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Matthew Stafford is fired up about the addition of first-round pick Laken Tomlinson.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions traded back five spots in the first round of the NFL draft, leaving everyone -- including their starting quarterback -- waiting around a little longer to see whom they would select.

But once Matthew Stafford saw Detroit got an offensive lineman in the deal, Manny Ramirez, he was excited. And once he saw Detroit got another offensive lineman at 28th overall, Duke's Laken Tomlinson, he was especially so.

"Since the week before the draft, to the week after, it was like night and day," said Stafford, who was sacked a career-worst 45 times last year. "We just have so many more bodies, and so many more guys who are capable of playing well."

That was an issue last year.

The Lions began the season with an alignment, from left to right, of Riley Reiff, Rob Sims, Dominic Raiola, Larry Warford and LaAdrian Waddle. But that grouping would fall well short of expectations.

Injuries were a major issue. Sims was the only offensive lineman to start every game. The initial five were together only six times.

The only time they started consecutive games together was during a three-game stretch in Weeks 5-7. And the instability was apparent, with Stafford getting sacked a career-worst 45 times and the running game falling to 28th in the league.

The problem was Detroit didn't have a lot of depth to begin with, which meant the primary replacements for all those injuries were guys like Travis Swanson and Cornelius Lucas, both rookies. Lucas was undrafted.

So adding a guy such as Ramirez, who can back up all three interior positions -- perhaps even push Swanson for the starting job at center -- was a key addition.

"Getting Manny in that trade was big -- getting depth," Stafford said.

Of course, drafting Tomlinson was the biggest move of them all. At 6-foot-3 and 323 pounds, he is big and powerful and widely considered the best pure guard in the draft.

He should take over immediately for Sims at left guard.

"We were obviously a little thin at the position," Stafford said, "and to add a guy who's got great character, played great the last two years at Duke, I was fired up."

Stafford said he texted Tomlinson the night of the pick, congratulating him on the addition. But for as big of a night as it was for Tomlinson, it was big for Stafford as well.

He struggled to produce in the first year of Joe Lombardi's scheme, and though the problems were numerable -- many of which fall on him -- the constant leaks in protection were among the most significant.

With four early draft picks now in the projected starting offensive line, all of whom were selected in the past four years, Stafford has real reason to believe better days are ahead.

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