Detroit Drafts Gaines Adams with Fourth Overall Pick in SBN Mock Draft

With the fourth overall pick of the 2007 SB Nation Mock Draft, the Detroit Lions have selected Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams.

Choosing a player with this pick certainly wasn't as hard as deciding what to do with the original one. I thought long and hard about the #2 pick and eventually did trade it to Tampa Bay, putting the Lions in position for Gaines Adams or Patrick Willis. To my surprise, Cleveland drafted Joe Thomas, making my decision much easier.

When it came down to it, I was not only thinking about this pick, but also what I will do in future rounds. It's called planning ahead, a strategy that Matt Millen should probably start using. In the early rounds of the draft, Detroit really needs to address three defensive spots that have pressing needs. Those positions would be defensive end, middle linebacker, and cornerback. By getting DE out of the way now, the two second-rounders can be used on finding a MLB and CB. Patrick Willis would've done the same thing for MLB, leaving DE and CB to be taken care of later, but I felt that Adams was a better player for the #4 selection and does fit in Detroit's Cover 2.

Gaines Adams is the type of DE that will make plays. He's very strong and has great speed that allows him to quickly get into the backfield to make those big plays coming off the outside. The reason I see Adams as the best pick for the Lions is because he will add many great qualities to a defensive line that is being fine-tuned by Rod Marinelli. Marinelli is an expert when it comes to the defensive line and could undoubtedly turn Adams into an even better player than he already is.

With this pick, the defensive line would tentatively be Cory Redding (still has to sign) and Shaun Rogers at DT and Dewayne White and Gaines Adams at DE. Couple those four players with Rod Marinelli's coaching of the d-line and this very well could be trouble for opposing offenses.

The Lions' next pick in the 2007 SB Nation Mock Draft comes in at #34 overall (#2 in the second round). The two positions I will likely target a player for are MLB and CB. There's also the off chance of going a different direction depending on if a certain player slips through the first round. Whether it will be a MLB or CB will be determined by which players are available. I already have a few at each position in mind and am thinking ahead to the final pick of the second round that belongs to Detroit (via a trade with Tampa Bay). We'll just have to wait and see what happens, but it definitely will be interesting.