Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Lions stay put at five:

If this is the case the Lions will be hoping that either Eric Fisher or Luke Joeckel falls in their lap at five. If neither of those tackles are on the board that leaves the Lions looking at either Cornerback Dee Milliner and defensive end Ziggy Ansah.

My guess is that both tackles are off the board and the Lions choose to fill a position of need with the best player available, and that is Dee Milliner.

Lions Trade Back:

I think this is the most likely scenario tonight. The Jets have two picks, the  9th and 13th overall and the Bills have the 8th overall pick. Both teams are rumored to be interested in Ryan Nassib so it’s possible the Jets could try to make a move to leap-frog the Bills to pick up Nassib and use their other pick to address an area of need.

I also think the Lions could swing a deal sending the 5th overall pick and future or current high round picks to the Jets in exchange for the 9th and 13th pick.

Why would the Lions do this?

I think the Lions are going to be in play for Tavon Austin on draft night, and making this move puts them in great position to draft Tavon Austin and  add a player in a position of need like Barkevious Mingo or Dee Milliner. Call me crazy, but I think there are just too many players in the Lions organization that are enticed by Austin and the idea of pairing him with Reggie Bush, Matthew Stafford, and Calvin Johnson.

In an article last week, I had this to say about Austin, “His cutting ability and creativity is unparalleled. It’s the closet thing we’ve seen to Barry Sanders since his days in Detroit.” I’m not the only one that’s high on Austin here are a few quotes from some experts about Tavon Austin:

“He’s the second coming of Barry Sanders” -Stephan A. Smith

“He’s the best offensive player in this draft” -John Gruden

“He’s the most sudden athlete I’ve ever evaluated, ever. Speed combined with quickness.” – Todd McShay

I think that it is most likely the Lions trade back. There’s a strong chance that one or two quarterbacks shoot up the draft boards leading me to believe that trading back will be the Lions best option and the most likely with both tackles likely off the board.

When it’s all said and done I think the Lions take Tavon Austin and either Dee Milliner or a top pass rusher.

Nov 3, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Justin Hunter (11) celebrates with teammate Cordarrelle Patterson (84) after a touchdown against the Troy Trojans during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tavon Austin, West Virginia – Likely a top 15 pick Austin has the most dynamic skill set out of all the receivers in the class, and would be the perfect compliment to Reggie Bush, Calvin Johnson, and Matthew Stafford. Whether Austin is used for kickoff and/or punt returns, screen passes, or a vertical threat down the field opposite of Calvin Johnson.

Of all the receivers that could be drafted by the Lions, Austin is the least likely because of his high draft stock. But there have been bigger draft day surprises, maybe the Lions find a way to acquire an additional first round pick? I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lions made a push to acquire him.

2. Justin Hunter, Tennessee – 6’4, 4.36 forty yard dash, Hunter has all the measurables you could look for in an NFL wide receiver. He’s a good route runner, has great hands, and was extremely productive at Tennessee, 1083 yards and 9 touchdowns, despite playing alongside first round prospect Cordarrelle Patterson. Only knock on Hunter is his small frame, 196 lbs. He’s going to need to add a good 20 lbs if he wants to keep himself on the field for a full 16 game season.

Hunter could finally be the answer the Lions were looking for when they drafted Titus Young in the 2011 draft, although I see much more potential and much less headache.

3. Aaron Dobson, Marshall – My favorite receiver not named Tavon Austin in the draft, Dobson has elite size, 6’3, 210 lbs, paired with excellent hands. He answered any questions about his speed at his pro day where he ran a 4.43 forty. Dobson is projected as a 3-4 round pick and could be a real steal, especially for a team like the Lions who have Calvin Johnson drawing all the attention.

I see a lot of big play potential in Dobson and a long NFL career if he’s in the right system and has the right nucleus. The Lions may be the perfect fit for him.

4. Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee – Patterson is a great athlete. He ran the forty in 4.33 seconds, he’s got a great vertical jump, 37 inches, great footwork, he uses his upper body strength well when battling a jump ball, and he is extremely versatile. With that said, he’s not a great route runner, and I wonder how much upside he has compared to guys like Tavon Austin, who has even more versatility, and Justin Hunter, who’s taller and just as good of an athlete, but could be even better with some time in the weight room.

Many scouts compare Patterson to Dwayne Bowe, which is a pretty good comparison. However, when I look at this wide receiver class and evaluate how players would fit into the Lions’ offensive scheme I see better fits than Patterson and better value as well as Patterson is likely a first round selection, too rich for the Lions’ blood.

5. Robert Woods, USC – Woods best trait may be that he’s NFL ready. He’s got a solid frame 6’1, 201 lbs, solid hands, and is probably the best route runner in the receiving class. The problem I have with woods is that I don’t see him getting much better. That’s not a knock on Woods by any means, he’s got nice speed running the forty in 4.42 which can be very dangerous with his excellent route running, but this list is predicated off of the top five receivers for the Lions on draft day.

I just think Woods’ skill-set is too similar to Ryan Broyles and Nate Burleson for the Lions to take a shot at him, especially if Dobson or Hunter are on the board and I don’t see the size or the exceptional speed needed for him to be a serious threat down field.

In case you missed it, check out Aaron Dobson’s ridiculous catch last season.

Kind of reminds you of someone else (see video below) in college doesn’t it?

November 3, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) returns a kick-off against the TCU Horned Frogs during the second quarter at Milan Puskar Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

We all know the Lions need to do two things to win: be explosive on offense and bring the heat of opposing quarterbacks. The Lions were very average in both categories and their inconsistency on offense is the main factor as to why we had to suffer through another forgettable season that started off so promising.

So what did the Lions do to address these issues this offseason?

They upgraded the running back position with Reggie Bush, who’s a perfect fit in their vertical offense. That’s it.

Jahvid Best’s absence was by far the Lions’ biggest lose, and signing Reggie Bush improves the offense by leaps and bounds, but there are still some glaring weaknesses at the receiving corps thanks to Ryan Broyles and Nate Burleson suffering significant leg injuries and Titus Young’s implosion which led to his release. If the Lions don’t draft a solid number two receiver, we may have to endure another miserable season, especially if Broyles and Burleson aren’t 100 percent.

That may be taking things to the extreme. I feel that both receivers will be healthy by the start of the season, with Broyles more than likely starting the season off with limited reps, but there is still a need for that go-to number two receiver that the Lions desperately lack.

After evaluating each receiving prospect thoroughly I feel there are two receivers that the Lions could take in the draft, at reasonable value, to solve their problem at receiver in Justin Hunter and Aaron Dobson. Both are tall receivers with great speed and great hands and could produce at a high enough level to take advantage of the coverage defenses give them thanks to all the attention Calvin Johnson draws.

With that said, holding tight and drafting either of these receivers are solid and feasible options for the Lions, but they aren’t the best option. The Best option for the Lions to solve their problems on offense is to draft Tavon Austin from West Virginia.

“He’s the most sudden athlete I’ve ever evaluated, ever. Speed combined with quickness.” – Todd McShay on NFL Live

Austin is just on a completely different level from just about every other wide receiver, including those in the NFL right now. He may be small at 5’9 172 lbs, but he combines his elite speed, 4.25 and 4.31 forty times at the combine, with exceptional football instincts, and can play just about anywhere on the football field. Against Oklahoma last season Austin ran the ball 21 times for 344 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His all purpose yards that game, 572. As impressive as those stats are, it’s even more impressive after you watch the highlights from the game.

The Lions have made some terrible decisions over the years, but have made up for it with some exceptional ones. They drafted an elite arm talent and leader in Matthew Stafford, the most freakish athlete to play wide receiver in Calvin Johnson, and surround their franchise quarterback with one of the most productive receivers to play college football in Ryan Broyles, and a dynamic running back who can do just about everything in Reggie Bush.

The Lions obviously have a plan in mind and that’s to be one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. To me there’s one missing piece and that’s Tavon Austin. Drafting Austin would come at a high cost. The Lions would be foolish to take him with the fifth pick and even more foolish to trade back in the draft and miss out on a franchise left tackle. But if both elite tackle prospects in Lukel Joeckel and Eric Fisher are gone by the time the Lions are on the clock then trading back a few spots might not be a bad idea, although I would still take defensive end Ziggy Ansah.

With that said the only way to acquire Austin would be to acquire an additional first round pick, by trading high picks from the 2013 draft and likely a high pick from the 2014 draft.

Most of you are probably thinking that the price for Austin would be too much and I understand that. However, let’s look at what Austin can do for the Lions with his skill-set and what the Lions have shown us offensively in terms of play calling the past two seasons.

Let’s start with what the Lions do offensively. They stretch the field vertically, run screens and bubble passes, run end a rounds. Simply put, the Lions like to attack at all levels of a defense.

Each play type listed is just a small piece of Austin’s game. He can stretch the field vertically, he’s proven to excel in bubble and screen passes, he can break a defense of the edge with his elite speed on end a rounds, and I haven’t even mentioned the impact he could have in the kick and punt returns, as well as lined up as a running back.

There are many ways Austin will find immediate playing time on the field for the Lions. Opposing defenses will have a hard time covering Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush, and the threat of Austin will virtually be uncontainable. With Austin in the offense there isn’t a defense that the Lions won’t be able to exploit.

After evaluating the many ways Austin can impact a game in the Lions’ offense, would they really be giving up too much to acquire him?

This is a question I’ve battled amongst myself the entire offseason and after watching film and trying to identify why the Lions would be giving up too much to acquire Austin, I can honestly say that there is enough value in what Austin can bring to the Lions offense in each game that would clearly justify the current and possibly future draft picks it would take to acquire his services. If the Lions made a move for him, it would be the right one and it would undoubtedly solve the Lions inconsistency problems on offense.

If you’re not sold on what I’ve been saying then I strongly advise you to watch the video above. He’s cutting ability and creativity is unparalleled. It’s the closet thing we’ve seen to Barry Sanders since his days in Detroit.