Detroit Lions draft 2017: What it means, what we learned, what’s next
By Zac Snyder
Jarrad Davis is to Whitehead as Decker was to Reiff
Last year the Detroit Lions added offensive tackle Taylor Decker in the first round of the draft. It was a prudent move considering the long-term need at left tackle with Riley Reiff not signed beyond the upcoming season and the immediate thought was that Decker could compete with Reiff for the left tackle spot or start on the right side in the worst-case scenario.
Ultimately, there wasn’t much of a competition as the Lions almost immediately installed Decker on the left side and kicked Reiff to the right.
Fast forward a year and the Lions look to be heading down the same path, this time at middle linebacker. Like Reiff at left tackle prior to last season, Tahir Whitehead has been the starter at middle linebacker but is entering the final year of his contract and has played at a level that warrants an upgrade. With the selection of Jarrad Davis, the Lions gained their middle linebacker of the future but also a player who can play on the outside.
Bob Quinn mentioned Davis’s inside-outside versatility after making the pick on draft night but sharpened his outlook following the draft by saying Davis would be a middle linebacker in an interview with the team website.
Like with Decker and Reiff last year, it sure looks like the Lions are poised to quickly move the rookie into his permanent role while the veteran makes the position change. While 2016 was the first time Reiff played right tackle in the NFL, Whitehead started his NFL career as an outside linebacker before moving to the middle when Stephen Tulloch tore his ACL in 2014.