Senior Bowl: 7 players for Lions fans to watch

MOBILE, Ala. -- The Senior Bowl has been good to the Detroit Lions in recent years.

In the past two NFL drafts, the Lions have taken seven players who played in the game, including their best defensive end, best offensive lineman and center of the future.

In 2013, when the Lions' staff coached the Senior Bowl, they drafted three players from the game.

First-round pick Ziggy Ansah has a team-best 15.5 sacks over the last two seasons, third-rounder Larry Warford started 29 of a possible 33 games at right guard, and seventh-rounder Mike Williams spent this season on the practice squad, after making the transition from tight end to offensive tackle.

Last year, the Lions took four more Senior Bowl participants: linebacker Kyle Van Noy (second round), center Travis Swanson (third), cornerback Nevin Lawson (fourth) and defensive tackle Caraun Reid (fifth).

This year's game -- the cream of the college all-star crop -- takes place Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium (4 p.m., NFL Network), but for NFL teams, the bulk of the evaluation happens in practices Tuesday-Thursday.

The Lions, like most teams, will spend time with virtually every prospect in Mobile this week, but in honor of the seven draft picks they've found in the game the last two years, here are seven of the game's top talents to keep an eye on this week.

DT Danny Shelton, Washington: Shelton might be the best defensive tackle in the draft. He's listed at 6-feet-1 and 339 pounds, but scouts think he's more than just a run-plugging nose tackle because of his nonstop motor and high football character. Shelton led the nation with five fumble recoveries this year and finished with nine sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. The Lions have a need at the position, but Shelton might be a top-15 pick.

OT T.J. Clemmings, Pitt: There's no real consensus about who is the draft's best offensive tackle, but when all the evaluations are in, it might turn out to be Clemmings. He played defensive end in 2010 and 2012 -- he redshirted in 2011 -- then started all of the last two years at right tackle. One of the most improved players in college football this year, he's on the same team as Utah defensive end Nate Orchard, the game's best pass rusher, so one-on-one drills should be fun to watch.

OT La'el Collins, LSU: Another probable first-round pick, Collins started the last two years at left tackle, but he played guard early in his career and might be best suited to play right tackle in the NFL. He's listed at 6-feet-5 and 315 pounds and could interest the Lions if he slides to No. 23. The Lions started seven different combinations up front this year, because of injuries and suspensions, and had a revolving door at right tackle.

WR Sammie Coates, Auburn: The Lions took tight end Eric Ebron in the first round last year, but with Calvin Johnson a few months shy of his 30th birthday and a contract raise in his future, they still could use some help at receiver. Coates graduated in December and is playing in this game as a fourth-year junior. He's not a return threat like Stanford's Ty Montgomery, whose game status is up in the air as he returns from a shoulder injury, but he averaged 21.8 yards per catch for the Tigers this season.

RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska: The Lions will be looking to upgrade their running game this off-season, and one player who could of interest is Abdullah. He's on the small side (5-feet-9), but the second-team All-America would be a nice complement to Joique Bell. He topped 1,600 yards rushing each of the last two years, has good hands out of the backfield and should land somewhere on the second day of the draft.

CB D'Joun Smith, Florida Atlantic: He's not a potential first-round pick like the other four players on this list, but Smith should interest some team on Day 2. He's on the smaller side (5-feet-10, 190 pounds), but he had seven interceptions and 20 passes defended as a junior. Smith has some return ability, too, and the Lions are always on the lookout for help for their thin secondary.

CB Quinten Rollins, Miami (Ohio): Rollins played four years of basketball before starring for the RedHawks in football last year. He's raw but has enormous upside and, at 6 feet and 203 pounds, he has ideal NFL size. The Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year, Rollins had seven interceptions and 16 passes defended. His stock could soar if he makes strides in his technique and play this week and throughout his draft prep.

Local prospects to watch: S Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State; RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan State; WR Tony Lippett, Michigan State; DT Carl Davis, Iowa (Detroit).

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.