The question for the Lions isn't so much who they might like at No. 28. But who might be available. Derrick Harmon?
"I think there’s a legit shot he’s there," NFL Draft insider Daniel Jeremiah said last week. "I think he could be in their range. The floor for him, I’ve looked at the Lions at 28, I've looked at the Bills at 30 (as the) potential last line for him to fall. I wouldn’t completely rule that out at this point in time."
Landing Harmon would probably be a coup for the Lions in the first round -- as it likely would be for Harmon, who was born and raised in Detroit. The defensive tackle is coming off a huge season at Oregon after transferring from Michigan State and transforming his body. He led the country in quarterback pressures among interior defenders, and is stout against the run. He can play up and down the line.
The Lions can certainly stand to add to their defensive line, even if they're getting a little "heavy" in the trenches, as Brad Holmes said last week. Alim McNeill is their only proven player on the interior who's signed beyond this year, and he likely won't be back to himself until midway through the season after tearing his ACL last December.
Detroit does have DJ Reader and free agent acquisition Roy Lopez to fill the gaps until McNeill returns, but Harmon has the versatility to get on the field and contribute from multiple alignments as a rookie. And Holmes views his picks as "future investments," anyway.
Harmon could ultimately team up with McNeill to give Detroit one of the most fearsome interior defensive duos in the league. His physical play style suits that of the Lions under Dan Campbell and Holmes. His hands have been described as "thunderous" and "violent." And his arc in college suggests he's just coming into his own.
"He plays really, really hard. He’s got good instincts. That’s one thing the Lions have knocked out of the park," said Jeremiah. "You look at all the guys they’ve added on both sides of the ball, they've majored in really instinctive, smart, aware players, and that’s how Harmon plays. Ultra, ultra competitive."
Harmon arrived at Michigan State as an unheralded recruit from Loyola High School, weighing about 350 pounds. He shed some weight over the next few seasons and broke through last year after the move to Oregon, racking up 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks, plus 55 pressures in 14 games. He struggled at times to finish and will need to clean up his tackling, but Harmon has the tools to cause real problems at the next level.
"He can get up the field, plays smart, flashes some bull-rush power; would like to see a little more of that going forward. But this is a guy who’s worked hard to change his body over the last 18 months, and coming off a monster year," said Jeremiah. "Yeah, I think he’d be an outstanding pick at that point in time (for the Lions)."
Harmon weighed in at 313 at the combine, close to what he played at last season. One NFC exec told NFL.com that "off the tape, he reminds me of a young Cam Heyward but bigger." Heyward, drafted late in the first round by his hometown Steelers in 2011, is a seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro and one of the best defensive tackles of his generation.
Without getting too carried away ... it's hard not to like the vision of Harmon playing for his hometown Lions.