2014 Round 2 mock draft: All aboard the Kyle Van Noy bandwagon

After going offense on Thursday by selecting tight end Eric Ebron, the Detroit Lions are fully expected to turn their attention to the defense on Friday night. In the second round in particular, it seems likely that the Lions will address their need for an outside linebacker/pass rusher, a cornerback or a safety.

In SB Nation's 2014 NFL mock draft for the second round, the Lions are actually projected to go with an outside linebacker. Specifically, that outside linebacker is BYU's Kyle Van Noy, who was college roommates with Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah. Van Noy got a chance to catch up with Ansah when he visited the Lions in the lead-up to this year's draft.

It obviously remains to be seen if Van Noy will actually be there when the Lions go on the clock with the 45th overall pick, but he's my top choice in the second round by far. Van Noy would improve the Lions' pass rush considering he had 26.0 career sacks at BYU, but he's not someone who would strictly be a situational pass rusher. It's possible the Lions could go in that direction with a defensive end or a hybrid guy like Georgia Tech's Jeremiah Attaochu, but Van Noy seemingly has the potential to be an every-down outside linebacker.

At the very least, I do think defense is the way to go in the second round. If they fall to 45, it could be tempting to take a center like Marcus Martin or a wide receiver like Marqise Lee, but the Lions' focus on Friday night should really be on improving their pass rush and pass defense.