On Thursday, Mississippi State cornerback Darius Slay entered the green room as one of 23 players in attendance at the draft. On Friday, he was the first of the remaining four to escape.
The Lions have made Slay the 36th pick in the 2013 draft.
Slay, part of a Bulldog cornerback tandem with Johnathan Banks, beat Banks to the punch. Many believed Banks would go first.
The Lions had a clear need at cornerback, a need they opted not to address with the fifth overall pick in the draft.