The Detroit Lions head into the offseason trying to build on what turned out to be a playoff team from the year before. They have many needs and could solve them instantly by winning through the draft as well as free agency. The draft provides many needs for the lions to fill great players. The first round pick can be filled by a solid pass rusher in Taco Charlton from Michigan. He is a very powerful bull rusher that can cause chaos on every down. I saw many Michigan games this season and was able to witness what a monster he was on providing pressure to the quarterback. This will be added to a Lions pass rush that simply could not get any meaningful pressure for many games. Ezekiel Ansah was playing through an injury and was simply not the same player from 2015. The only other player that could provide any sort of pressure was Kerry Hyder. A healthy Ansah and Charlton on the outside as well as Hyder and second year player A'Shawn Robinson on the inside could prove to become one of the most dominant units not only next year but for years to come. Combine that with a later round run stopper that could be Ryan Glasgow from Michigan could also provide depth.
The second round pick could be used on a solid CB in either USC's Adoree' Jackson or Michigan's Jourdan Lewis. Both of these players can immediately challenge Quandre Diggs for the slot nickel position which was one of the biggest reasons why the Lions lost 4 straight to end the season. They could also be used in the return game to give the Lions the ability to cut veteran Andre Roberts and bring in promising young receiver Jace Billingsley. A late round selection could also be on Pittsburgh RB James Conner who is very solid and a downhill runner to add. A player of this talent taken at this round is almost guaranteed to be a steal. Pair him with versatile Ameer Abdullah, pass-catching Theo Riddick and reliable Zach Zenner can finally make the Lions' rushing attack respectable since the Barry Sanders years.
Free agency can also be a way for the Lions' to add some depth at linebacker. Veteran LB Dont'a Hightower can be a great pickup. He is a little pricey but well worth it. Deandre Levy and Tahir Whitehead can pair nicely with Hightower. All these additions can make the Lions one of the most feared teams in the league during the 2017 season.
