The Detroit Lions need to protect Matthew Stafford, and their first-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft is a player who can do just that.
Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff is the Lions’ pick at No. 23 overall, a player who had been all over the map in various draft projections but who should help bolster a line that at times struggled to protect Stafford and to open up holes in the running game. The Lions’ offense has its share of stars, led by Stafford and the man who announced the Reiff selection, Calvin Johnson. Now they have a big guy up front.
There was talk today that the Lions were in the mood to trade and might move either up or down, but in the end they decided that they could stay put and make their offensive line better.
Reiff will probably start at right tackle as a rookie, then eventually replace Jeff Backus as the left tackle.