ALLEN PARK -- Kids say the darndest things. They also say some stupid things. And digging up old, dumb things that kids tweeted has become something of an annual tradition in the NFL draft.

This year, it was Josh Allen. The quarterback, a candidate to go No. 1 overall, had old tweets surface that showed him using racially insensitive language when he was in high school. He apologized, and wound up going seventh overall to Buffalo.

The Lions haven't been snagged in this kind of drama yet, although second-round pick Kerryon Johnson did use some colorful language to describe Dez Bryant back when he was still a high school student at Madison Academy in Ala. in 2013.

Pretty harmless stuff. If anything, this is going to further endear him to Lions fans.

For the record, Johnson might not have been a big Dez fan growing up, but he sure loved Barry Sanders.

"I mean, when you watch Barry Sanders, what's not to like?" Johnson said a few minutes after the Lions called him with the pick. "I mean, he's a fantastic running back, a fantastic guy. He's extremely exciting to watch, extremely hard to tackle. I mean, it was a pleasure. I wish I was alive during that time to really get to watch him in person. He's a fantastic, fantastic running back. And just going to the same organization as him is awesome. It's like a dream come true."

The Lions gave up a fourth-round pick to trade up eight spots in Round 2 for Johnson. He's expected to join LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick atop the club's retooled backfield, with Ameer Abdullah, Zach Zenner, Tion Green, Dwayne Washington and rookie Nick Bawden (fullback) fighting for the last roster spot or two there.