WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. -- Larry Warford remembers what it was like for him two years ago during his first rookie organized team activity. The former Kentucky offensive lineman was lost, somewhat baffled at everything going on around him.
He was like many other rookies that way. That might be what impresses him about the Detroit Lions' first round pick, Laken Tomlinson, the most. He has watched Tomlinson, who said before the draft he patterns his game after Warford, for the past month.
And he's been surprisingly impressed -- and that Tomlinson is much further along than he was.
"He probably is," Warford said. "I was a mess when I came in. I don't know what was going on. It was like, 'God, I don't know what to do anymore, why am I here?'
"He's taking everything in stride and he's doing great, you know. Mentally, physically, he's the complete package."
The good news for the Lions here is the mess that was Warford turned into the team's starting right guard by the first week of the 2013 season. By the end of 2013, Warford was considered one of the best young guards in the game.
Tomlinson, who is projected as the team's starter at left guard to replace Rob Sims, did not immediately jump into first-team reps during offseason OTAs, but he's expected to gain more and more of them as the offseason goes on. It'll help build chemistry with left tackle Riley Reiff and whoever wins the center job between Travis Swanson and Manny Ramirez.
Warford thinks what might set Tomlinson apart is his intelligence. That's never been questioned considering he placed into Lane Tech in Chicago in high school, went to Duke for college and has post-career plans of being a neurosurgeon.
The off-field intelligence translates to football as well.
"He doesn't make a lot of mental mistakes," Warford said. "The last two years in the league I've seen the biggest thing is guys messing things up in the head because it's hard to learn. A lot of people don't understand how complicated offensive line play is mentally.
"He's come in and he hasn't made many mental mistakes at all and he's a hard worker. He's going to be really good."
Tomlinson's potential combined with Warford's established talent leaves the Lions with possibly one of the top pairs of starting guards in the NFL. Warford wouldn't go that far -- he's more concerned with having one of the best lines overall in the NFL -- but it is tough to predict how good or bad Tomlinson or the Lions' offensive line will be until August. This is because the team can't practice with pads or really hit until then.
But Warford believes he's seen a glimpse of what could be -- and he is happy with it.
"You get to work together. You get to feel each other out and know how everybody works together," Warford said. "How it can look.
"Like I said, you won't be able to fully appreciate that until training camp and see how it all comes together."
When it does, expect Tomlinson to be a large part of the Lions' offensive line this fall.
