Representing the Detroit Lions, Akr_Baby with the 55th pick in Arrowhead Pride's 2012 NFL mock draft...
With the 23rd pick I selected Mark Barron out of Alabama. During that write up I gave a breakdown of each team in the division and why I thought the Lions should go defense and why you must focus on competing and winning in your division before jumping the gun and hoping to go right to the Superbowl. You can read that HERE if you missed the selection. Being in a division with the Packers, Bears, and Vikings I decided to continue with the strategy of going defense with the 55th selection.
Mark Barron will be a solid safety to command the back of the Lions Defense for years to come. But the Lions need help on the edge if they are going to slow the likes of Aaron Rodgers and the packers explosive passing game down. The Bears now seem to have a legit offense with the addition of Brandon Marshall. The Vikings passing game may not be on the level of the Packers or the Bears, but with a RB like Adrian Peterson defenses will have to focus on the running game and leave there Corners on islands against the play making ability of Percy Harvin and Devin Aromashodu looking to breakout in 2012. Ive decide to go with a player I feel is the best Corner still available.
Since I wrote my reasoning for going defense in my last post. I am going to focus a little more on the pick itself.
So...
With the 54th Pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, The Detroit Lions Select...
Josh Robinson - Defensive Back - UCF
5ft-9in - 200lbs - 31-1/4 arms - 9-1/4 hands - ** 4.31 40-Time - *38.5in-Verticle - *11ft-1in Broad Jump - *17 Bench Reps - *3.97 shuttle - 6.55 cone (**Best of all combine participants - *Best of all DBs)
Josh Robinson comes in a shorter than your average CB at 5-10, but Chiefs fans watch a 5-9 Brandon Flowers prove week in and out that a short corner can be dominant in this league. The Lions have built a Defense that looks to physically dominate up front, and shut down the run game. You need corners that at times will have to man up and make plays from there island. Josh Robinson showed he has the elite speed to run with the speedsters by posting the fastest time at the 2012 combine(4.31). I watched as much video as I could find from 3 corners I felt had late 1st to second round talent. Josh Robinson had a lot of things I liked in a corner, and a lot of things I felt showed why he didn't receive a 1st round grade. At the end of the day I felt most of his issues were things that could be coached up at the NFL level, and that he had qualities that you can't teach at any level, some players are just gifted in certain areas. That is why I felt he was a better option than the other corners remaining.
Robinson has good instincts, showed me he has the ability to play in man or zone situations. Tho he is short Robinson can get up with his freakish 38 1/2-inch verticle, explosive 11ft-1 broad jump. Is a willing tackler. diagnosis routs and reacts quickly. A Competitive player, noticed he would get in the faces of WRs when they would beat him on a route and come back strong the chance the ball came his way. Tracks the ball well in the air. Has a fluid back pedal. Durable, started all 38 games before declaring as a Junior. As a sophomore Robinson was asked to cover A.J. Green every play, and while he didn't completely shut Green down(8 catches - 77 yards) he kept everything underneath and Green didn't reach the endzone. Almost every catch Green had Robinson let him know after every play he was not going to make it easy, getting in his face talking smack and bumping helmets with green, something I really like to see in a corner. can play special teams and return kicks if needed if the Lions ask this of him. Will be a Solid starter at the next level.
Robinson needs to spend his off-season working with his coaches on Press coverage, he gets pushed back on his heels, upright in his stance and will give up separation quickly. Will give too much of a cushion at times, needs to trust his speed and ability to keep receivers in front of him better and because of this will give up 1st downs on comeback and underneath routes and hots. When runs and screens especially come his direction he will try to shed blocks improperly putting himself out of position to make the tackle. Tho he is a willing tackler and wraps up instead of always going for the big hit he will sometimes drop his eyes to soon and get too low when attempting some tackles.
Robinson will improve the Lions 22nd ranked passing defense and should be a Solid athlete for the Lions and pairing him with rookie Mark Barron, I feel the Lions will have greatly improved their defense as a whole.
Hope everyone enjoyed, I didn't have as much time to write and review everything with the Mock being behind so Go easy on the fact that it doesn't look as nice as my last post.
On a last note, I would like to thank the Lions fans over at Pride of Detroit for being helpful and welcoming to me. Great group of fans if anyone wants to check em out. Thanks for taking the time to read & have a MERRY DRAFT DAY!!!!!!
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Previously (with approval results)...
1. Indianapolis Colts - Baylor QB Robert Griffin III (42%)
2. Washington Redskins - Stanford QB Andrew Luck (72%)
3. Minnesota Vikings - USC OT Matt Kalil (89%)
4. Cleveland Browns - Alabama RB Trent Richardson (70%)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - LSU CB Morris Claiborne (84%)
6. St. Louis Rams - Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon (91%)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Stanford G David DeCastro (33%)
8. Miami Dolphins - Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill (73%)
9. Carolina Panthers - South Carolina LB/DE Melvin Ingram (Forgot to do a poll)
10. Buffalo Bills - Stanford OT Jonathan Martin (73%)
11. Kansas City Chiefs - LSU DT Michael Brockers (35%)
12. Seattle Seahawks - Boston College LB Luke Kuechly (66%)
13. Arizona Cardinals - Iowa T Riley Reiff (88%)
14. Dallas Cowboys - North Carolina DE Quinton Coples (68%)
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox (79%)
16. New York Jets - Alabama DE/LB Courtney Upshaw (83%)
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd (68%)
18. San Diego Chargers - Penn State DT Devon Still (42%)
19. Chicago Bears - Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick (51%)
20. Tennessee Titans - South Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore (63%)
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Georgia OL Cordy Glenn (64%)
22. Cleveland Browns - Arizona QB Nick Foles (21%)
23. Detroit Lions - Alabama S Mark Barron (67%)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Memphis NT Dontari Poe (62%)
25. Denver Broncos -- Michigan State DT Jerel Worthy (64%)
26. Houston Texans -- Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill (68%)
27. New England Patriots - North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins (58%)
28. Green Bay Packers - Illinois OLB/DE Whitney Mercilus (70%)
29. Baltimore Ravens - LSU WR Rueben Randle (34%)
30. San Francisco 49ers - Stanford TE Coby Fleener (46%)
31. New England Patriots - USC OLB Nick Perry (64%)
32. New York Giants - Baylor WR Kendall Wright (48%)
33. St. Louis Rams - Ohio State LT Mike Adams (77%)
34. Indianapolis Colts - South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery (Forgot to do a poll)
35. Minnesota Vikings - Alabama LB Dont'a Hightower (62%)
36. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Nebraska LB Lavonte David (71%)
37. Cleveland Browns - Wisconsin G Kevin Zeitler (65%)
38. Jacksonville Jaguars - Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu (72%)
39. St. Louis Rams - Boise State LB Shea McClellin (59%)
40. Carolina Panthers - Clemson DT Brandon Thompson (65%)
41. Buffalo Bills - Oregon RB LaMichael James (34%)
42. Miami Dolphins - Boise State RB Doug Martin (26%)
43. Seattle Seahawks - Marshall DE Vinny Curry
44. Kansas City Chiefs - Midwestern State OL Amini Silatolu
45. Dallas Cowboys - Wisconsin C Peter Konz
46. Philadelphia Eagles - North Carolina LB Zach Brown
47. New York Jets -- Notre Dame S Harrison Smith
48. New England Patriots - Connecticut DT Kendall Reyes
49. San Diego Chargers - Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins
50. Chicago Bears - Montana CB Trumaine Johnson
51. Philadelphia Eagles - Virginia Tech RB David Wilson
52. Tennessee Titans - Miami RB Lamar Miller
53. Cincinnati Bengals - LSU S Brandon Taylor
54. Detroit Lions - UCF CB Josh Robinson