Detroit Lions 2014 Re-Draft: All Seven Rounds
By Eli Kaplan
Photograph: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Actual 5th round pick – The Lions selected defensive tackle Caraun Reid, out of Princeton, with the 158th pick in the 2014 draft. While Reid has yet to set the world on fire, it looks like the Lions made a wise choice. Detroit sorely lacks defensive tackle depth, but Reid has helped improve the position for the Lions. After a quiet rookie season, he has started 10 games this season, compiled 26 tackles, two sacks, and even scored a touchdown.
For that reason…
Re-draft 5th round pick – Caraun Reid. Keep on, keeping on, Mr. Reid!
Actual 6th round pick – The Lions used the 189th overall pick to select wide receiver T.J. Jones. Jones spent his entire rookie season recovering from an injury. He is healthy, and seeing game action this year, but he has contributed little to the Detroit Lions offense (or the return game). Jones has 9 receptions for 103 yards this season.
Re-draft 6th round pick – Allen Hurns wasn’t drafted by anyone in the 2014 draft (he was signed by Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent), but if the Lions wanted an impact receiver to spend their 6th round pick on, they surely could’ve chosen Hurns.
Hurns caught on quickly with the Jaguars and never looked back. He compiled 51 receptions for 677 yards and 6 touchdowns as a rookie. This season, Hurns has already improved on those numbers, with 53 receptions for 907 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Next: Top 30 Draft Picks in Lions History
Actual 7th round pick – The Lions chose kicker Nate Freese with the 229th overall pick. They were looking for their next Jason Hanson. It didn’t work out like that. Freese missed four of his seven field goal attempts with the Lions, before being released.
Re-draft 7th round pick – No one selected kicker Chandler Catanzaro in the draft, but the Lions would have been wise to take a flyer on him. The Arizona Cardinals signed Catanzaro (Clemson) as an undrafted free agent, and he has promptly gone on to make 56 of 62 his field goals attempts in his first two seasons.