Overall Grades and Analysis

SI Overall Grades (Head coach Matt Patricia is determined to shape the Lions into a Patriots-style offense, and obviously finding a five-tool tight end is a strong first step. It’s too much to say T.J. Hockenson will be the next Rob Gronkowski, but Hockenson is one of the highest-rated tight end prospects of this century. His blocking is even more touted than his receiving—an important note given Detroit’s two-decade-long effort to improve its feeble ground game.  Friday’s picks were spent on buttressing the defensive back seven. Jahlani Tavai has the thumping size that Patricia, who also takes a Patriots-style approach on defense, covets. Will Harris provides crucial depth, as Patricia likes to play with three, and sometimes four, safeties on the field. The question is whether Harris can immediately take snaps from veteran Tavon Wilson, who is unlikely to be re-signed after this season. It will come down to how trusted Harris is in man coverages, either as a matchup player or roving middle-of-the-field defender. He isn’t needed in a major role right away considering last year’s third-rounder, Tracy Walker, is ready for fulltime centerfield duties and strong safety Quandre Diggs remains the best player that most fans have never heard of.  The rest of the draft was focused on adding depth to a roster that, thanks to an active free agency, was not lacking in any particular first-string position. One player to keep an eye on is Amani Oruwariye, a long-armed press corner who, thanks to 2017 second-rounder Teez Tabor’s disconcerting inconsistency, could get a closer look than most fifth-round picks.  GRADE: B+):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/04/27/nfl-draft-2019-team-grades-picks-analysis

NFL.com Dan Jeremiah (Detroit Lions
Overall grade: B.  Draft analysis: I love Hockenson as a two-way tight end prospect. He will be a strong target for Matthew Stafford and a nice blocker in the run game. But he wasn't the top player available: it was defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Time will tell which way they should have gone with that pick.  Tavai was picked earlier than expected, much like Kyle Van Noy was a few years ago, though NFL scouts believe Tavai can become a starter. The Van Noy pick didn't work out for the Lions, but hopefully this one will. Trading up for Harris helped the Lions meet a need at safety and he was an appropriate value. Even with Trey Flowers in the fold, adding another pass rusher in Bryant made a lot of sense. Getting a big corner was a must, so I'm on board with the Oruwariye pick. The Lions needed the depth they added at running back and receiver, too -- and I can't fault them for taking Nauta in the seventh to join Hockenson. Johnson could eventually replace Damon Harrison, who's signed through 2020.):  http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001028217/article/2019-nfl-draft-day-1-quicksnap-grades-for-all-32-teams

Silva's Grades (Overview: NT Damon Harrison is part of this class after Detroit acquired him for the No. 142 overall pick. Amid reports they preferred to trade down, the Lions stood pat and selected elite two-way tight end Hocksenson, who won the Mackey Award as a redshirt sophomore and adds a new dimension to OC Darrell Bevell’s offense. Although the Tavai pick was met with fanbase derision, draft guru Dane Brugler compared Tavai to a poor man’s Leighton Vander Esch before the draft as a versatile level-two defender capable of both run thumping in the middle and rushing off the edge. Harris’ college production was lacking, but he crushed the Combine for top-four SPARQ results among invited safeties, including a 4.41 forty time. Bryant was Clemson’s “No. 4” guy up front, overshadowed by Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, and Christian Wilkins but highly productive in his own right with 35 career tackles for loss and 20 sacks. It would not be shocking if Bryant beat out Romeo Okwara for a starting job as a rookie. Oruwariye was one of my favorite day-three picks after a breakout senior year where he held opponents targeting him to a 52% completion rate, then blazed 4.47 with a twitchy 6.82 three-cone time at 6-foot-2, 205. He has a chance to be a steal. Johnson is one of the most-athletic backs in this class. Overall, I thought this was a rock-solid haul for GM Bob Quinn. Grade: B):   https://www.rotoworld.com/article/nfl-draft-grades/silvas-nfc-draft-grades

Walterfootball Grades (Detroit Lions: B- Grade - Goals Entering the 2019 NFL Draft: The Lions are never going to have great success the way they are currently built, so they need to trade Matthew Stafford and begin from scratch. They won't do that, however, so the very best they can hope for next year is an 8-8 result. They'll continue to spin their tires and attempt to upgrade the many holes on their roster. There are very few areas that don't need to be upgraded, so "best player available" at every spot makes sense.  2019 NFL Draft Accomplishments: For a team that styles itself to be the Patriots of the midwest, the Lions don't do a very good job of emulating the NFL's current dynasty. I don't ever recall Bill Belichick using a first-round pick on a tight end, yet that's exactly what the Lions did, spending the eighth-overall selection on T.J. Hockenson. It's likely that the Iowa product will end up being a nice weapon for Matthew Stafford and whichever quarterback replaces him in the future, but using a top-eight choice on a tight end, especially when there was a blue-chip prospect like Ed Oliver still available, seemed like a massive blunder. The rest of the Lions' draft class actually wasn't too bad. The front office spent multiple selections on high-character players who filled needs. The four choices following Hockenson were all used to upgrade the defensive side of the ball, and the two best picks were safety Will Harris and cornerback Amani Oruwariye. None of these four selections, by the way, scored worse than a B- grade. The Lions made some mistakes late in the draft, but most of their picks were graded favorably. That said, it feels like Detroit missed a golden opportunity to really bolster their roster with the eighth-overall selection, which will hurt the overall grade of this class.):  http://walterfootball.com/nfldraftgradesteam.php

Carlos: Here's my final grade on the Lions' 2019 draft (Grade:  C+):  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/04/28/detroit-lions-nfl-draft-grades/3599082002/

Sporting News Overall Grades (19. Detroit Lions - Whom they drafted: TE T.J. Hockenson, LB Jahlani Tavai, S Will Harris, DE Austin Bryant, CB Amani Oruwariye, WR Travis Fulgham, RB Ty Johnson, CB Amani Oruwariye, TE Isaac Nauta, DT P.J. Johnson.Bob Quinn made it clear the Lions want to embrace their physical identity based on running and defensive success. Hockenson was a home run for blocking and receiving, and although there were some reaches for the front seven and secondary, they got several versatile players Matt Patricia can mold well. Grade: C+):  https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-draft-grades-2019-ranking-all-32-teams-from-best-to-worst/1pqhsk47qnec41r8r40730hj70

Rotoworld Grades (Grade: C+.  I’ll repeat what I’ve been saying since January: Hockenson is the best TE prospect to enter the league since Vernon Davis, and if I was forced to bet my life on one player from this class making the Hall of Fame, it’d be him. Loved that pick. The rest of the class didn't do much for me, with the exception of getting Oruwariye at 5.146, a nice value.):  https://www.rotoworld.com/article/draft-decisions/nfl-draft-snap-grades?cid=mob_npd_nn_ios_mar&page=1

NFL Network (Lions get a C+):  https://mobile.twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/1123271192192806912

USA Today NFL draft grades: Who had best, worst classes? (Detroit Lions: C.  They didn't manage to fulfill their desire to move out of the No. 8 spot, but TE T.J. Hockenson might be the best kind of consolation prize. GM Bob Quinn's draft résumé is fairly checkered to date, so kinda hard to get overly excited about the rest of it — though apparently you can't go wrong with a Clemson D-lineman ... even when it's fourth rounder Austin Bryant.):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2019/04/27/nfl-draft-grades-teams-2019-patriots-giants-raiders/3594666002/

Yahoo Grades (Detroit Lions - Picks: Iowa TE T.J. Hockenson; Hawaii LB Jahlani Tavai; Boston College DB Will Harris; Clemson DE Austin Bryant; Penn State CB Amani Oruwariye; Old Dominion WR Travis Fulgham; Maryland RB Ty Johnson; Georgia TE Isaac Nauta; Arizona DT P.J. Johnson.  Best pick: Hockenson.  The Round 1 tight end stigma some Lions fans remain mired in will wear off in time when Hockenson emerges as the ferocious blocker and effective receiver we believe he’ll turn into. Picture Heath Miller, the unfailingly consistent two-phase contributor and former captain for the Steelers. He was Mr. Dependable for more than a decade in Pittsburgh, and we see the same type of contributor in Hockenson in Detroit. Is that worth the eight pick in the draft? We say yes, even with Ed Oliver on the board. Hockenson makes this offense more dynamic.  Worst pick: Tavai.  We actually believe Tavai could be a very interesting piece for the defense in time, but injury and character risks make this pick feel shaky – along with the fact that they might have had a shot at drafting him a full round later. Can he beat out Jarrad Davis in time at the “Mike” LB spot? Can Tavai play the weak side or steal reps from Devon Kennard? He has the versatility to do that, but we won’t really know where Tavai fits in until the pads go on. Spending the No. 43 pick on him was just higher than we would have liked to see.  Overall: A pretty solid class, top to bottom. Hockenson is a Day 1 impact player, Harris and Oruwariye thicken the competition in the secondary and Bryant could be the surprise addition to the front seven that ends up making the most sense. But there were some value questions with a few of the picks, and the lack of an offensive lineman in the class was eye-opening. That was a spot we felt they could have attacked along the way, but that’s just not how it worked out. Grade: C):  https://sports.yahoo.com/final-team-grades-for-the-2019-nfl-draft-190428303.html

Prisco's Grades (Detroit Lions: C.  Best pick: Fifth-round corner Amani Oruwarlye was great value. There were some scouts who thought he'd go a lot higher. The Lions have a need, so it makes sense.  Worst pick: I didn't love fourth-round pass rusher Austin Bryant. He was the fourth guy on a dominant Clemson line. How good is he?  The skinny: I like first-round tight end T.J. Hockenson, but was that really a major position of need after signing Jesse James as a free agent? What about more pass rush? It was just an OK haul.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/pete-priscos-2019-nfl-draft-grades-for-all-32-teams-patriots-earn-best-mark-texans-worst/

SN Nicholas McGee (Detroit Lions - Draft Grade: C.  Analysis: The positional value of taking a tight end in the top 10 is debatable, but there is no questioning Hockenson's all-round ability. Beyond the former Hawkeye star the Lions' best pick came on day three, with the addition of a long and productive corner in Oruwarlye.):  https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-draft-2019-grading-each-teams-selections/2n54vfrq44y61wzbdibpkhz8p

Doug Farrar's Grades (The Lions had a clear need at tight end, and though it might be a bit high to take Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson with the eighth overall pick, one can’t argue Hockenson’s complete skill set. In everything from blocking to route awareness, he’ll help this offense immensely. I was less excited about the second-round pick of Hawaii linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who doesn’t always match his on-field instincts with the athleticism needed to excel at the next level. The value pick here was Penn State’s Amani Oruwariye in the fifth round, and both Boston College safety Will Harris and Clemson defensive end Austin Bryant, taken in the middle rounds, provide good value for their selection range. Outside of Hockenson, though, nobody really stands out here.  Grade: C-minus):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/04/27/final-draft-grades-for-all-32-nfl-teams/11/

PFF Grades and Analysis (Detroit Lions - Day 1:  Detroit didn’t get great positional value by selecting former Iowa tight end TJ Hockenson at No. 8 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, but they did at least get the best tight end in the class. He had the second-highest receiving grade among tight ends in college football this past year, dropping one pass on 51 catchable targets, and finished the pre-draft process as PFF’s No. 21 overall player.  “He’s better than Eric Ebron. Even though he didn’t test out as freakishly as Ebron, this guy knows the nuances of the tight end position already. He knows how to run routes. He has very sure hands.” – Pro Football Focus’ Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner.  Day 2:  The Lions picked up more value in the third round than they did in the second round of this year’s draft. Hawaii linebacker Jahlani Tavai is best against the run, but even his best isn’t anything to fall in love with at pick No. 43. Tavai entered the draft as PFF’s No. 237 overall player in the class.  Boston College safety Will Harris, PFF’s No. 111 overall player in the draft, didn’t breach the top-50 in terms of overall grade, but he has turned in 74.0-plus overall grades as a primary player in Boston College’s defense in each of the past three years.  Day 3:  Penn State cornerback Amani Oruwariye, a long, athletic outside cornerback that settled in at No. 36 on PFF’s draft board, fell all the way down to pick No. 146 for reasons unknown. What we do know is that he may be the steal of the draft.  Oruwariye had the best week of any corner at the Senior Bowl, notching the highest win rate among all defenders in the one-on-ones. He also turned in two strong years of grading in 2017 and 2018.  DRAFT GRADE: BELOW AVERAGE):  https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/draft-2019-nfl-draft-grades-for-all-32-teams