When I ran down the list of players who had been selected in the 2011 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft, I was stumped as far as who I should pick for the Detroit Lions with the 13th pick. Obvious picks like Prince Amukamara and Tyron Smith were already off the board, and nobody really stood out. Then it dawned on me: Da'Quan Bowers had not been picked yet.
Bowers' stock has fallen in recent months as concerns have been raised about the health of his knees. After being rated as high as No. 1 on some experts' draft boards, Bowers has slid out of the top five and even the top 10 in a few mock drafts. With this being one of them, I could not pass on the chance to take Bowers for the Lions in the SB Nation Mock Draft.
While concerns about his health do seem legitimate and some reports from his pro day were concerning, I have to imagine the Lions would jump at the chance to select a top five talent like Bowers if he's still available in the actual draft. While depth on the defensive line is already quite good, adding someone like Bowers into the mix could make it the most talented D-line in football, as I explained in the post over at Mocking The Draft.
For the second round, I will be looking at which cornerbacks are still available first and foremost. I will also keep an eye on the offensive tackles still around, and just as with the first round, any top talents at other positions that would be too good to pass up.