DETROIT -- Bob Quinn didn’t want to say much about specifics Thursday night, but he did promise one thing as the Detroit Lions head into the final stages of their preparation for this year’s NFL draft.
He’s going to make the Lions better.
“I can’t give you a specific position,” Quinn said during the Lions' member summit for season-ticket holders on Thursday night. “But we’re going to get our team better. I can promise you that.”
Quinn called the draft “a hard thing,” particularly when you’re drafting deeper in the rounds because predicting who will be there is much less of a certainty than if you’re picking in the top 10. But the Lions would prefer to be in the position they're in this year, at No. 21 in the first round, because it means they're coming off a playoff season.
So while Quinn can’t hone in on a specific offensive or defensive position or player -- at least not publicly -- the Lions have a good idea of who they think might be available when they're on the clock in two weeks. But until it actually happens, it’s tough to predict. Last year would be a good example as Laremy Tunsil fell a bit in the first round.
Two areas Quinn said the Lions focus on during the draft prep process are speed and athleticism. “It is paramount in our league and paramount in our division,” he said, adding that the team sometimes will eliminate prospects from its draft board because they are not fast enough.
Quinn said the Lions also focus on how much players love football as a characteristic during the draft. He also looks at intelligence, toughness and competitiveness.
Speed has been a constant issue for the Lions' defense over the past two seasons.
“It’s the top thing that we look at, especially at certain positions,” Quinn said.
Quinn didn’t want to grade out last year's draft, his first with the Lions, just yet. He said he typically will take two seasons of data before judging how a draft class is shaping up.
The Lions had a good start with Quinn’s first class, landing two starters in left tackle Taylor Decker (first round) and left guard Graham Glasgow (third round). Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson (second round) is expected to be a starter this season next to Haloti Ngata. Four other players -- safety Miles Killebrew (fourth round), linebacker Antwione Williams (fifth round), defensive end Anthony Zettel (sixth round) and running back Dwayne Washington (seventh round) -- were contributors last year.
So the Lions got a lot of snaps out of their rookie class, which also included the backup quarterback of the future, Jake Rudock, and potential future long-snapper Jimmy Landes in the sixth round.
While his draft initially brought good returns, Quinn won’t make true judgments on it until the end of next season. The draft was a high point for Quinn last year, but didn’t think his first year was “a great start” because there is more he wants to accomplish than making the playoffs. He wants to advance in the playoffs and eventually reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
He is, though, “satisfied with where the team is now,” but continues to look to improve. He started in free agency by bolstering the offensive line with right guard T.J. Lang and right tackle Rick Wagner along with blocking tight end Darren Fells.
As Quinn continues to build his team, he admitted one thing: Sometimes decisions are made specifically with the thoughts of how to beat Minnesota, Chicago and Green Bay. If the Lions can beat their division rivals with consistency, it will give them their easiest possible path to the playoffs.
“You can’t always make every decision to beat Aaron Rodgers or stand up to the Minnesota Vikings' pass rush,” Quinn said. “All the teams in our division have their strengths.”
But if the Lions can compete with Green Bay and Minnesota, they can compete with any team in the NFL. And that’s a start for the Lions, becoming a consistent playoff participant. That’s the only way Detroit can get to the Super Bowl.
