2. Detroit - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
In the NFL one of the most important components is having a solid line that can anchor your offense. The Lions have had problems with many people have speculated that they will take Brady Quinn with this pick, but that does not seem likely. We know that Quinn has visited the Lions, but we don't know much else. The Lions have declared that Jon Kitna is their QB and it seems that Quinn would sit on the bench for a year or two. Further, the Lions would still have their issues with the offensive line. Last year the Lions allowed 63 sacks (following only by Oakland) and their overall offense was ranked 22 out of 32 teams. The Lions have to solidify their line and stop allowing so many sacks. With Thomas the Lions have a superb prospect that they can use right away and will drastically improve their offense.
The Lions have been extremely active this off-season in the Free Agent market. They started it off by trading CB Dre Bly and a draft choice for RB Tatum Bell and RT George Foster. Since then, on the offensive front they have signed RB T.J. Duckett and WR Shaun McDonald. They have made strides to improve their offense by grabbing two backs who can share the backfield and getting a RT in Foster.
Some talking heads have said that by getting Foster they really don't have a need to draft Joe Thomas. However, Joe Thomas has always played LT for the Badgers. If you look at the Lions depth chart it is noted that Foster is the top RT with two backups and they have only one LT in Jeff Backus. Thomas would give the Lions superior depth and help solidify their offensive line. Backus has been the starter since he was drafted in 2001 and is a decent player, but he is not a Pro-Bowler by any means. With Thomas you have the chance to have a star and provide a superior line to protect Kitna and allow Duckett and Bell to roam about freely. Let's just hope that Millen can see the value of drafting Thomas.
Drafter- South Side Irish
On the clock- Cleveland (elagoalie11)
WCG Mock Draft