Report: Lions Looking To Move Into Top 5 In Draft
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said Monday the Lions would consider all options - moving up in the draft, staying put at No. 10 or moving back in the draft. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said the Lions have been exploring moving up in particular.
2 teams that had conversations about moving into the Top 5 the last few days: The #Lions & #Bills. As of now 1 exec said they want a bargain
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 6, 2014
Mayhew would not admit the Lions have more interest in Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins than they do in any other top player - "All the players that are really, really good, I'm enamored with all of those guys," he said Monday - but Detroit could certainly use help at the position.
With superstar Calvin Johnson and Super Bowl-winning addition Golden Tate, the Lions look solid on the surface, but beyond those two, the team does not have much else. Kris Durham, Jeremy Ross, Kevin Ogletree and potentially Ryan Broyles could play roles for the Lions, but if Johnson or Tate were to get injured, the pass-heavy offense would struggle.
Watkins, whom some believe could turn out to be the best player in this draft, would help tremendously. He reportedly visited Allen Park in early April, when he evidently met with vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. as well as Johnson and Tate.
"Sammy's a very talented guy," Mayhew said. "He would fit us. He can make plays. His track record speaks for itself, I think, so we like him as a football player. We did our due diligence on him, as we've done on [Jadeveon] Clowney and other guys."
If the Lions do not move up to take Watkins, there are several other wide receivers who could be available around the No. 10 spot Detroit currently occupies. Texas A&M's Mike Evans is generally perceived as the best option after Watkins, and LSU's Odell Beckham Jr. is also considered a solid choice.
Mayhew stuck firmly to the generic when describing what he wants in a receiver.
"Obviously, good hands," Mayhew said. "I think that's really important. It kind of goes without saying, but you'd be amazed at - you watch tape, combine tape of guys and they can't catch. It's kind of a problem if you're going to be a receiver. So I think that's pretty important. Obviously it depends on what you're going to use them for, but guys with speed excite us. A guy that can make a five-yard play into a 90-yard play is something. You want to have those kind of guys on your football team. Those things are probably two of the most important qualities right now."