One Year Benchmarks: Grading the 2015 Detroit Lions Draft Class
By Eric Ranes
Round 1 – Pick No. 28 (28 ovr) – OG Laken Tomlinson (Duke) C+
When the Detroit Lions traded for experienced interior lineman Manny Ramirez and a pick just a few spots back from where they were in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, I was excited. The excitement escaped me in the name of surprise when they used the first round pick on guard Laken Tomlinson.
I liked the player as a prospect, and personally had him graded as a first round talent. However, coming out of Duke he clearly needed some polish to his game which on tape was reminiscent Detroit’s own Larry Warford. Detroit had just let Rob Sims walk from his contract and had a gaping hole at left guard, but was the stout and powerful Tomlinson a ready fit for then-coordinator Joe Lombardi’s complex scheme that required quickness, second level vision and experience?
Absolutely not, as it turned out. Tomlinson struggled out the gate, often missing blocks or getting manhandled by rushes foreseen and unforeseen. In the first 6 games, Tomlinson graded out in the lowest 10% of the league’s eligible guards per ProFootballFocus.com’s ratings. Joe Lombardi was fired soon thereafter as he failed to adjust his entire offensive scheme to the talent they had.
After the pass protections were simplified, Tomlinson elevated his game to be a top 25 pass-blocking guard to finish the year. Nearly the entire line’s run blocking grades suffered all year long as the Lions struggled to open big holes for backs who need them. I know how effective Riley Reiff, Larry Warford, and Laken Tomlinson can be in the run game, so I’m not going to judge him too harshly in that department. Without the putrid Travis Swanson at center or the turnstile at right tackle, I am confident Tomlinson can and will excel under the right scheme.
Overall, for the draft position, Laken was a mixed bag in his rookie year. I still like him as a player who has hordes of intelligence and power blocking talent. On the flip side, he may have been slightly overdrafted and still needs to prove himself in the NFL run game.
Pick grade: C+
Successful draft options in next 10 picks: Damarious Randall (S), Preston Smith (DE/OLB), Malcom Brown (DT)
Next: Beelines and Fumbles