Erasing Ebron: Let’s re-draft the Detroit Lions 2014 NFL Draft picks
Final comparison
Here’s our final haul for our re-draft, assuming that we didn’t change picks versus the original picks:
Re-draft results
- Aaron Donald, DT
- Davante Adams, WR
- Bashaud Breeland, CB
- Ricardo Allen, SS
- Telvin Smith, OLB
- Corey Linsley, C
- Quincy Enunwa, WR
- Shelby Harris, DE
Original 2014 Draft Selections
- Eric Ebron, TE
- Kyle Van Noy, LB
- Travis Swanson, C
- Nevin Lawson, CB
- Larry Webster, DE
- Caraun Reid, DT
- T.J. Jones, WR
- Nate Freese, PK
The criticism of this class would be that we didn’t draft a placekicker, which we didn’t end up with anyways, and that we didn’t address the tight end, running back, and offensive line depth. Obviously, this is a best-case scenario with six seasons behind us but it is interesting to look back at where the roster was in 2014 and wonder what might’ve happened with our top six picks all performing the way that they have for other teams.
Ebron and Swanson did produce some, Reid and Jones as well, but the Detroit Lions and Martin Mayhew wasted a bunch of picks that year. Most importantly, Mayhew failed to get the most out of any pick that he made that year.
No one realistically expects a general manager to get every pick right, especially when looked at six years later but none of those picks look very good six years later and that’s why he was allowed to “pursue other vocational opportunities.”
Next. Bob Quinn’s best draft picks by round. dark
Starting the re-draft off with Donald and Adams would’ve offered value in early rounds. Getting a Telvin Smith and Corey Linsley later in the draft would’ve made this a great class. If the first few picks had panned out better, it may have been a good class without the redraft, too.
Now, Bob Quinn has taken over and has his own first-round tight end, hopefully T.J. Hockenson will prove to be a much better investment.