After Trading Down To 28, Lions Select Duke Guard Laken Tomlinson
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK - On the first day of the 2015 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions added two offensive linemen.
Two and a half hours into the first round Thursday, the Lions were on the clock to make the 23rd pick when news broke that they had traded down, swapping spots with the Denver Broncos.
For moving down to the 28th spot, the Lions received veteran offensive lineman Manny Ramirez along with a fifth-round pick (No. 143) and a 2016 fifth-round pick. Ramirez, whom Detroit drafted in the fourth round in 2007, started all 16 regular season games for the Broncos in each of the past two seasons.
With the 28th pick, the Lions selected Duke guard Laken Tomlinson.
The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Tomlinson started 52 games at right guard for Duke and was a consensus All-America selection in 2014. He was also a team captain and a perennial Academic All-ACC pick.
The selection of Tomlinson and the acquisition of Ramirez seem to suggest that free agent guard Rob Sims, a starter for the Lions for the past five years, will not be returning. General manager Martin Mayhew said last week the Lions had made Sims an offer but that Sims had not decided whether to accept.
Before the draft commenced, many predicted the Lions would use their first pick on either an offensive lineman, defensive tackle, cornerback or running back. Detroit had needs in each of those areas. Some players who might have been fits, of course, were off the board by the time the Lions picked.
Two offensive tackles, Iowa's Brandon Scherff and Miami's Ereck Flowers, went in the top 10. The Washington Redskins took Scherff with the fifth overall pick, and the New York Giants selected Flowers with the ninth pick. The New Orleans Saints took Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat with the 13th pick.
Another offensive lineman, Florida State's Cameron Erving, was snatched up by the Cleveland Browns, who had the 19th pick. Two picks later, the Cincinnati Bengals nabbed Texas A&M offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi.
The St. Louis Rams selected Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the 10th pick, and the San Diego Chargers traded up to take Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon 15th overall.
Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes was taken 11th by the Minnesota Vikings, and another top cornerback, Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson, was taken 16th by the Houston Texans.
