Detroit Lions - NFC North, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects
Detroit Lions
The Draft Was
... Good on straight-up football players. LB Jordon Dizon,
RB Kevin Smith, and WR Kenneth Moore aren't going to have the
prototype measurables, but they can play. Things fell off the
track late, but the Lions nailed their first six picks when it
comes to value. Best Value Pick: Kenneth Moore, WR Wake Forest. 5th
round. Tremendously productive, he should blow up as a third
receiver and an inside target. He'll kill teams who have to
focus on Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. Biggest Reach: Caleb Campbell, S Army. 7th round. While
he's a great story, he probably wouldn't have been drafted if he
didn't go to Army. They Should've ... Taken some corner fliers late. Landon
Cohen isn't going to make the team and Campbell will only stick
if he becomes too good a story to cut. The Lions should've used
their last two picks on out-of-the-box corner prospects to hope
one could come through.
#
Pick
17
17
1st Round (from Kansas City)
Gosder Cherilus, OT Boston College
One of the high risers after a good off-season, he's a 6-7,
315-pound athlete who destroys defenders when he gets the
chance. He'll bust his tail to get better and will be coachable.
The concern will be how well he handles a No. 1 pass rusher if
he plays on the left side. More than fine if he spends his
career on the right, there are concerns that the Virginia Tech
games might have shown the real player he is. CFN Projection: First RoundCFN Position Rank: 6
14
45
2nd Round
Jordon Dizon, LB Colorado
An undersized, ultra-productive tackler who came up with a
whopping 297 stops, most of them solo, over the last two
seasons. He's always working, has a tremendous motor, and finds
his way to the ball over and over again. He's a good athlete,
but he's not an elite one and it'll be asking a lot to hold up
in a 16-game schedule at just 5-11 and 229 pounds. He plays
through everything, including dehydration issues, and he'll have
to prove he can handle the duties on the outside, but he'll be a
major-league producer in the right system. CFN Projection: Third to Fourth Round
CFN Position Rank: 8
1
64
3rd Round
(from Miami)
Kevin Smith, RB UCF
Would Smith be considered a first rounder if he was Kevin Smith,
Florida instead of Kevin Smith, UCF? While his competition will
be questioned, playing in Conference USA, he produced against
everyone including NC State (217 yards and two touchdowns),
Texas (149 yards and two touchdowns), and Mississippi State (119
yards, but on 35 carries). George O'Leary and the Knights
weren't afraid to overuse their star getting him a whopping 450
carries and 24 catches last season, and he cranked out 2,567
rushing yards and 29 touchdowns despite having all 11 defenders
and the waterboy focused on stopping him. He's a producer, but
he'll have a short shelf life if he's asked to be a No. 1 back.
CFN Projection: Late Second To Early Third
Round CFN
Position Rank: 7
24
87
3rd Round
Andre
Fluellen, DT Florida State
He's not going to be your star tackle, but he'll be great at the
third man in or next to a star. Extremely quick and with the
athleticism to grow into a top interior pass rusher, if he gets
the right coaching, he has a ton of upside. However, he'll get
shoved around with anyone with any strength. He's not huge and
he can't stay healthy, and he's not the playmaker he should be
for a player with his athleticism. CFN Projection: Third Round CFN
Position Rank: 8
29
92
3rd Round
(from Dallas)
Cliff Avril, OLB/DE Purdue
What do you want to do with him? A huge linebacker at close to
6-3, 253 pounds, he can be used on the end and can be an ideal
outside player in the 3-4. Big enough to be moved inside if
needed, his versatility will keep him on a team for a long time.
Strong, not just big, he can handle himself well against the
more physical teams. However, he needs to be tougher against the
run. He's not quite a good enough athlete to dominate on the
outside; he'll be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. CFN Projection: Late Fourth Round To Early
Fifth CFN
Position Rank: 9 (as a LB)
1
136
5th Round
(from trade)Kenneth
Moore, WR Wake Forest
The former running back turned into an ultra-productive receiver
in a non-passing offense. Despite being the focus of every
secondary, he still caught 98 passes for 1,101 yards and five
touchdowns with a few monster games when he caught everything in
sight. He still needs some work to be a pro level route runner
and he could use some overall fine-tuning, but he could become a
very nice possession receiver who keeps the chains moving. CFN Projection: Fourth Round
CFN
Position Rank: 19
11
146
5th Round
(from trade) Jerome Felton, FB Furman A good big-sized running back at 240 pounds, he can thump a
little bit in short-yardage situations. While he's not fast,
he's quick enough to get through the hole and crank out a few
big runs. The problem is his blocking. He's not an NFL runner
and he has to prove he can be physical enough to make a
difference. CFN Projection: Sixth Round
CFN
Position Rank: NR
9
216
7th Round Landon Cohen, DT Ohio
Too small at around six-feet and 280 pounds, he's a good athlete
who was a solid producer at the MAC level. He's just not big
enough to be a regular pro tackle. He's not enough of an
interior pass rusher to be a regular in a rotation, but he could
be worth developing. CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: 31
11
218
7th Round (from trade)
Caleb Campbell, SS Army
A superior tackling machine, he was the Army defense for the
last few years and a tough defender who did a little of
everything well. More like a smallish linebacker at 6-2 and 229
pounds, he hits like it. Not the best athlete, he struggles in
coverage and missed a lot of plays by trying to do everything.
He's a leader and a hard worker, but he'll have to show
something special right away to stay on a team. CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: 25
