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There was much fanfare in Detroit after the Lions selected Jarrad Davis in the first round on Thursday night. Here’s how Lions fans graded the pick as of late Thursday night:
A: 49%
B: 42%
C: 6%
F: 2%
D: 1%
If there was one specific criticism of the pick among Lions fans, it’s that Detroit passed over Reuben Foster, who surprisingly slid all the way to the 49ers at pick 31. Many viewed Foster as the best linebacker in the draft, but there were serious concerns about his character and—more pressing—his health:
Mike Mayock says on NFL Network that NFL teams are aware Reuben Foster has a shoulder injury that could explain his fall.
— Jay Skurski (@JaySkurski) April 28, 2017
We asked if the Lions made the right decision on selecting Davis over Foster and only 66 percent of fans said yes.
That same sentiment led to underwhelming grades from analysts across the country. Here’s a sampling of Lions grades from the first round.
The Lions need linebackers, but with Reuben Foster and Zach Cunningham still on the board, this is underwhelming.
Davis shouldn’t leave the field much—his coverage skills will keep him out there in sub-packages.
This fills a need, and he will add speed to a unit that needs it.
Davis is an excellent football player when healthy, but he has had a lot of trouble staying on the field in recent years. Davis is a big upgrade and could play outside or inside.
Davis is an exceptional run defender with his impressive lateral quickness and focused pursuit of the ball carrier. He’ll be expected to make an immediate impact on a Lions defense that struggled last season.
Bleacher Report (Mike Tanier): B
Davis is neither the pass-rusher nor impact player in the secondary that the Lions really need. But he's a solid player, and he plays on the correct side of the ball.