Doug Karsch says "there's three positions the Lions could use" in the draft," where they can get a starting-caliber player in the second round: tight end, cornerback, linebacker." Of the three, the most depth seems to be at corner.
"It's a corner-heavy draft," says Gator. "You've got the ultra-high tier with Devon Witherspoon (Illinois) and Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) and maybe you throw Brian Branch (Alabama) in that mix, some people have Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State) in that mix.. And then there's a second group of guys with really good attributes like Deonte Banks from Maryland and DJ Turner from Michigan."
Karsch says Banks is "one of those raw athletes who seems like he's just scraping the surface of how good he can be," while Turner "plays the position like a tactician, plus elite speed and decent ball skills, he just doesn't have the size."
Beyond those players, several other cornerbacks have appeal as potential Day 2 picks: Kelee Ringo (Georgia), Emmanuel Forbes (Mississippi State), Cam Smith (South Carolina), Terrell Smith (Minnesota).
"There's so many corners that I'm starting to feel better about not taking a corner at 18," says Gator. "I still love the versatility of Brian Branch. If he's there at 18, I'd be very inclined to take him. But if you don't take a corner at 18, you got two picks in the second round and you'll still have the opportunity to grab a really good corner."
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