NFL Mock Draft 2016: Kiper Picks Defensive Lineman for Lions

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has released his first NFL mock draft for the 2016 NFL Draft and has the Detroit Lions selecting a defensive lineman.

Under the direction of a new general manager, it remains to be seen how the Detroit Lions approach the 2016 NFL Draft. Martin Mayhew was a staunch believer in the best player available strategy but Bob Quinn expressed a softer view of that approach.

It won’t be a surprise if there is more balance between need and value going forward, so it is no surprise to see Mel Kiper address a need for the Lions in his first mock draft of the year.

With the 16th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Mel Kiper selects Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed for the Detroit Lions. Kiper offers the following along with the pick:

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"Detroit’s defense began to round into form during the second half of the season, but they were a mess early on as they adjusted to life without Ndamukong Suh, Reed is a player who makes you better against the run right away. He plays with leverage, can wreck running lanes along the interior of the D-line, and frees up others to make plays."

Kiper is higher on Reed than some other draft evaluators, ranking him the 13th overall prospect in his big board released last month. His evaluation gives a better indication of why Kiper thinks Reed could be more of a mid-first round guy than a late first/early second round player.

"Extremely tough for blockers to move, Reed plays with leverage and has a sixth sense for where the ball is. A juco transfer who started a little slow for Smart’s D last season, he has become arguably its most important player up front and has been really good every week since the light came on last year."

Reed is a big body at 6’3″ and 313 pounds but his CBS Sports scouting report notes an ability to play inside or out. While he projects as an inside player on a majority of downs, the Lions have valued versatility in the past. With much of the scouting department remaining in place for the time being, that figures to be the case for at least one more draft.

Many Lions fans are already grabbing on to the idea of drafting Alabama inside linebacker Reggie Ragland to replace Stephen Tulloch. Kiper is clearly also high on Ragland as he has him going 11th overall to the Chicago Bears.

Offensive tackle is another position to watch as the Lions need to fix the revolving door at right tackle. That could happen through the draft with someone they can immediately plug in on the right side or by moving Riley Reiff to right tackle after drafting someone with a higher ceiling on the blind side than Reiff possesses.

Tackle prospects Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley and Jack Conklin are off the board before the Lions’ pick in Kiper’s mock, however he has Taylor Decker going to the Indianapolis Colts with the 18th overall pick.

Next: 30 Best Draft Picks in Detroit Lions History

You can check out Kiper’s full first round mock draft on ESPN.com.

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