DETROIT — The Detroit Lions took Georgia running back D’Andre Swift early in the second round of the NFL draft.
Detroit went into the second day of the draft with eight picks remaining, giving the team assets to make moves.
The Lions chose to stay with their first slot on Friday night and the selection suggests they may not be confident Kerryon Johnson can stay healthy. Johnson missed games in each of his first two seasons with injuries.
The franchise was interested in possibly moving back in the opening round Thursday night to pick up extra picks, but general manager Bob Quinn said no one made him an offer.
The Lions addressed a need with what appeared to be a perfect fit, selecting Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 pick overall. He should help a defense that ranked No. 31 in the league last season.
Detroit’s rookies may prove to be pivotal for Quinn and coach Matt Patricia, who probably have to at least contend for a spot in the playoffs to come back in 2021. The Lions lost their last nine games last season and 12 of 13 in a collapsing, three-win season.
Okudah was the highest-drafted cornerback since Shawn Springs was selected from the same school by Seattle in 1997. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Okudah can blanket receivers in man-to-man coverage and make tackles to stop the run.
The Lions were expected to take Okudah if they didn’t trade out of the high slot to acquire multiple picks.
They had a lot of options on Day 2 and took a player apparently too good to pass up.
Detroit has more glaring needs on both the offensive and defensive lines and likely will use some of its picks to get better at the line of scrimmage.
Detroit went into Friday night with three picks, including two in the third round. The Lions have a pair of picks in the third and fifth rounds from the trade that sent Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay to Philadelphia.
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