Detroit Lions: Post-NFL combine seven round mock draft 1.0
By Bob Heyrman
Third round, No. 67
OG: Ben Bredeson, Michigan
The Detroit Lions are expected to move on from starting right guard Graham Glasgow, so why not replace one former Michigan Wolverine with another?
The Michigan Wolverines continued to underachieve last season under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Still, one thing you can count on from a Harbaugh led team is plenty of good offensive lineman and a good rushing attack.
Bredeson is 6’5, weighing in around 315 pounds. He’s a four-year starter at left guard with the Wolverines didn’t compete in the combine as he’s nursing a hamstring injury. Bredeson was a captain in both his Junior and Senior seasons with the Wolverines.
The Lions are desperate to repair their offensive line, and it appears Bob Quinn may choose to do so in the draft rather than spending in free agency, or they’d have already re-signed Glasgow. We’ve already given the Lions a franchise running back, so following that up with a run-blocking guard seems fitting.
Bredeson run blocks like a bully; he will maul linebackers and is agile enough to move laterally. At times Bredeson struggled to handle the pass-rush, more explosive interior linemen have the potential to blow past him in passing situations. He needs to improve his footwork, which will help his lack of pass-blocking ability to become a more complete guard.
Bredeson is a plug and play starter from week one. That’s what the Lions need; he’s the perfect third-round choice.