With the 2008 SB Nation Mock Draft underway, it is time to start looking at what options I have when the Lions go on the clock at pick #15. The way I see it, the Lions will likely draft a running back, an offensive tackle, a defensive end, or a middle linebacker with their first-round pick. There is a small chance that a defensive tackle or cornerback could be drafted instead, but I would expect it to be one of those four positions first mentioned.
Taking that into account, I put together a draft board for the Lions that will help me draft a player at pick #15. I included all 6 positions mentioned above just to give me a broader range of players, but remember, defensive tackle and cornerback aren't as high on the Lions' priority list in my opinion.
(Note: players crossed out have already been drafted)
| RUNNING BACK | OFFENSIVE TACKLE | ||
| Player | College | Player | College |
| 1. Darren McFadden | Arkansas | 1. Jake Long | Michigan |
| 2. Rashard Mendenhall | Illinois | 2. Ryan Clady | Boise State |
| 3. Jonathan Stewart | Oregon | 3. Chris Williams | Vanderbilt |
| 4. Felix Jones | Arkansas | 4. Sam Baker | Southern Cal |
| 5. Chris Johnson | East Carolina | 5. Jeff Otah | Pittsburgh |
| DEFENSIVE END | DEFENSIVE TACKLE | ||
| Player | College | Player | College |
| 1. Chris Long | Virginia | 1. Glenn Dorsey | Louisiana State |
| 2. Vernon Gholston | Ohio State | 2. Sedrick Ellis | Southern Cal |
| 3. Derrick Harvey | Florida | 3. Kentwan Balmer | North Carolina |
| 4. Phillip Merling | Clemson | 4. Trevor Laws | Notre Dame |
| 5. Quentin Groves | Auburn | 5. Pat Sims | Auburn |
| MIDDLE LINEBACKER | CORNERBACK | ||
| Player | College | Player | College |
| 1. Jerod Mayo | Tennessee | 1. Leodis McKelvin | Troy |
| 2. Curtis Lofton | Oklahoma | 2. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | Tennessee State |
| 3. Philip Wheeler | Georgia Tech | 3. Aqib Talib | Kansas |
| 4. Jonathan Goff | Vanderbilt | 4. Mike Jenkins | South Florida |
| 5. Beau Bell | UNLV | 5. Antoine Cason | Arizona |
Looking at the players still available, if Detroit was on the clock right now, I would imagine they would probably draft Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Clady, or Derrick Harvey. If this were real life, my guess is that they would pull the trigger on Harvey as Rod Marinelli wants to add an edge pass rusher to the defense. For me, I would likely end up doing the same thing, although the appeal to take Mendenhall or Clady definitely exists. The offense will need help, but the defense needs it more in my eyes.