Lions host DeVante Parker, Marcus Hardison for pre-draft visits

The Detroit Lions kept their pre-draft visits rolling on Thursday by bringing in two players: Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker and Arizona State defensive tackle Marcus Hardison.

Parker's visit in particular is interesting because he is almost certainly going to be a first-round pick. In fact, it would be pretty surprising if he falls to the 23rd overall pick considering most analysts view him as the No. 3 receiver in the draft. I suppose anything could happen, but it seems unlikely that the Lions will have an opportunity to draft him at their current spot in the first round.

In any case, Parker is a talented player. At Louisville, he finished his career with 156 catches for 2,775 yards and 33 touchdowns. Last year, in only seven games, Parker had 43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns. He would be able to come in and immediately become the Lions' No. 3 receiver, and down the road perhaps he could be a replacement for Calvin Johnson. In the meantime, Parker would definitely enjoy getting to be teammates with Megatron:

Parker's favorite player is Calvin Johnson. "Just knowing that I’m walking where he’s been walking and seeing his locker is a lot of fun."

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) April 9, 2015

As for Hardison, he is a former defensive end who is projected to be a third-round pick. In two seasons at Arizona State, he recorded 58 total tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, two interceptions, two pass defenses and three forced fumbles. If the Lions don't address their need at defensive tackle in the first couple of rounds, he could definitely be someone they target later in the draft.