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It's a big boost to the overall perception of a draft class if a team hits on its first-round pick.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

It's often said it's best to evaluate an NFL draft class after three seasons. Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew repeated that creed two weeks ago when asked to assess his 2014 rookie class.

So if it's premature to evaluate the team's most recent rookie class, it seems like a good time to see how Mayhew did three years ago at the 2012 NFL draft.

R1, P23 -- Riley Reiff

It wasn't an immediate need, but drafting an offensive tackle to groom during what ended up being Jeff Backus' final season proved to be the right decision. Reiff has steadily improved each year as a professional. In 2014, he gave up just three sacks and didn't draw a single penalty flag.

Kevin Zeitler, drafted four spots later, has graded out as the better player these first three seasons, but there's little else to complain about with Reiff, a durable and ascending lineman.

Grade: A-

R2, P54 -- Ryan Broyles

The Lions rolled the dice on Broyles, the NCAA's all-time leading receiver at the time of his selection. Detroit was seeking a long-term complement to Calvin Johnson, but Broyles was coming off an ACL injury. Outside perception is the team reached for the Oklahoma standout at this slot, but that's not something we can prove.

Broyles healed from his ACL and flashed his potential as a rookie, catching 22 passes for 310 yards in 10 games before tearing his other ACL. The team had been cautious with his rehab, but it's still possible compensation contributed to the second injury. After another vigorous rehab, he appeared in just six games in 2013 before blowing out his Achilles.

The injury woes forced the Lions to sign Golden Tate this past offseason, a move that relegated a now-healthy Broyles to the bench during his third year.

The Lions put off drafting a defensive player until the third round, but could have snagged cornerback Casey Hayward or linebacker Lavonte David, two schematic fits, at this spot.

Grade: D

R3, P85 -- Bill Bentley

The Lions are perpetually searching for talented cornerbacks and Bentley was a quick, durable playmaker out of Louisiana Lafayette. He had impressed scouts with the way he performed in matchups against high-quality competition.

But the injury bug that didn't show up in college hit hard in the NFL. Concussions, shoulder and ACL injuries have limited him to just 18 games in three seasons. In 2013, his most complete year, he had a strong second half. But he couldn't build on that success, tearing his ACL in the season-opener this year.

At 5-foot-10, 182 pounds at the combine, Bentley's frame suggested his body could struggle to hold up against bigger, stronger competition.

He'll have one more shot to lock down Detroit's nickel corner job in training camp next year, but hope is dwindling.

Grade: D

R4, P125 -- Ronnell Lewis

Drafted primarily to be a special teams ace, Lewis struggled to be active on game day most weeks as a rookie, appearing in just eight contests and netting just two tackles.

Following an offseason arrest for a bar fight, plus the addition of three defensive ends who had body types that better fit the defensive scheme, Lewis was let go before his second season.

Grade: F

R5, P138 -- Tahir Whitehead

Whitehead proved to be what Lewis wasn't, a special teams standout who developed into a contributor on defense with a couple years of seasoning.

An afterthought coming into the 2014 campaign following the drafting of Kyle Van Noy, Whitehead impressed during training camp and earned the second outside linebacking job. And when Stephen Tulloch went down in Week 3, Whitehead seamlessly moved into the middle, racking up 86 tackles and resulting in little to no drop-off in the defense's overall production.

Grade: B+

R5, P148 -- Chris Greenwood

A developmental prospect with tantalizing measurables, the 6-foot-1 cornerback spent the better part of two seasons on Detroit's practice squad. He worked his way on to the 53-man roster at the end of the 2013 season and showed some potential in press-man coverage, but was never able to turn the corner.

After an uninspiring training camp this past August, Greenwood was let go for good. His size and speed have continued to earn him practice squad opportunities around the league. He's currently under contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

Grade: D+

R6, P196 -- Jonte Green

Green was pressed into action as a rookie, and after a rocky start showed some promise by the end of his first season. In 15 games (five starts), he tallied 29 stops, four pass breakups and an interception.

A healthier secondary in 2013 relegated Green to the bench, and after an injury-plagued offseason in 2014, he was waived by the organization, getting beaten out in training camp by veteran Cassius Vaughn and rookie Nevin Lawson.

Green recently signed a futures deal with the Buffalo Bills.

Grade: C-

R7, P223 Travis Lewis

Lewis has been a productive special teams contributor for the Lions when healthy, but he missed the majority of the 2014 season with a quad injury. His time in Detroit has also been marred by a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance enhancing drug policy; an infraction he said was because of Adderall.

Grade: C+

UDFAs

The Lions didn't find any undrafted contributors in this class. Two players, quarterback Kellen Moore and offensive lineman Rodney Austin, have spent time on the active roster. Moore has never been active on game day and Austin appeared in just one contest on special teams.

Final Grade: C+

The final grade is a simple, weighted average of the pick-by-pick grades using the

. The success of the Reiff selection offsets the disappointments of Broyles and Bentley, giving the overall class a slightly above average mark.

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