ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- A wrap-up of the Detroit Lions' draft.
Best move: Bob Quinn did exactly what he set out to do at the start of the draft -- find protection for Matthew Stafford. Three of the Lions' 10 picks over the three-day draft centered on protecting the franchise quarterback, including two of his first three picks overall. By taking offensive tackle Taylor Decker in the first round and center Graham Glasgow in the third round, Quinn gave the Lions two more young linemen to build around, joining guards Laken Tomlinson and Larry Warford. Detroit's offensive line should end up much better in 2016 because of Quinn's draft strategy. That is critical, as the only way the Lions will win games this fall is if Stafford isn't running for his life play after play after play.
Riskiest move: The Lions avoided skill-position players on offense other than seventh-round pick Dwayne Washington, and didn't take a cornerback, either. Receiver and corner seemed to be positions of need -- particularly for depth -- in this draft after the retirements of Calvin Johnson and Rashean Mathis. Yet 10 picks and seven rounds came and went, with the Lions staying away from those positions. Detroit will add players there in undrafted free agency, but considering the lack of quality depth at both spots it was a pretty big chance for Detroit to take. Yes, the Lions addressed receiver in free agency with Marvin Jones and Jeremy Kerley, and cornerback with Darrin Walls and Johnson Bademosi, but the Lions still have a lot of question marks at receiver behind Jones, Kerley and Golden Tate. And there are bigger questions at corner, where Darius Slay will be one starter and Nevin Lawson will be the other, as of now. But the Lions could come to regret not making a move at either position.
Most surprising move: The Detroit Lions have one of the better long-snappers in the NFL in Don Muhlbach. They have multiple needs and also have to build depth on the roster. So Quinn's decision to select Jimmy Landes, the long-snapper out of Baylor, in the sixth round was pretty baffling. Even Landes was surprised he was drafted, as he said he thought he was heading toward undrafted free agency. Considering the Lions' needs at receiver and cornerback -- two position groups that were not addressed by Detroit in the draft -- picking Landes seems bizarre, particularly in the sixth round. The move also puts Muhlbach's reign as Detroit's long-snapper in jeopardy.
File it away: The Lions started the final day of the draft with safety Miles Killebrew, who could end up being a sneaky good pick for the Lions. He's exactly what defensive coordinator Teryl Austin covets in a strong safety. He can play down almost like a linebacker and is punishing against the run, with back-to-back seasons with over 100 tackles. He also has the size to play closer to the line of scrimmage, if need be, in a role similar to what James Ihedigbo and Isa Abdul-Quddus did last season in Detroit. While he'll have a tough position battle with Tavon Wilson, Rafael Bush and Isaiah Johnson for the starting strong safety spot, it's a pretty open competition -- and it is one that Killebrew could come in and win. Worst case, he'll be a core special teams player who will deliver some big hits.
Thumbs up: It's tough to grade Detroit too harshly despite some of its third-day questions -- long-snapper? Really? But the majority of Detroit's draft picks were sound and filled needs. The Lions had a phenomenal first two days of the draft, solidifying the offensive line with tackle Decker, center Glasgow and defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson. Those are three potential immediate starters and can provide great value. Detroit was always going to take a backup quarterback, and Jake Rudock understands how to run a pro-style system and can provide support to Stafford. Killebrew could be an early starter as well, so he could be a great value pick. The totality of that surpasses the bizarre decision to draft Landes. -- Michael Rothstein