NFL Draft 2016: Detroit Lions Seven-Round Mock Draft 5.0
By Zac Snyder
First Round
Right off the bat a reminder is needed that the point of these seven-round mocks, now in its fifth iteration, is to play out various draft scenarios by starting off with something different at the top. Having covered linebacker, defensive tackle, offensive tackle and defensive end as the first pick in previous version, the positions left to start off with thins.
Even still, previous versions have always featured a center drafted somewhere in the seven rounds on the basis that Travis Swanson‘s first season as a starter was underwhelming and the Lions would be well-served by at least hedging their bets and bringing in some competition for the starting job. That being the case, it has to be left to consideration to hedging the bet in a very big way.
If it came to be the Lions surprised and went with Kelly in the first round it would surely be controversial with some bemoaning the pick as a reach. The same reaction came when the Dallas Cowboys made Travis Frederick a first round pick but they haven’t looked back.
Kelly is widely regarded as the top center in the draft and was a steady presence in the middle of the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line. It wouldn’t be a sexy pick, but the Lions have had plenty of swings and misses on sexy in the past.
Next: Round 2