ESPN posted the final Mel Kiper 2011 NFL mock draft on Wednesday night. This is his fifth version, and he now has the Detroit Lions picking USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith with the 13th overall pick. The interesting thing is that he doesn't have Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara being picked until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go on the clock with the 20th overall selection.
I personally have a very hard time believing that the Lions will not only pass on Amukamara, but he will also fall all the way to No. 20. If he's there when the Lions go on the clock, I would be stunned if they selected Smith instead. Kiper's reasoning for the pick is that the Lions must protect Matthew Stafford, but he seems to be buying into the misconception that they can't with the offensive line they already have.
If this scenario were to play out on Thursday night, I think just about all Lions fans would be shocked.
For more coverage of the 2011 NFL Draft (i.e. NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL Draft schedule, etc.), check out Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's NFL Draft hub, SB Nation Detroit's NFL Draft StoryStream and Pride Of Detroit's 2011 NFL Draft archive.