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: To a point. I like what GM Bob Quinn did in free agency addressing the offensive line with the signings of Rick Wagner and T.J. Lang. A liability last year might just become a strength in Detroit this year.
I still believe they need to address some needs on defense. They need to continue to add talent and could use a couple more difference makers, especially among the front seven. I'd look to take the best defensive player on the board unless a running back or pass catcher they just can't live without falls to them.
20man: Here is my top five in order:
- Talented young pass rusher to pair with Ziggy Ansah
- Linebacker
- A receiver with elite speed
- A physical back to pair with Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick
- Teams can never have too many cornerbacks.
Quinn told me at the Combine he thinks this draft is deep at defensive line, running back, receiver and in the secondary. That's a good thing if Quinn's list is anything like mine.
20man: Good question. I'd probably say linebacker Paul Worrilow. He should compete for a starting spot at either the MIKE or WILL.
As a three-year starter in Atlanta, he recorded 127, 142 and 95 tackles, respectively. He lost his starting spot last year to Deion Jones, who turned into one of the best rookie defenders in the league last year.
Worrilow is athletic, and he can play.
20man: I've been consistent in saying that I think Ameer Abdullah can be that guy, but last year proved that teams can't put all their eggs in one basket because injuries are the ultimate wildcard in this league.
This is probably the deepest draft class of running backs in more than a decade. I'd be pretty surprised if Quinn didn't take a running back to pair with Abdullah and Theo Riddick. It wouldn't shock me if that happened in the first two days of the draft.
Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey are probably going to be first-round picks. We'll have to wait and see if the Lions are players in the first round at the position.
But some other names to get familiar with after the big three are: Alvin Kamara (Tennessee), D'Onta Foreman (Texas), Joe Mixon (Oklahoma), Kareem Hunt (Toledo), Wayne Gallman (Clemson), Samaje Perine (Oklahoma), Jamaal Williams (BYU) and the list goes on and on. It's a very deep draft at the position.
20man: I could see the Lions still signing a veteran in the second wave of free agency. There are some good names still out there – Gerald Hodges and Kevin Minter to name a couple.
I would then expect them to address the need further in the draft. We could even see them try to fill a void there with the 21st pick with a guy like Haason Reddick, who I really like. What if Reuben Foster falls that far?
The reality is that Worrilow, Tahir Whitehead and Antwione Williams are the only linebackers currently on the roster with any real playing experience. They have to add to the position just from a numbers standpoint.
An encouraging note on this front: I ran into Glover Quin down at the Super Bowl, and I asked him which young players he's excited about. He told me safety Miles Killebrew and Williams.
20man: My dream pick is Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster. He's physical, fast and can cover. I think he steps in right away and makes a big impact at the WILL or MIKE.
My favorite description of Foster's game is from CBSSports.com analyst Rob Rang, who described Foster as "a heat-seeking missile hell-bent on destruction." I see the same thing on film.
20man: Like I said above, I would take the best defensive player on my board. Defensive end would probably be my first choice. Some names that could be around at 21 are:
Defensive end: Solomon Thomas (Stanford), Derek Barnett (Tennessee), Taco Charlton (Michigan), Takkarist McKinley (UCLA) Charles Harris (Missouri).
Linebacker: Reuben Foster (Alabama), Haason Reddick (Temple), Jarrad Davis (Florida)
Cornerback: Quincy Wilson (Florida), Marlon Humphrey (Alabama), Gareon Conley (Ohio State)
Safety: Jabrill Peppers (Michigan)
20man: ESPN's Jim Trotter reported Monday afternoon that Boldin will indeed return in 2017 for a 15th season. Whether that will be in Detroit or not is yet to be determined.
I talked to him down at the Super Bowl, and this is what he said about a possible return to Detroit:
"I mean there's definitely interest there. But for me, it's seeing what opportunities lie there, going over it with my wife, because any decision that I make doesn't just affect me. It affects me, my wife and my two boys, so it's something I have to take into consideration."
Boldin could look to play closer to his home and family in Florida.
He certainly proved he still has some juice left in those legs after leading the Lions with eight touchdown catches last season. If he wants to return, I don't see why the Lions wouldn't want him back.
20man: I like Washington's size and speed, but he doesn't appear to be a natural runner to me. What I mean by that is great runners have instincts, patience and an innate ability to improvise. Those were some of the things that Washington struggled with last season.
He's a former receiver turned running back. Sometimes players can improve on those traits the more reps they get, but in my opinion, most of the time it's just a God given natural ability. There's a reason Zach Zenner replaced Washington at the end of last season.
I certainly wouldn't give up on Washington. All the physical tools are there. I just think if Detroit is going to add to the position, they'll want someone who can compete for snaps with a healthy Abdullah and Riddick. I don't think Washington is that player just yet.
20man: The guy is hilarious. I listened in on his Combine press conference and he was cracking me up. The basketball player turned tight end said he gained more than 50 pounds eating a lot of Chipotle Burritos.
"No, in all honestly it was a lot of burritos," he said.
He also said he hopes to one day be more famous than Cleveland Browns defensive end Jamie Meder, who also went to Ashland and is the one who blocked the field goal for the Browns against the Chargers last year that secured Cleveland's first win of the season.
Shaheen is an interesting small-school prospect. He dominated his competition, which NFL evaluators want to see from smaller school guys. He's a potential Day 2 pick in a very deep tight end draft class.
