The Detroit Lions need new blood at running back, and the second round of our 2015 NFL mock draft seemed like a prime spot for Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit to add one. But with a highly talented cornerback falling into his lap, Yuille is bypassing the need in a deep running back class in favor of the potentially excellent defensive back.
2015 NFL mock draft: Jalen Collins to Detroit Lions at No. 54
The Lions are expected to draft a running back at some point this year, but what will they do if a potentially elite cornerback falls into their laps?
54. Lions: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
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Yuille: After adding offensive tackle D.J. Humphries in the first round, I turned my attention to three main positions in the second round: defensive tackle, cornerback and running back. The Lions have needs at all of these positions, but based on the players still available, it was really a no-brainer to take LSU cornerback Jalen Collins. He has good size, length and speed, and he is someone who could spend the 2015 season learning behind Rashean Mathis. Then, in 2016, the hope would be that he would develop into a starter, much like Darius Slay did in his sophomore season after being a second-round pick.
Some of the other players I considered at this spot were Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett, Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper, Indiana running back Tevin Coleman and Duke guard Laken Tomlinson. The hope would be that one of these players falls to the third round, especially one of the defensive tackles, but even if they’re all off the board, there should still be some solid options to fill one of the Lions’ other main needs.
Dan Kadar, SBNation.com: You can’t fault the decision of passing on running back with this pick. Even though we’re only doing two rounds in this mock, it’s a position that could be targeted in the middle rounds and a starter could be found. If I were making this choice, it probably would have been Bennett, a disruptive three-technique who is technically advanced and ready for the field right now. Collins is a good high-upside choice, though. He’s typically gone by this point in mock drafts, so from a value standpoint, this is a good choice. Collins will need some developmental time, though, so starting him as a backup is a good idea.
Dan’s Top 5 players remaining
- 32. P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
- 39. Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
- 44. Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
- 47. Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
- 50. Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
Lions picks
- 1-23: D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
- 2-54: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
That's a wrap for today's trio of selections. Coming up tomorrow: picks from the Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers as we move toward the conclusion of the second round.
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