Todd McShay's Final Mock Draft Has Lions Selecting Dre Kirkpatrick

It hasn't been too common for 2012 NFL mock drafts to have the Detroit Lions selecting Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick as of late. This isn't because Kirkpatrick isn't a guy the Lions would want, but rather because most mock drafts have him going far earlier than the 23rd overall pick.

In Todd McShay's final mock draft for 2012, this isn't the case. McShay does have Mark Barron going early (11th to the Kansas City Chiefs), but he has Stephon Gilmore falling to 17th. This is key for the Lions, because with Gilmore falling, Kirkpatrick fell as well. As a result, McShay has the Lions selecting Kirkpatrick with the 23rd overall pick.

This mock comes after it was reported last night by Pro Football Talk that there is an "increasing buzz" about Kirkpatrick dropping down draft boards. Mike Florio explains that Kirkpatrick isn't really dropping, but now we are getting info from teams that indicates he was never as high on boards as many people thought. If this is true, it's good news for the Lions, because the chances of Kirkpatrick being there when they go on the clock seem much better than originally thought.

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