: Tahir Whitehead, OLB, Temple
Round 5, Pick 13: Chris Greenwood, CB, Albion
Round 6, Pick 26: Jonte Green, CB, New Mexico State
Round 7, Pick 16: Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma

Dec. 17, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs defensive back Mahbu Keels (21) tries to tackle Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns cornerback Dwight Bentley (5) after a catch on a fake punt in the second quarter of the New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

Here is a sampling of reactions to the Detroit Lions’ selection of Dwight Bentley:

NFL Mocks:

The Detroit Lions have selected a cornerback who was projected by some to be a second round pick. Dwight Bentley is a smaller cornerback with terrific speed and agility. Bentley is confident and very aggressive. Bentley will really have to work on his technique leading into the draft.
Draft Grade B+
Bentley was good value there and also filled a need for the Lions. Can’t complain about that. Bentley might not start this year because he needs to improve on some things, but will contribute and develop into a starter.

Walter Football:

The Lions do what they do most of the time – they select the best player available. Dwight Bentley could have possibly been selected at the very end of Round 2, so Detroit is getting really good value with him. He obviously fills a need as well; it’s been well-documented how anemic the Lions’ secondary is.

Wes Bunting:

If Bentley plays as tough and physical as he did at the Senior Bowl, the guy is going to be a solid NFL player. However, he wasn’t overly physical on tape, especially as a tackler and he might be more of a nickel guy in the NFL than a true starting NFL corner.

NFL Ceiling: Potential starter

NFL Floor: “Plus” nickel guy

Sporting News:

Cornerback is an obvious need for Detroit and Bentley is a super impressive athlete with explosive closing and deep speed. He wowed with his play in one-on-one drills during Senior Bowl practices. Bentley needs to improve his ball awareness and tackling. Expect him to be inserted as the starter opposite Chris Houston at some point during his rookie season.

ESPN:

What he brings: Bentley’s an undersized corner who doesn’t offer much in run support who’s going to have a tough time matching up with bigger receivers. Still, he’s a good value here because of his quickness, fluidity and top-end speed.

How he fits: This secondary gave up a ton of big plays a year ago against the pass. Even with their good pass rush and they keep searching for a turn-and-run corner and they just haven’t found that guy. Bentley will have a chance because he’s a pure turn-and-run guy and if the pass rush continues to be good, he has a chance to make big plays. This is far from a solved position.

Bleacher Report:

The NFL vertical game favors the taller man and that probably explains why a physical talent like Bill Bentley was available in the third round. He’s got good quickness and speed, but he’s on the short side and lacks the explosive vertical leap to compensate. Still, he showed a good nose for the ball in college and flashed a flair for the dramatic by returning two interceptions for touchdowns. Bentley has the talent to make an impact for the Detroit Lions, the question is whether he has the size.

SEPT 24, 2011; Miami, FL, USA; Florida International Golden Panthers wide receiver Wayne Times (5) drops the ball against Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns cornerback Dwight Bentley (5) in the fourth quarter at FIU stadium . Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

Many questioned the Detroit Lions’ draft strategy when they failed to take a cornerback in the second round. They turned around and got a corner in the very next round, was it the right one?