Lions general manager Martin Mayhew spoke to the media after the NFL Draft to talk about the team’s draft strategy. He explained that his reason for not drafting a safety, thought to be a position of need, was a combination of being comfortable with the players they have already and the way the board fell, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN (via Twitter). Mayhew noted that the pick would have had to be an “impactful guy.”
Here are some other notes from the Lions’ draft class:
- Mayhew said fourth-round pick Nevin Lawson’s “play speed” is better than he timed at the combine, according to Rothstein (via Twitter).
- The team’s other fourth-round pick Larry Webster will line up at defensive end, writes Rothstein (via Twitter). Mayhew called him a raw player.
- The Lions’ fifth-round pick, T.J. Jones, will most likely project as a slot receiver, meaning he will be competing with Ryan Broyles for playing time, reports Rothstein (via Twitter). Mayhew called the Notre Dame pass catcher a “clutch” guy.
- Mayhew noted that the team considered drafting the kicker, Nate Freese, in the sixth round, and was happy to be able to get him in the seventh, according to Rothstein (via Twitter). In Mayhew’s view, after spending his college career kicking outside in the elements at Boston College, Freese will be great in the NFC North, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).