Four Players the Detroit Lions Must Not Draft

It’s easy to find prospects the Detroit Lions should strongly consider in the first couple of rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft. There are many who would make the team better, both in the short and long term.

There are also a handful of players who might accomplish the same improvement, but the risk factor is too high. Lions fans know these players all too well, as the franchise has a dubious history with the likes of Titus Young, Charles Rogers and even Nick Fairley. Those guys all came with known flags, and none made it to a second contract in Detroit in no small part thanks to those preexisting warning signs.

There are also players who just don’t offer the kind of athleticism to shine in the NFL the way they did in the college game. It’s still early on, but Laken Tomlinson sure doesn’t appear to have the athleticism needed to dominate in Detroit at guard the way he did in Durham playing for Duke. It might be an injury or durability issue, too. Remember Jahvid Best and Ryan Broyles?

Here are four players who come to the NFL bearing one flag or another. The Lions, with the fresh regime under new GM Bob Quinn, need to avoid bringing these players into the den. While they offer legit talent, the likelihood of getting enough return on investment just isn’t worth the risk.

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