ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- A few quick thoughts on the Detroit Lions' fifth-round draft pick.
The pick: Michael Burton, FB, Rutgers.
My take: This can help the running game and is yet another sign Detroit is planning on running more this year than last season. Three of the team's first five picks are now based on stacking up the run game, including first rounder Laken Tomlinson, second rounder Ameer Abdullah and now Burton. Burton is a strong player, having put up 25 reps at the combine, and can catch passes out of the backfield. He had 47 career receptions and only 22 career carries for the Scarlet Knights. He is, essentially, a younger Jed Collins.
Bad news for Igwenagu: When the Lions didn't bring back Collins, it looked like Emil Igwenagu could have been the heir apparent at fullback. But by using a fifth round pick on a fullback, it almost assures Burton is going to be on the roster. Since it would be highly unlikely the Lions would carry two fullbacks, this is not a good sign for the former Philadelphia Eagles player.
Burton an interesting story: Burton redshirted and then walked on at Rutgers under former coach Greg Schiano, according to NJ.com. By his final season in 2014, he was named a captain by his teammates -- yet another team captain the Lions are bringing in. He holds almost all of the high school rushing records at West Morris Central High in New Jersey and his sister, Lyndsay, was a women's basketball All-American at Division III Johns Hopkins.
