On Monday, the Detroit Lions hosted Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray for a pre-2011 NFL Draft visit. On Tuesday, the Lions welcomed Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure to Allen Park for a visit.
Here is what Leshoure had to say about what he could bring to the Lions' offense:
"I think I can bring versatility and leadership to an offense, especially for my position. I feel like I can run in between the tackles, but I can also run outside of the tackles and hit the perimeters at times to make guys miss.
"I think the thing that sets me apart from the other running backs is my ability to catch the ball. Whether it’s swing routes, or five- 10-yard routes, or even downfield, I’m very confident with my hands."
You have to take these visits at face value and not try to read into them too much, but it's interesting that the Lions have now hosted two running backs for visits. It could mean nothing, but this does seem like an indicator that the Lions want to add some depth to the running back position via the draft. I don't necessarily think it means they're going to spend their first-round pick on a running back, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me, either.
The Lions 2011 NFL Draft visit tracker has been updated with the news of Leshoure's visit.