The Detroit Lions took 23-year old DT Nick Fairley out of Auburn with the 13th overall pick of the NFL Draft last night.  Fairley is a big guy at 6’5″, 300 pounds and he can run a 4.9 40 which shows what kind of athlete he is.  Fairley played in 14 games (all starts) for Auburn last year and he had 60 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and he recovered 2 fumbles.  Fairley played in 27 games (16 starts) in his two years with the Tigers and he had 88 tackles, 27.5 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, 2 forced fumbled and he recovered 3 fumbles.  Fairley has outstanding speed of the snap and he won’t likely see a lot of double teams playing next to Ndamukong Suh.  Nobody will be running on the Lions next year with Suh and Fairley clogging up the middle.  Oh, and they are very good inside pass rushers.  This was a OUTSTANDING pick for the Detroit Lions!

The Detroit Lions are going to look to build on the defensive side of the football this weekend.  Here is who is I saw the Lions picking in my mock draft:

1st round (#13 overall) – Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

2rd round (#44 overall) – Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

3rd round (#75 overall) – Brandon Burton, CB, Utah

4th round (#107 overall) – Colin McCarthy, ILB, Miami (FL)

5th round (#154 overall) – Mario Addison, OLB, Troy

7th round (#205 overall) – Brandon Fusco, C, Slippery Rock

The Lions would really improve the defense with this kind of draft.

The Detroit Lions did a good job last April in the NFL Draft.  They got at least three starters last April and here’s a look at how the rookies did in 2010:

Ndamukong Suh:  The Lions used the 2nd overall pick (1st round) on DT Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska.  Suh played in 16 games (all starts) for the Lions last year and he had 66 tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 3 passes defensed, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a TD.  Suh was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2010.  The scary thing for opposing teams is that Suh will likely just get better.

Jahvid Best:  The Lions traded back up into the bottom of the first round to take RB Jahvid Best out of California (#30 overall).  Best battled a case of turf toe on each foot which hampered his production.  Best played in 16 games (9 starts) for the Lions last year and he carried the ball 171 times for 555 yards (3.2 ypc) with 4 TD runs and he also caught 58 passes for 487 yards (8.4 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Best’s game is speed and it was hurt by his toe injuries.  I think he’s going to be an outstanding weapon for the Lions’ offense if he can just stay healthy.

Amari Spievey:  The Lions took CB Amari Spievey in the third round (#66 overall) out of Iowa.  He played in 15 games (9 starts) for the Lions last year and he had 51 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 3 passes defensed and 2 interceptions.  Spievey proved to be a quick learner at CB as he was a safety in college.  He has a nice upside.

Jason Fox:  The Lions selected OT Jason Fox with the #128 overall pick (4th round) out of Miami (Fl).  He played in 4 games (0 starts) as a rookie for the Lions last year.  The Lions need Fox to get stronger before they give him a shot at a starting job.

Willie Young:  The Lions took DE Willie Young in the 7th round (#213 overall) out of North Carolina State.  Young played in 2 games (0 starts) for the Lions and he didn’t make any tackles.  The Lions like Young’s ability but he’s buried on the depth chart and he’s a little immature.

Tim Toone:  WR Tim Toone was Mr. Irrelevant last year as he was picked #255 overall (7th round) out of Weber State.  He didn’t get into any games for the Lions last year but they kept him around anyway, so they must like him at least a little bit.

GRADE FOR 2010:  A

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  A+