2011 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 1, Pick 13

Our annual 2011 NFL Mock Draft, with picks made by each of SB Nation’s NFL team bloggers, is in full swing. The latest pick in to the podium: the Detroit Lions, at No. 13 overall.

Sean Yuille of PrideOfDetroit.com explains the choice, and our own Dan Kadar reacts to it, after the jump. Make sure you’re grading this pick for the Lions, and checking out Pride of Detroit for all of your Lions needs.

Sean Yuille explains: Ever since Martin Mayhew took over as the Lions’ general manager in 2008 (officially at the beginning of the 2009 off-season), the team’s draft strategy has been simple: select the best player available. Obviously there are some caveats, and the Lions don’t just throw their needs aside, but the fast first-round picks like Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best reflect the BPA strategy.

In this year’s draft, it’s tough to get a read on who the Lions might select for one main reason: if Prince Amukamara is off the board, no cornerback appears to be worth the 13th overall pick. Cornerback is right at the top of the list of needs, but I don’t see them reaching on Jimmy Smith or Brandon Harris. If Amukamara is there, it’s a pretty good bet that the Lions will be picking a former Nebraska player for the second straight year. If not, taking a cornerback probably won’t happen.

While many believe the Lions will select an offensive tackle if they can’t get Amukamara, would any of them really fit the BPA mindset? I personally don’t think so, and I don’t think the Lions necessarily want to draft an offensive lineman. The Lions’ pass protection issues are overblown, which is exactly what Mayhew said to the media at the NFL owners meetings during a spiel about how people attacking Detroit’s O-Line had the wrong idea.

If Tyron Smith wasn’t off the board, I would’ve given some thought to selecting an offensive tackle for the purpose of building for the future. He’s not available, and I don’t think he would have been the pick with a guy like Da’Quan Bowers still on the board, anyway. I know there have been question marks about Bowers’ knee, which has caused his stock to drop a bit, but I’m surprised he fell this far. Many have him rated as a top five pick, and some even think he is the most talented player in the draft. If he’s on the board when the Lions go on the clock and someone like Amukamara isn’t, this seems like a slam dunk pick for them.

Adding a defensive end isn’t exactly at the top of the Lions’ list of needs this off-season, but you can never have too much talent. Detroit’s defensive line rose to the top of the league last off-season as far as overall talent goes by adding guys like Kyle Vanden Bosch, Corey Williams and Ndamukong Suh. Cliff Avril, who was already on the team, continued to show flashes of excellence as a pass-rushing defensive end last season, and adding Bowers into the mix would make this arguably one of the best D-Lines in all of the NFL. Bowers is versatile and a great pass rusher, and he would be yet another player on the Lions’ defensive line that opposing quarterbacks would have to fear.

Dan Kadar reacts: Of the 13 picks thus far in this mock, this is clearly the biggest steal. Bowers could have been the pick several times already and been a good one. With Vanden Bosch, 32, getting up there in age, Bowers would be able to ease his transition into the NFL.

In fact, Bowers project to be a player similar to Vanden Bosch. At his best, from 2005-07, Vanden Bosch was a power defensive end who could get after the quarterback. Bowers fits the same exact mold. His sack numbers may never be eye popping, but Bowers could hold down one side of the line and do well for a long time. [Da’Quan Bowers Scouting Report]