From time to time during the offseason Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his Twitter account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: I think you can make a case for any of the three positions along the front seven on defense.
There are a lot of uncertainties at linebacker. That was a position that struggled mightily last season. Is the addition of Paul Worrilow and another year of seasoning for Antwione Williams enough?
The depth on the roster is good at defensive end right now, but can Kerry Hyder, Cornelius Washington or Armonty Bryant turn into a consistent performer opposite Ziggy Ansah on the left side as a starter? There's some projection work there too.
Haloti Ngata is at the tail end of his career. Who on this roster can we point to right now as a sure-fire thing next to A'Shawn Robinson at defensive tackle moving forward?
I think most fans would be happy with any of these three positions being bolstered first and foremost on Thursday night in the draft's first round.
20man: Detroit has enough needs that really any position is in the mix outside of offensive line and quarterback. It really should be best available at this point.
Like I mentioned above, I'd lean more toward a pass rusher or linebacker at No. 21 because this draft is so deep at running back, tight end, cornerback, safety and receiver, that impact players can be picked at those spots in Day 2 and even Day 3.
Get the impact player(s) in the front seven on defense first, then go to work securing the players where this draft is strong.
20man: If Leonard Fournette gets past the Panthers at No. 8 and starts to fall into the teens, I'd be apt to make a few calls and see what moving up to get him would cost.
GM Bob Quinn looks to be very serious about improving Detroit's rushing attack, and subsequently taking some of the load off Matthew Stafford's shoulders, with the resources he spent upfront along the offensive line in last year's draft and again this offseason.
Fournette is a throwback player. He's a tough, physical and decisive north and south runner, who also boasts breakaway speed. He reminds me a lot of Adrian Peterson. I think he has the potential to be special for a long time.
If he inexplicably begins to fall, he's a player worth moving up for. That being said, I'd be shocked if he got past Carolina at No. 8. That just seems like a match made in heaven.
20man: It's obviously up to Quinn to decide if Foster's immense talent on the field outweighs some of his off-the-field flaws.
Who is Foster going to let into in his inner circle? He'll enter the league in Stage One of the NFL's drug program because of a diluted drug test at Combine. Though he denies the use of drugs, can he be trusted with more rigorous testing moving forward?
Those are things Quinn has to be comfortable with before considering him at 21. And Quinn has no-doubt done his homework in answering those questions.
On talent alone, Foster is a Top 15 pick and a player who looks like he could immediately step in and be a three-down linebacker in Teryl Austin's scheme. His physicality and toughness could make a real difference on that side of the ball in Detroit.
I didn't get a chance to talk to Foster at the Combine because he was asked to leave before his media availability after getting into an argument with a hospital worker. I know nothing of his character, but I can say pretty confidently that he's one of the best linebacker prospects I've seen coming out in a number of years.
20man: It's a need, especially if you consider that Fells is on a one-year deal and the team has yet to decide if they're going to pick up the fifth-year option in Ebron's rookie contract.
This is such a good tight end draft class. It features a number of players that both catch and block well. Like you mentioned, Ebron's strength is as a pass catcher and Fells' is as a blocker. What if you could get a multi-dimensional young player that could do both at an above-average level? What would that add to this offense?
Also consider the predicament the Lions have found themselves in recently when Ebron's suffered an injury. He's missed eight games in his first three seasons due to injury and has yet to play a full 16-game schedule. They've struggled from that spot when he's been out.
Quinn also knows the value of having two or three good options at the position from his days in New England.
20man: That is kind of hard to predict, but here's five who have a shot:
1. Kenny Golladay, WR, Northern Illinois: Great size (6-4, 218) and speed (4.50) coming off an 87-catch, 1,156-yard, eight-touchdown season.
2. Alex Anzalone, LB, Florida: Started the Gators' first eight contests in 2016, collecting 53 tackles (four TFL, three sacks). He's been plagued by injuries his whole college career, which could drop him into Day 3.
3. George Kittle, TE, Iowa: Ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds at Combine at 6-foot-4, 247 pounds. Had 22 catches for 314 yards and four touchdowns last season.
4. James Conner, RB, Pitt: Physical runner at 6-foot-1, 233 pounds, who set a school record by rushing for 229 yards in the Little Caesars Bowl against Bowling Green. Had 799 yards and eight touchdowns on the year.
5. Jaleel Johnson, DT, Iowa: Led Iowa with 10 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks from the defensive tackle position.
20man: I'm guessing by this you mean a small-school player who can step in and be a contributor right away. Three guys jump out to me:
Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington: Best receiver in the FCS in 2016, leading all pass catchers with 117 receptions, 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was impressive at the Senior Bowl, showing off a terrific set of hands.
Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown State: Associated Press FCS All-American as a senior with 58 tackles, 19.5 for loss and 14 sacks. Wowed at Combine with 4.61-seconds 40, 30 reps on bench, 35.0-inch vertical and 6.94 seconds in 3-cone.
Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland: Set a school record with 16 touchdowns to go with his 57 receptions for 867 yards. Basketball player turned tight end at 6-foot-6, 278 pounds.
20man: Fair point. And maybe Quinn doesn't view running back as big a need as others think.
My opinion is that it's a need, but not necessarily a pressing one. They can use a receiver before a running back, in my opinion.
I think it's still a need because this team's rushing production was seriously hindered when Abdullah and Riddick suffered injuries last year. I like Abdullah and I think he can be a very good player, but there has to be a better backup plan in place.
Washington could still develop into a nice back, but he struggled as a rookie and averaged just 2.9 yards per carry.
Zenner did some nice things, and I like him as a depth player at the position, but his 3.8 yards per carry doesn't knock anyone's socks off.
If they add a back in this draft and pair him with Abdullah, Riddick and Zenner, all of the sudden that's a versatile backfield with good depth.
20man: He's among a handful of players I think will be in the conversation at that spot. He fits Detroit's profile from a size, length and athleticism standpoint on the edge of their defense.
My only question with Charlton is why did it take so long for him to get on the field at Michigan and become a consistent performer? He didn't become a full-time starter until his last season.
20man: I believe they will. This is a nice class of receivers and they can find someone with the kind of straight-line speed this offense is lacking in pretty much every round.
We obviously all know about John Ross' speed (4.22), but Curtis Samuel (4.31), Josh Malone (4.40), KD Cannon (4.41), Quincy Adeboyejo (4.42), Chris Godwin (4.42), Isaiah McKenzie (4.42), Michael Rector (4.42), Rodney Adams (4.44), Robert Davis (4.44), Stacy Coley (4.45), Amara Darboh (4.45) and Zay Jones (4.45) can all fly.
