Malcom Brown

Mel Kiper says the Lions are probably best off selecting a defensive tackle, such as Texas' Malcom Brown, rather than a tailback in the first round.

(AP Photo)

The Detroit Lions have a need at tailback after they fell to 28th in rushing last year, then cut one-time starter Reggie Bush.

There could be a couple premium options for the Lions with the 23rd overall pick in the NFL draft, but ESPN's Mel Kiper says they are best off resisting the urge to select Georgia's Todd Gurley or Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon.

There are plenty of good tailbacks available later in the draft, Kiper reasons, while there's only one Malcom Brown.

Kiper has had the Lions taking the Texas defensive tackle in each of his last two mock drafts, and isn't deviating from that thinking despite Bush's exit.

"You can find running backs (late). Malcom Brown, though, I think is a stud," Kiper said Thursday on a conference call with reporters. "He had a big year with the 6.5 sacks, up from 2.0 the previous the season. He's been very active in terms of getting tackles. He got better in terms of getting hits on the quarterback this year. I had I thought a really good workout.

"Malcom Brown is a solid first-round pick, and he certainly makes sense in a division where you got to beat Aaron Rodgers. You got to beat the Green Bay Packers offense, and you got to get after Rodgers, and having a guy like Brown certainly would help them along the interior. That's where you want your pressure to come from."

The Lions have a need at defensive tackle, with only Caraun Reid under contract at the position for 2015. And he was the team's fifth-best tackle last year.

In that sense, Brown makes a whole lot of sense. But the Lions will also have to consider their dilemma in the offensive backfield.

They return starting tailback Joique Bell, who is a north-south threat that can also catch the ball. And they return Theo Riddick, who is the team's best pass-catcher out of the backfield.

But Riddick has not proved himself on the ground, which leaves Detroit in search of a complement for Bell.

Gurley and Gordon are the highest-regarded options at the position, but NFL Network anaylst Mike Mayock says it will require a first-round pick to get either of them. Kiper believes the Lions would be best off waiting until the later rounds because this tailback class is so deep.

He named USC's Javorius 'Buck' Allen, Alabama's T.J. Yeldon, Azusa Pacific's Terrell Watson, Auburn's Cameron Artis-Payne and South Carolina's Mike Davis as sensible late-round options. Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah is another tailback who is getting a lot of love, and could be a nice fit for his versatility.

He's widely regarded as a second-round prospect, though Kiper believes he could still be on the board in the third round. Miami's Duke Johnson is another option outside of the first round.

"Now, it wouldn't shock me if they took Melvin Gordon III, or Todd Gurley. They could go that route," Kiper said. "But I think the need for Detroit -- the big need for the Detroit Lions going in -- is certainly going to be corner and maybe defensive tackle, with running back there. But I don't believe in taking running backs in the first round.

"Even though they are highly regarded, I don't think you need to take a running back in Round 1."

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