Nov 17, 2012; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A

Texas A&M defensive end Damontre Moore has been a popular pick for the Lions in mock drafts. It makes sense considering his production on the field, physical traits, projected development and the team’s need for a pass rusher.

However, Moore’s early showing at the combine has been less than spectacular and it is fair to wonder how far it could knock him down draft boards. It doesn’t make sense to overreact to combine testing considering it is but one part of an overall picture by which prospects should be evaluated, but red flags are concerning and warrant closer scrutiny. A big red flag went up concerning Moore today as the defensive linemen did their bench press reps.

Damontre Moore had 12 reps on the bench press. That’s not, um, strong.

— Will Brinson (@willbrinson) February 24, 2013

Compare that to what SMU’s Margus Hunt did:

Damontre Moore had 12 reps on the bench press. That’s not, um, strong.

— Will Brinson (@willbrinson) February 24, 2013

Does a poor bench press mean Moore isn’t worthy of a top five pick? Not necessarily but it means teams that would have considered him have more work to do before feeling comfortable making a heavy investment in Moore. Not everyone has agreed that Moore is a blue chip prospect. Russ Lande is one draft analyst who left Moore out of a recent first round mock. News like this might make opinions like Lande’s more the rule than the exception. Time will tell.

Sep 29, 2012; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A

FanSided’s Josh Sanchez has the Lions going in that direction with Damontre Moore from Texas A&M. Sanchez explains:

The Lions could address their secondary with this pick, but if Moore falls into their laps it will be hard to pass him up and it will kill two birds with one stone. One of the best ways to make up for a lack of talent in the defensive backfield is to make sure you are getting pressure on the opponents quarterback. Moore can do just that.

We’re still early in the draft process but by this point Lions fans should be quite used to seeing Damontre Moore’s name associated with the pick. He is widely regarded as a top-five pick and plays a position the Lions need to get more production out of in 2013.

But that doesn’t mean everyone agrees, at least as far as the specific pick of Moore is concerned.The National Football Post’s Russ Lande released his updated mock draft today and not only does he not see the Lions taking Moore, he left him out of his first round entirely. Lande does agree with defensive end being the direction the Lions go, it’s just that he has them selecting Bjoern Werner out of Florida State.

And it isn’t just that Lande wants to be contrarian. He bases his mock off his own grading of prospects as well as what he is hearing from NFL scouts.

@justin_rogers @footballpost – No, Damontre Moore grades out as a 2nd rounder & have not found an NFL scout who gave him a 1st round grade.

— Russell Lande (@RUSSLANDE) February 11, 2013

Maybe the Lions end up with Moore through the draft, just not where the early read has put him.

Check out the full first round mock draft on FanSided.com.

Jan 4, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas A

The pool of prospects from which the Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFL will have their pick won’t officially be set until January 15 when the deadline for underclassmen to declare passes.

That being said, the players likely to go in the top five have already declared, the last to do so was Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel who announced his intention to enter the draft today.

Joeckel is regarded as a top-five pick but that doesn’t mean laving school was an easy decision. From the Texas A&M release:

“This was a very difficult decision for me,” Joeckel said as he traveled to Omaha to take part in the Outland Trophy ceremonies. “I have thought long and hard and visited with my family and coaches. I feel it is in my best interest to come out. I appreciate all that Texas A&M has done for me and my family. It is tough to leave a great group of coaches and players, including my twin brother Matt. I know they will have a great season in 2013 and I will remain their biggest fan.”

Joeckel has a chance to be the number one overall pick in April, but there is a chance he would be available for the Lions when they get on the clock. That might seem odd considering they used their 2012 first round pick on Riley Reiff. With Jeff Backus aging and Gosder Cherilus without a contract, the Lions could draft Joeckel to solidify both tackle spots to protect Matthew Stafford for the next decade.

Jan 04, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas A

Perhaps more realistic, however, is that the Lions look to another former Texas A&M Aggie with the fifth overall pick. Defensive end Damontre Moore announced his decision to enter the NFL Draft before the Cotton Bowl.

While the Lions can help meet their needs at tackle by re-signing Gosder Cherilus, improving their pass rush is more likely to take an external candidate or two. Kyle Vanden Bosch doesn’t seem to have much left and Cliff Avril couldn’t match his 2011 production. Behind them, Lawrence Jackson and Willie Young don’t appear poised to add the kind of dynamic pass rushing threat the Lions need.

The Lions current situation suggests that Damontre Moore makes more sense than Luke Joeckel but either player looks to be a very good choice with the fifth overall pick.