For the Detroit Lions, smoke doesn’t always mean fire

The old saying goes, ‘where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.’ Unfortunately, the Lions draft strategy is the complete opposite. When they give us some smoke, it’s pretty much nothing more than a smokescreen.

So you must forgive me if I don’t jump up and down or get excited about hearing who the Lions are meeting with. If we go by the way they seem determined to handle business, then no one they are meeting with will be their top selection.

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I mean, if Josh Allen actually dropped to the Lions at number eight, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if they selected him. I would be surprised, however, if they traded up to get him since Bob Quinn values draft picks so much.

It’s one thing to trade up in the second or third round or lower, but trading up in the first round is more expensive and unless the Lions had a definite need they absolutely had to address, I wouldn’t expect them to trade up from their current position.

Which is the point I made earlier, they have opened up their options by putting themselves in a position to have no dire needs.

So who have the Lions not interviewed or talked about? That might be a good place to begin trying to figure out who they might select. The Lions were well represented at the combine and most pro days, especially the University of Michigan pro day.

So I’m eliminating anyone the Lions interviewed at the combine and anyone from Michigan. Which means Bob Quinn could still go in many different directions. The possibilities of players range from LSU linebacker Devin White to Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver and Alabama offensive lineman Jonah Williams to name a few that did not meet with the Lions to my knowledge.

So while I’m not expecting anything to come from any of the meetings they have planned, at least in the first round, the possibilities are still very good. And while there may be no smoking gun to lead us in the direction they are preferring to go, I suppose if we keep guessing, sooner or later we might be right. Wouldn’t you think?