2015 NFL Draft: Five Positives and Negatives For the Detroit Lions

Nov 22, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard A.J. Cann (50) and offensive tackle Corey Robinson (53) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

4. Leadership, Character And Smarts Were Themes

Often, teams and fans celebrate value picks even though controversy may cause the players to drop. Learning from their 2011 mistakes, the Lions chose not to take such risks, instead selecting players who were team captains, leaders and all-around intelligent people. Which other team can boast that their first round pick wishes to be a neurosurgeon after his playing days are done? What other team has a seventh round offensive tackle with a Wonderlic score of 40? How many other squads have two players with solid NFL bloodlines at the same position their relatives played?

Detroit’s 2015 class has smarts, pedigree, compassion and conviction. Certainly that doesn’t guarantee their success on the field, but those intangibles might help make an often difficult transition to the NFL that much easier for these youngsters to process.

Next: No Reaches