Lions Trade Down, Pick OL Tomlinson Of Duke At No. 28
ALLEN PARK (97.1 THE TICKET/AP) - The Detroit Lions have drafted guard Laken Tomlinson of Duke in the first round Thursday night after trading down from the No. 23 pick to No. 28 in a deal with Denver.
Tomlinson is the first player out of Duke to go in the first round since Cleveland took linebacker Mike Junkin with the fifth overall pick in 1987.
Detroit traded the No. 23 pick to the Broncos, moving down five spots and acquiring offensive lineman Manny Ramirez, a fifth-round pick this year and a fifth-rounder next year from Denver.
The Lions have been reshuffling their offensive line after Matthew Stafford was sacked a career-high 45 times last season. Detroit has moved on from longtime center Dominic Raiola, and guard Rob Sims' future is uncertain.
Tomlinson is 6'3" and 330 pounds and was an Associated Press 1st team All-American. In addition to being outstanding on the field he was also had a double major at Duke in Anthropology and Psychiatry and wants to become a doctor eventually.
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