NFL draft: MSU's Langford wants to stay home with Lions

This year's NFL draft class of running backs is so deep that apparently no one wants to draft any. At least not in the first round, according to analysts.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has one running back, Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon, being drafted in the first round: 24th by the Arizona Cardinals. And Kiper might be the optimist among analysts, since no running back has been drafted in the first round since 2012.

That could end up being very good news for the Lions, who need a speedy feature back after they cut Reggie Bush. Already down fourth- and fifth-round draft picks because of the Haloti Ngata trade, the Lions will have to be especially judicious with their early picks. But they might be able to wait a bit on a running back or steal one late.

And there's one running back who has made no secret of his desire for the Lions to come and get him — and bring him home.

"It would be nice," said Michigan State's Jeremy Langford, who is from Wayne and attended Westland Glenn. "Hometown, my family could go see me whenever. So that would be good because they've been watching me since I was playing as a little kid.

"So being able to watch me in the NFL is my dream come true, and staying close to my little brother as well. So that would mean a lot."

Two obstacles to drafting Langford are that he doesn't have much experience as a pass catcher, with 39 career receptions at MSU, and the Lions use their running backs often in the pass game.

The other issue is that Langford's stock is rising quickly. He looked sure-handed at MSU's pro day last week, and his 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine was tops among running backs.

Recently, Kiper wrote Langford has "big-time speed at his size" and lauded him as one of his fastest-rising running back prospects.

"Langford was a standout at the combine, and you can see the potential," Kiper wrote.

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.