Expect at least one defensive lineman in free agency
One of the primary functions for NFL teams at the combine is to lay the groundwork for the onset of free agency, which begins later in March. Every agent is there, ready to discuss potential terms and feel out interest.
It’s too early to know what specific targets the Lions will go after in free agency, but several agents made it clear the team is coveting immediate help along the defensive line. It’s a decent free agent class with several players who could step right into roles vacated by the Lions moving on from Damon Harrison, Mike Daniels (who could return) and A’Shawn Robinson. Personal preference: Houston’s D.J. Reader.
Adding a lineman via free agency will not stop the Lions from drafting one, perhaps as early as the second round. I don’t get the impression (again, just my opinion) Auburn’s Derrick Brown is as realistic in the first round as many fans and mock drafters would like to believe. But in the two rounds on Friday night, guys like Leki Fotu from Utah, Neville Gallimore from Oklahoma, LSU’s Rashard Lawrence and Brown’s Auburn teammate Marlon Davidson are firmly in play for Detroit.
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