Detroit Lions add offensive line depth in fifth round of 2018 NFL Draft

The Detroit Lions have made their fifth pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, choosing Oregon offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby in the fifth round.

The Detroit Lions have made their fifth pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Who: Tyrell Crosby
What: Offensive tackle
Where: Oregon
When: Round 5, Pick 16 (153 overall)
Why: The Lions appear to have a starting offensive line set after drafting interior offensive lineman Frank Ragnow in the first round. That being said, anyone who watched the Lions suffer through major offensive line injury problems throughout last season saw first hand how important offensive line depth can be.

While it might feel bad to be addressing offensive line depth now with other needs still to be filled, Crosby is a good value in the fifth round after being projected to go as high as the second round. He was the highest remaining player on the board of many draft analysts at this point and he could be used as a backup at both tackle and guard.

https://twitter.com/Tyrellcrosby/status/990298431817072640

The Lions announced him as a tackle but even if he ends up at guard that versatility is exactly the kind of thing the Lions value and is a good trait for earning him a spot on the gameday active list early in his career.

Where he fits beyond that remains to be seen. Taylor Decker isn’t going anywhere and Rick Wagner was signed in free agency to a five-year deal. Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow are promising young players in the interior but T.J. Lang will enter year two of the three-year deal he signed with the Lions prior to last season.

Becoming Lang’s successor seems like the most likely path right now but that isn’t something that needs to be figured out today.

Next: Full Lions draft coverage on Detroit Jock City

Barring another trade, the Lions’ next pick is the 19th pick in the seventh round, 237 overall. That is the Lions’ last scheduled pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.