Round 4
Waiting to the draft’s final day to take a running back is where things start to get dicier. By this point the depth of prospects is likely to have thinned considerably, leaving less complete options available. That said, there are still running back prospects worth considering, such as Tennessee’s John Kelly.
Like Alvin Kamara last year, Kelly could be the next former Tennessee running back to turn into a more productive pro than college player. He was always caught in a running back rotation rather than being relied upon like so many college running backs but he did manage to see a career-high 187 carries last season.
A promising start to the season fizzled out down the stretch as he ran for just 84 yards on 44 carries against Missouri, LSU and Vanderbilt to close the season.
Kelly also comes with some character concerns (marijuana arrest) so the Lions would have some work to do before being comfortable with the pick. He’s also a local product, going from Oak Park High School to Tennessee. That’s not always a good thing for guys with character concerns.
He’s a little undersized and wasn’t one of the top performers at the 2018 NFL Combine but he could have three-down value and would at least provide added depth.