Detroit Lions: 2017 NFL Re-Draft – Stealing third?
The Detroit Lions appear to have gotten an absolute steal in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft? But was there a better choice to be had?
With Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr. already on the roster, plus veteran Anquan Boldin recording a team-high eight touchdowns the season prior, the wide receiver position didn’t seemed to be a pressing need for the Detroit Lions in the 2017 NFL Draft.
But with the 96th overall selection in the third round, the Lions selected Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay. And by doing so, they have seemingly found themselves one of the biggest steals in the draft.
The 6-foot-4, 213 pound receiver exploded onto the national scene recording an incredible three reception, two touchdown performance in his first preseason game. The third round pick repeated that success in Week One of the regular season, posting four catches for 69 yards and two scores against the Arizona Cardinals.
Unfortunately, a lingering hamstring injuy has forced the talented 24-year old to miss a whopping five games of his rookie season so far. His absence has certainly hurt his development and ability to build proper chemistry with quarterback Matthew Stafford.
But Golladay’s unique combination of size and speed should have Lions’ fans excited about the future. But was there a better player available between Detroit’s third round selection (96th) and their first fourth round selection (124th) in the 2017 NFL Draft?
The biggest name still available on draft boards, who was also selected between the Lions’ two mid-round picks, was Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson. Being a bit undersized for the position, many teams missed out on Lawson’s production. The 23-year old leads all rookies with 7.0 sacks. Considering the Lions’ struggles along their defensive line this season, specifically injuries to pass rushers like Kerry Hyder Jr. and Ziggy Ansah, having Lawson would have been a big boost for this defense.
Another name to consider is LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith, who has posted near identical numbers with that of the Lions 2017 first round pick, Jarrad Davis.
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Ultimately, I believe the Detroit Lions hit a home run with the third round selection of wide receiver Kenny Golladay, whose potential seems to be off the charts. Although the excellent play of Carl Lawson certainly gives me pause, I think the Motor City will love the Golladay selection for many years to come. No re-draft needed.