Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Five areas for the Detroit Lions to focus on in 2015 draft

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- As the Detroit Lions head into the offseason, there are a bunch of needs to address.

Here are five areas the Lions could look at in the draft -- or possibly free agency.

Defensive tackle: Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, C.J. Mosley and Andre Fluellen are all free agents this season. That means out of a possible 2,395 snaps taken between the two tackle spots, according to Pro Football Focus, the Lions could lose the players that took 1,835 of those snaps. The only tackle signed for 2015 who played a down is little-used Caraun Reid. Bringing back Suh and Fairley is unrealistic, but even if Detroit brings back one of those two and either Mosley or Fluellen, the team will still have many holes to fill there. Eddie Goldman (Florida State), Malcom Brown (Texas) and Michael Bennett (Ohio State) are three guys to watch early in the draft here.

Offensive line: In reality, the Lions have two or three of these spots settled. Riley Reiff was a good left tackle this season and Larry Warford will be at right guard. Otherwise, there are a bunch of questions. Travis Swanson probably becomes the center or left guard, leaving one interior line spot and maybe right tackle, where LaAdrian Waddle kept getting hurt last season. Waddle’s frequent injuries make either tackle or interior line a spot to look at fairly early in the draft, especially since Matthew Stafford was sacked 45 times this season.

Cornerback: Darius Slay proved himself as a legitimate cornerback this season and the Lions get Bill Bentley and Nevin Lawson back in 2015 as slot corners. Even if Rashean Mathis comes back, Detroit needs to find a corner to pair with Slay for the future. Trae Waynes from Michigan State would be intriguing if he’s still on the board at No. 23, but the Lions haven’t taken a cornerback in the first round since the 1990s. Other than Waynes and maybe Kevin Johnson, a lot of the potential top corners are going to have to be heavily investigated. If Mathis returns, this is maybe a mid-round developmental pick but a definitive need.

Wide receiver: Calvin Johnson turns 30 in September and the Lions missed out during the receiver-filled 2014 class that featured a ton of possible talent. Plus, the Lions could use a No. 3 receiver to eventually groom to replace Johnson down the road. Also, having a taller target could allow the Lions to move Golden Tate inside, where he could be more impactful. Devin Funchess and Austin Hill could be targets to look at that might be around where Detroit drafts.

Running back: Reggie Bush turns 30 in March. Joique Bell turns 29 in August. While featured running backs are being deemphasized around the NFL, the Lions are going to need a back to eventually replace one or both of those players. Taking one in the first round or signing a free agent with a lot of carries on him might be a bit of a reach, but there could be good value in the second-to-fourth rounds in Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah, T.J. Yeldon, Mike Davis and Duke Johnson.

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