NFL Draft Picks: Nick Fairley Selected By Detroit Lions

The first 12 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft could not have gone any better for the Detroit Lions. When they went on the clock with the 13th overall pick, they had their pick of Prince Amukamara, Robert Quinn and Nick Fairley. When it came time to decide on who would become the newest member of the Lions, Martin Mayhew and company decided on Fairley, a defensive tackle from Auburn.

I will admit, at first I was kind of bummed that the Lions passed on Amukamara. I will also admit that I haven't been the biggest fan of Fairley. That said, the Lions' defensive line now consists of Ndamukong Suh, Fairley, Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Sammie Hill, Cliff Avril, Lawrence Jackson and Turk McBride. That is A LOT of talent, and I think it's safe to say the Lions have the most talented defensive line in all of football.

Obviously I would have liked to see the Lions fill their need at cornerback, but in their eyes Fairley was the best player available. The secondary still needs help, but then again, if opposing quarterbacks don't have any time to throw the ball, it may be a moot point.

Pride of Detroit will have much more on this pick in the coming days. In the meantime, the Lions' next pick is the 44th overall selection. Barring a trade, that means the Lions will not make any picks until Friday night.

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.