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The first 22 picks of the 2012 NFL Draft really couldn't have gone much better for the Detroit Lions. A ton of talent fell to the 23rd overall pick, including the likes of Stanford offensive guard David DeCastro, Georgia offensive guard Cordy Glenn, Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff, Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin and Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus. To say the least, the Lions had a lot of solid options to choose from, and in the end they opted to go with Reiff, as announced by Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who took over the duties for the 23rd pick from Roger Goodell.
To all of the analysts out there who have pleaded with the Lions to find a future left tackle, their wishes have been answered. Reiff was considered by many to be the second-best offensive tackle in the draft. With him falling all the way to No. 23 overall, the Lions jumped at the chance to secure somebody who can come in and hopefully one day take over for Jeff Backus.
How does Reiff fit into the picture in 2012? It remains to be seen, but the Lions are in a good situation. If Reiff doesn't come in and surprisingly supplant Backus as the starter at left tackle, then he can work at right tackle and push Gosder Cherilus, or perhaps he might even start off inside and push Stephen Peterman for his starting job. Either way, the Lions have upgraded their depth at offensive tackle in a big way, allowing for them to focus on other needs later on.
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You can check out SB Nation's scouting profile of Reiff below. And for more info on Reiff, check out our Iowa Hawkeyes blog, Black Heart Gold Pants, which put up a post breaking him down today.