Rapid Reactions to Detroit Lions’ Selection of Eric Ebron
By Zac Snyder
May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduces tight end Eric Ebron (North Carolina) as the tenth overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions during the 2014 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Here is a look at how the Detroit Lions’ selection of Eric Ebron is being received by NFL writers around the internet.
"People ask me to compare him to Vernon Davis. He’s not as quick or as twitchy as Davis, but he’s a better athlete with better hands. Everything this kid does is easy. He is one of best athletes I’ve seen at that size. When you combine him with (the Lions’ other tight ends) Joseph Fauria and Brandon Pettigrew, all of a sudden Matthew Stafford has a lot of weapons on that offense."
Michael Schottey – Bleacher Report
"Grade: AHow This Pick Goes Right:Eric Ebron, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Reggie Bush…no more excuses for Matthew Stafford. Ebron is not a tight end in the usual sense. He can coexist with Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria, as they all play vastly different roles. In the red zone, all three will see the field (along with Johnson) and drive defenses crazy. How This Pick Could Go Terribly Wrong: Matthew Stafford still needs to solidify his play, and Ebron is just another shiny toy if that doesn’t happen. There are some slight underpinnings of concern about his character (which is a sore spot in Detroit) but those are overblown and shouldn’t be much of a worry."
Eric Galko – National Football Post
"After rumors of the Lions moving up in the draft to acquire a top receiver, Detroit decided instead to stay put and add the draft’s best tight end in Eric Ebron. He’s a versatile, Jimmy Graham-like pass-catcher who should quickly become a Matt Stafford favorite after Calvin Johnson."
"This kid has a ton of talent, but is he really a need? They had other more pressing needs. Grade: C-"
"The drafting of Ebron adds to incumbent tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria, and considering the deficiencies in the secondary, the addition of Ebron means they loved his upside more than the No. 2 corner in the draft.Ebron is the consensus top tight end in this draft and has been compared to Vernon Davis.Grade: A-"
"Frankly I have to question this pick. I fully understand why the Lions did it. They need somebody to take heat off of Megatron and they signed Golden Tate. One would think that’s enough to wait until the second round after missing out on Sammy Watkins. Still, Ebron brings a lot of value to what Jim Caldwell wants to accomplish, which is getting the absolute most out of what Matthew Stafford can do as a quarterback. If that means taking a calculated risk on the best tight end in the draft, then so be it.Grade: B"