Are Lions Setting Up to Draft Suh and Best?

The Detroit Lions have gone a long ways to improving their defensive line for 2010. As it stands, they have a pretty solid line with Hill and Williams in the middle and Vanden Bosch and Avril on the ends. But is a solid defensive line what the Lions are after?

Schwartz has stated that he would like to have a dominant defensive line in Detroit. HE knows that a defense feeds off of its defensive line play. The best defenses in the NFL are defenses with great defensive lines. A pretty solid D-line just isn't good enough. The fact that the Lions released White recently says that they are not set at DT. Schwartz knows that neither Williams or Hill are dominant players in the middle. If the Lions were set at defensive tackle, I don't believe they would have released White. They know that to have a dominant line, they will have to add a dominant defensive tackle. This screams that they will draft Suh if he is still there.

Schwartz has also stated that the running back position needs to be addressed. Kevin Smith was the Lions most talented runner and he simply does not have enough speed. Schwartz has said he wants to be more explosive at the position.

With Thomas Jones available in free agency, the Lions never even looked his way. Even though Jones is 31 years old, he had over 1400 yards last season. Yet they didn't even blink an eye at that? With Tomlinson still out there, the Lions have not even tried to look at him. Though he is older and has not had a big year in the last couple seasons, Tomlinson is still far more explosive than any RB on the Lions present roster. He also scored double digit touchdowns in 2009. So why aren't the Lions interested? I believe it is because they are set to take Jahvid Best in the 2nd round of the draft.

Best is widely regarded as the third best running back in this years crop. In no mock draft that I have seen do they have three running backs going in the 1st round. Almost all of the experts have Spiller and Mathews going in the 1st round and Best still there when the Lions draft at #34 overall. With Best being the 2nd fastest running back in this years draft, he would have that explosiveness that Schwartz wants to see from his running back.

There is another point to consider. The Lions are also needing to address the offensive line as well as the Cornerback positions. Yet both of these positions are deep enough to still get a starter in the 3rd and 4th rounds. However, they will not get another RB with Best's speed if they don't take him in the 2nd round. The draft is also extremely deep at DT but the fact is, you just can't get another player as dominant as Suh after the first round. You might not get a chance at another player as dominant as Suh ever again.

Of course, the Lions being the Lions, it will not surprise me to see them draft completely different, but for my money, the way things stand, I would bet on them drafting Suh or McCoy in the first round, then Best in the 2nd round, knowing they can fill out the LG and CB spots in the following rounds.