Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com

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Narrowing the field

Outside of the top five prospects or so, this draft features a tremendous amount of parity. The Lions are sitting at 16 — right in the middle of that parity — and have multiple positions of need to fill.

Which is to say, the first round could go any number of ways for the Lions when it kicks off Thursday night at 8 p.m. (ESPN/NFL Network).

But the options aren’t exactly endless, either. There are a handful of prospects who make the most sense, given their ability and Detroit’s need. Here’s a look at the 10 players most likely to wind up in Honolulu blue, plus a bonus 11th option at the end.

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Photo by Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

Jack Conklin

Position: Offensive tackle

School: Michigan State

Measureables: 6-foot-6, 308 pounds

Why he makes sense: Matthew Stafford has been sacked more than all but three quarterbacks the past two years. The running game finished 28th in 2014, then somehow managed to get worse in 2015. All of that is to say, the Lions need upgrades up front. They've said they want upgrades up front. Yet, as of April 28, they have zero upgrades up front. They simply can't afford to walk away from this draft without a starting-caliber offensive lineman, and Conklin, an All-American who has started three seasons in Michigan State's pro-style offense, probably is Detroit's best option at 16 — if he's still there.

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Bill Landis | Cleveland.com

Taylor Decker

Position: Offensive tackle

School: Ohio State

Measureables: 6-foot-7, 310 pounds

Why he makes sense: For all the same reasons that Conklin makes sense. Detroit needs offensive linemen, preferably tackles, and Decker is one of the best who is expected to be available after the Big Two of Laremy Tunsil and Ronnie Stanley. Conklin is the better-regarded prospect, in part because he has some left tackle potential, whereas Decker is more of a true right tackle. But that still works for the Lions, who could use improvements just about anywhere up front.

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Kevin Dodd

Position: Defensive end

School: Clemson

Measureables: 6-foot-5, 277 pounds

Why he makes sense: If the Lions have a greater need anywhere besides the offensive line, it is at defensive end, where Jason Jones and Darryl Tapp have not been re-signed nor replaced. Ezekiel Ansah is the only sure thing at the position, and his projected runningmate (Devin Taylor) has two career starts. Dodd isn't as highly regarded as Shaq Lawson, his teammate at Clemson, but he could make sense for Detroit as well as a true 4-3 end who projects to play on the left side. The only question is whether he's a one-year wonder, after going from the bench to 23.5 tackles for loss last season.

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Ryan Kelly

Position: Center

School: Alabama

Measureables: 6-foot-4, 311 pounds

Why he makes sense: He's the best player at a position that sucked for Detroit last season. And it's not even close. This pick probably doesn't happen for a multitude of reasons, including that Kelly is ticketed more for the second half of the first round, not to mention the Patriots never really prized interior offensive linemen during Bob Quinn's run there. (And Detroit just took one in the first round last year itself.) Having said that, there's no question the Lions need upgrades to the offensive line, and if their tackle options are off the board, Kelly could become a Plan B. As noted draft analyst Matt Miller put it this week: "Kelly has the highest grade for a center I've ever assigned."

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Shaq Lawson

Position: Defensive end

School: Clemson

Measureables: 6-foot-3, 269 pounds

Why he makes sense: Outside of Joey Bosa and DeForest Buckner, who are top-10 prospects, no defensive end is more highly regarded than Lawson. He blew up college football last season, to the tune of 12.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss, the latter of which led the nation. He was the only player to rank among the top five in both categories. Simply put, he is an explosive and disruptive playmaker, and if the Lions are really looking to pair Ezekiel Ansah with somebody from this draft class, there isn't a scarier option outside of the big two than Lawson.

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Sheldon Rankins

Position: Defensive tackle

School: Louisville

Measureables: 6-foot-1, 299 pounds

Why he makes sense: The Lions missed on Aaron Donald in 2013, and in so many ways, are still reeling from it. (Imagine for a moment how different this team would look with Donald anchoring its defense, rather than Eric Ebron trying to become a role player on offense.) They can't go back in time, but they could have a shot to draft a guy some are calling Aaron Donald Light. Rankins is great against the run, but disrupts the passing game too. He'd instantly transform defensive tackle into a strength for Detroit, and provide some long-term stability at a position that features Tyrunn Walker on a one-year deal, and 32-year-old Haloti Ngata on what could amount to a one-year deal.

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Jarran Reed

Position: Defensive tackle

School: Alabama

Measureables: 6-foot-3, 307 pounds

Why he makes sense: This dude eats up space like few players who have come out in recent years. He takes on perpetual double-teams, and still managed 56 tackles last season without missing even one. And the former linebacker has a unique ability to punish offensive lineman. He had just one sack last season and wasn't used on passing downs, which could suppress his stock, but he insists that's a product of scheme and not player. Bottom line: This is a great defensive tackle class, and if the Lions want a defensive tackle, not many are a better fit than this guy.

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Leonard Floyd

Position: Linebacker

School: Georgia

Measureables: 6-foot-6, 244 pounds

Why he makes sense: Let's start off why he wouldn't make sense, shall we? Floyd is a top-10 kind of guy, so probably won't be there for the Lions, and he's best suited for a 3-4 even if he is. Having said that … the man is a top-10 player, and if he were to fall, the Lions would be getting a tremendous talent. He'd erase the Kyle Van Noy mistake from a couple years ago, and slot in immediately as a strong-side linebacker with pass-rushing potential. Along with DeAndre Levy manning the other side, plus Tahir Whitehead back in the middle, Detroit would have an athletic and powerful linebacking corps.

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A'Shawn Robinson

Position: Defensive tackle

School: Alabama

Measureables: 6-foot-4, 307 pounds

Why he makes sense: The third Alabama star to make this list of 10, and a fourth (linebacker Reggie Ragland) could have been included as well. How did Alabama ever lose a game? While Reed has surpassed Robinson according to most analysts, Robinson still seems like a better schematic fit for Detroit. He's great against the run, like Reed, but offers more potential as a pass-rusher because of his athleticism. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin values versatility over just about anything else, and Robinson has that.

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Laquon Treadwell

Position: Receiver

School: Ole Miss

Measureables: 6-foot-2, 221 pounds

Why he makes sense: Treadwell is the lone skill-position player to make this list, and with good reason. The Lions desperately need help in the trenches, and this draft offers good options on both sides of the ball. But if they were to look somewhere else, Treadwell would be the guy. He's the No. 1 receiver in this class, and paired with Marvin Jones and Golden Tate, would truly help the Lions move on from Calvin Johnson. His speed is a concern, after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds at his pro day, but could end up with a very Anquan Boldin-like career if he lands in the right situation.

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BONUS: Trade for Laremy Tunsil

Position: Offensive tackle

School: Ole Miss

Measureables: 6-foot-5, 310 pounds

Why he makes sense: The Lions need help for their offensive line. So why not go after the best offensive lineman in this draft? He once was being projected for the No. 1 spot, and has slipped only because of the two trades for quarterbacks at the top of the draft. If he were to fall to sixth, or even seventh, the Lions might be in a position to make a move for him. They have 10 picks this year, which is third most in the league. It's a long shot — but hey, that's why it's in bonus time. Don't expect this to shake down, but it's not impossible either, and we'll all be lining up to pat Bob Quinn on the back if he were able to make this happen in his first go-around as a GM.

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