SideLion Report » Offensive Tackle

A Very Early Look at the 2012 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions

Ross Husson — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:59:50 +0000

It’s never too early to start looking forward to April’s draft. Bowl season is now fully underway and it provides a great opportunity to watch prospects that may end up with the Lions. The Lions have a tendency to pick the best players available instead of picking for their needs. However, for right now I’ll focus on two bigger needs for the Lions in the offensive line and secondary. The scouting reports come from Fansided’s NFL Draft site, Nflmocks.com. If you want more information on the draft, be sure to check them out.

Offensive Line Prospects

Riley Reiff – Tackle – Iowa – (vs Oklahoma, Dec. 30th 10 PM)

Perhaps even more so than the tight end position, the University of Iowa is an absolute offensive lineman factory. Kirk Ferentz is a former NFL offensive line coach, and the Hawkeyes have one of the best strength and conditioning programs in all the land. Riley Reiff was a 250 pound defensive end when he came to Iowa, and with one year of strength, conditioning, and a change in diet, the Hawkeyes got him up to 300 pounds and in two years have developed him into a first round offensive tackle. Reiff will likely be an All Big Ten performer in 2011 and if he stays healthy, could be a top 15 pick in the draft. A great athlete with a blue-collar style of play, and a name to keep an eye on.

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Detroit Lions Mock Draft Database Says the Pick Will Be…

Zac Snyder — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:00:07 +0000

Mock drafts are compiled based on varying degrees of knowledge, bias, logic and hearsay. While no single mock draft will be perfect, analyzing a large number of mock drafts can help weed out some of the “noise” to give a greater sense of accuracy as to who the Lions pick may be or what position he plays.

With some help from the DC Pro Sports Report Mock Draft Database, I compiled a of Lions picks and tallied up the number of times each player or position group appears on the list. Think of this as the prevailing consensus across the mock draft spectrum. So, who does the database of 125 mock drafts say the Lions will select?

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Detroit Lions Draft Prospects: Tyron Smith

Zac Snyder — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:00:32 +0000

Tyron Smith

Tyron Smith made his Lions visit yesterday and is a strong candidate to become the Lions first round draft pick on April 28. Let’s take a look at him:

Tyron Smith, OT, USC
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 307 lbs.
Arm Length: 36 3/8 in.
Hand Size: 11 in.
40-yard dash: 4.88 sec
225 lb bench press: 29 reps

NFL.com combine profile overview:

Smith is one of the best prospects on the hoof in this class. Blessed with an ideal NFL frame and has the outstanding feet and athleticism necessary to be a starting left tackle. Does a great job staying in front of speed rushers, locks on and sustains, and can anchor against the bull rush. Shows solid power in the running game and is really productive out in space. Football IQ is lacking. Fails to find his target at times in the running games and is a tick slow recognizing blitzes. Smith could come off the board early in the first round due to his rare physical gifts.

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