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Detroit Lions NFL draft grades: What experts think of Day 2 picks

Christopher D Thomas

Detroit Free Press

Vernon Hargreaves: This team is led by its defense and its best player may be this junior from Tampa. He and fellow cornerback Jalen Tabor each have four interceptions, though teams seem less likely to throw to Hargreaves' side.

A look at how people graded the Detroit Lions picking Florida defensive back Teez Tabor (No. 53 overall) and Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay (No. 96) in the second and third rounds of the NFL draft on Friday:

Teez Tabor

Florida, defensive back

Grade: A

Rich Hill, SB Nation: "The Lions are looking to boost their talent on defense and Tabor is a player the Patriots were interested in selecting. He should be a good No. 2 cornerback opposite of Darius Slay."

Dieter Kurtenbach, FoxSports.com: "Tabor is inconsistent and has plenty of off-the-field concerns. But he also has the talent to be the top corner in this draft. It's a risk, but I love it."

Grade: B-plus

Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated: "Once a first-round contender, Tabor’s stock tumbled quite a bit after he topped 4.6 seconds in his combine 40. So, the straight-line speed may not be there, but Tabor is quick enough to succeed as an NFL cornerback and he has the alpha-dog mentality required for such a task. We had him ranked No. 52; he went No. 53, so that’s pretty spot on."

Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: "Every time Tabor took the field this offseason, his 40 results got slower. He followed a 4.62-second 40 at the combine with an unofficial 4.75-second result at his pro day. Tabor was banned by the international scientific community from running during private team workouts for fear that he would create a temporal anomaly that would stop the Earth from rotating on its axis, plunging one half of the globe into eternal darkness while the other half burned to a cinder.

"There was predraft scuttlebutt about Tabor moving to safety, although with sprints that slow he might have to keep moving until he’s a nose tackle. But Tabor plays much, much faster than those sprint numbers. He often handled field-side cornerback responsibilities, with Quincy Wilson covering the receiver on the boundary. Field coverage is usually not an assignment for a slow guy."

Walter Cherepinsky, Walter Football: "Remember when Jalen Tabor was a first-round pick? I certainly remember, but he killed his once-fantastic draft stock with off-the-field issues and a horribly slow 40 time in the pre-draft process. It's not a surprise he dropped this far, and I thought he could fall even further. I think there's some value with Tabor, but I'm not crazy about this pick. It makes sense, though."

Grade: B

Pro Football Weekly: "Tabor's tape is Round 1, but his speed is Round 3. Detroit split the difference, and with a burner on the other boundary like Darius Slay, it makes some sense. Teryl Austin is creative with his coverages and should be able to ensure Tabor's lack of speed isn't too often isolated. He's a tough, confident playmaker, like Slay, and the Lions desperately lacked game-changing plays from their lackluster defense too often last year."

Grade: C

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com: "They need corner help, but he doesn't run well and he didn't do a lot to impress in the off-season with his testing."

Kenny Golladay

Northern Illinois, wide receiver

Grade: B-minus

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com: "A big. physical receiver who gives them a big, young target. The speed is the concern."

Grade: C+

Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated: "It's not hard to see why the Lions looked this way: They don’t have much at receiver behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, and they really could use a physical weapon outside. Golladay could be that, in time. Right now, he’s a big body in need of a lot of refinement."

Grade: C-

Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: "Golladay caught 160 passes in two seasons for the Huskies, adding three career rushing touchdowns to 18 receiving touchdowns. He then tested well at the combine. Golladay glides in the open field, has sure hands and tracks deep balls well. I’ve seen knocks on his blocking, but he can draw a bead on a defender and knock him out of the play.

"Golladay is the kind of mid-major production machine that fools me five times per draft class. He’s not much of a route-runner, lacks quickness in his cuts, and probably doesn’t snatch the ball in traffic as well as he will need to in tight NFL windows. There are also many more dynamic mid-major playmakers in this class.

"Still, the measurables/productivity combo makes him worth a look. Just not necessarily in this round."

Grade: D+

Dieter Kurtenbach, FoxSports.com: "Golladay was going to be a Day 3 steal — a pick in the 200s that had a chance to make some noise. I know the Lions need wide receivers, but this is a huge reach."

Grade: One of the biggest reaches

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: "Wide receiver Kenny Golladay is No. 277 on my board. The Lions took him at No. 96. He can track the ball and has some size (6-4, 218), but I don't see it in the third round."

Day 2 grade: B-

Chad Reuter, nfl.com: "Teez Tabor is a first-round player with a third-round 40-yard dash, so picking him up in the second round made a lot of sense. Kenny Golladay is an interesting receiver, but was probably selected a round early, maybe two. The Lions were desperate for an upgrade at linebacker, and they got a very good one in Davis. His athleticism and toughness are evident. If he can stay healthy and be an instinctive leader in the middle, Detroit is set at the position for a while."

Day 2 grade: C

Dan Kadar, SB Nation: "When Tabor ran poorly at the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day, he dropped from a possible first-round pick to this range. He’s excellent as an off-man cornerback and should start straight away for the Lions. Golladay was something of a surprise third-round pick. He’s a big receiver with some speed, but he needs to catch with his hands better and run crisper routes. Are the Lions going to take a player who can get after the quarterback at some point?

Day 2 grade: Losers

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: "After getting a solid first-rounder in Florida inside linebacker Jarrad Davis, Detroit wasted Friday with two reaches in Florida cornerback Teez Tabor and Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Basically, they went for uber ersatz versions of great picks they made before, Darius Slay and Calvin Johnson. That won't do."

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