2014 NFL Draft: Best available players for Lions on Day 3

The final day of the 2014 NFL Draft has arrived. There are four rounds to go, and there is still a lot of talent left on the board. Via SB Nation's list of the best available players going into Day 3, here's a look at some possible options for the Detroit Lions at various positions of need (the number is the overall ranking):

Quarterback

55. Zach Mettenberger (LSU)
78. David Fales (San Jose State)
130. Brett Smith (Wyoming)
151. Aaron Murray (Georgia)
155. Tom Savage (Pittsburgh)

It's entirely possible that the Lions will spend a draft pick on someone to groom as their future backup behind Matthew Stafford. Actually, it's not out of the question that one of their compensatory picks in the fourth round could be used on a quarterback given who is still available.

Wide receiver

66. Brandon Coleman (Rutgers)
82. Jared Abbrederis (Wisconsin)
95. Robert Herron (Wyoming)
97. Cody Hoffman (BYU)
111. L'Damian Washington (Missouri)

There have been a ton of wide receivers drafted already, but there are still some good options left at this position. If the Lions want to solidify their depth at wide receiver, one of these players could end up in Detroit.

Offensive tackle

41. Antonio Richardson (Tennessee)
108. James Hurst (North Carolina)
124. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (McGill)
132. Seantrel Henderson (Miami)
152. Cameron Fleming (Stanford)

Offensive tackle isn't a huge need, but the Lions would benefit from bolstering their depth at this position, and Richardson is actually the top overall player left in SB Nation's draft rankings.

Defensive end

77. Ed Stinson (Alabama)
109. Aaron Lynch (South Florida)
127. Jackson Jeffcoat (Texas)
131. Chris Smith (Arkansas)
133. Michael Sam (Missouri)

The Lions got themselves a pass rusher with the addition of outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, but you can never have too many players who can get after the opposing quarterback, and the Lions do have a bit of a need for some extra depth at defensive end.

Defensive tackle

63. DaQuan Jones (Penn State)
90. Anthony Johnson (LSU)
104. Caraun Reid (Princeton)
157. Calvin Barnett (Oklahoma State)
178. Kelcy Quarles (South Carolina)

With virtually the entire defensive tackle position set to hit free agency next year for the Lions, spending a pick on one of these players could be worthwhile.

Cornerback

56. Antone Exum (Virginia Tech)
60. Victor Hampton (South Carolina)
61. Bashaud Breeland (Clemson)
65. Pierre Desir (Lindenwood)
76. Marcus Roberson (Florida)

The Lions surprisingly did not address the cornerback position on Friday, but that gamble could end up paying off. As you can see by the players listed above, there's still a good deal of talent left at this position.

Safety

80. Dion Bailey (USC)
156. Craig Loston (LSU)
165. Tre Boston (North Carolina)
173. Hakeem Smith (Louisville)
187. Ahmad Dixon (Baylor)

The safety position has already been picked through quite a bit. There are still some intriguing options left, but the top players here are long gone.

Best of the rest

73. RB Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona)
84. RB Lache Seastrunk (Baylor)
87. OG David Yankey (Stanford)
88. MLB Shayne Skov (Stanford)
93. OLB Christian Jones (Florida State)

The Lions really don't have a need at running back or linebacker at this point, and there's not much of a need at offensive guard considering Travis Swanson can play that position in addition to center. It wouldn't totally surprise me if the Lions decided to make a luxury type of pick by adding a running back, but it's really not necessary with more pressing needs still remaining.