From time to time this offseason Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his Twitter account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: My strategy is simple.
At No. 3, I plan to take the best player available on my board when on the clock, whether that's Chase Young, Jeff Okudah or whoever I've got at the top of the board after all my pre-draft grading. Personally, if Young is there, he's my pick.
My phone lines are also open for business and I'm listening to trade offers. The Lions currently have four picks in the top 85. I'd be willing to add an additional pick or two to that cluster if I get an offer to trade back that still allows me to get an impact player at the top of the draft.
I'd listen to Miami at No. 5 and the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 6. I can move back with those two clubs, add a pick or two, and still have a terrific opportunity to get an elite impact defender like Okudah, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown or Clemson hybrid linebacker Isaiah Simmons. If I don't like the offer, I take my guy at No. 3.
That's how I'd approach it.
20man: Good question because I believe the Lions will be on the lookout to add someone to that group, potentially as early at Day 2.
Some names possibly in that mix are: Cesar Ruiz (Michigan), John Simpson (Clemson), Robert Hunt (LSU), Ben Bredeson (Michigan), Netane Muti (Fresno State) and Logan Stenberg (Kentucky).
20man: Jamie Collins Sr. is someone the Lions targeted early in free agency because of his versatility and ability to play all three linebacker spots, including the stand up rush linebacker role Kennard played for the Lions the last couple seasons.
Collins set a career-high with seven sacks last season to go along with 81 tackles, 21 quarterback hurries, 10 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three interceptions. That's a lot of production. I think his body type (6-3, 255) and skillset fits into that role.
We also shouldn't forget about Austin Bryant, Detroit's fourth-round pick last year, who missed most of his rookie season due to injury. He's healthy heading into year two, and I could see him getting some look in that role as well.
20man: Alright, let's rapid fire this:
1. Pass rush, interior offensive line, cornerback, defensive tackle, receiver, running back.
2. Yes. There's something about Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor that makes me like him more and more every time I watch him.
3. Sure, but not by the Lions.
4. Stafford's contract in Detroit runs through 2022. He's 32 and still playing at an elite level based off the first half of last season. Talking and interacting with Stafford over the last 11 years, he strikes me as the kind of player who will play until someone tells him he can't play anymore.
20man: The great thing about Young, which makes him such a terrific prospect, is that he's versatile enough to rush the passer from the defensive end spot with his hand in the dirt or standing up in the two-point as an outside-linebacker type. A player like that would give Detroit options.
The Lions could use more four-man fronts, featuring Flowers and Young as bookends, like you mention, but Young could also stand up and play the role previously held by Kennard. Flowers also has the ability to push inside on rush downs, which means he and Young could play next to each other.
Collins is versatile enough to play any linebacker spot, and the Patriots even used him as a down rusher at times, so a trio of Flowers, Young and Collins would really give the Lions a lot of options from a pass-rush standpoint.
20man: It really depends on what happens in the first round. If they take a cornerback, defensive tackle or linebacker in the first round, I think Bob Quinn and Co. would be on the lookout for pass-rushing help in the second round. A few names who could be in the mix there would be K'Lavon Chaisson, A.J. Epenesa, Yetur Gross-Matos, Zack Baun and Marlon Davidson among others.
The Lions also need to bolster the interior of their offensive line, and I could see real value there by getting a plug and play guard in round two or three.
If Detroit gets a pass rusher in round one, I think it opens them up for a lot of options in Day 2 and an opportunity to just trust their board with three picks on Day 2. I could still see them looking to still bolster the interior offensive line on Day 2, and maybe also look to add a cornerback, wide receiver or running back.
20man: I don't even consider a trade with Miami unless it includes one of their remaining two first-round picks at No. 18 or No. 26, and I'd probably ask for something additional as a cherry on top. How bad do they really want the quarterback?
If I just get the first-round pick, however, that would give Detroit picks No. 5, 18 or 26, 35, 67 and 85 in the first two days of the draft. Five picks in the top 85 is the kind of draft capital that can help a team facilitate a quick turnaround, as long as they hit on at least four of those picks.
20man: I like Florida's C.J. Henderson as the second best cornerback in the draft behind Okudah. I think he'll ultimately be the second corner off the board in the middle of the first-round range.
Fulton, A.J. Terrell (Clemson) and Trevon Diggs (Alabama) are players who could be late first-round picks or players teams look to grab early in Day 2. A couple other Day 2 corners could be Damon Arnette (Ohio State), Jeff Gladney (TCU) and Noah Igbinoghene (Auburn).
20man: That's tough because moving back to 13 probably takes one of those elite defensive playmakers out of reach.
When I look at this draft, I think Young, Okudah, Brown and Simmons are elite defensive prospects that have the ability to be immediate impact players. Detroit's defense ranked 31st last season.
You can get two good players at 13 and 31, but I wouldn't trade that far down to potentially miss out on a player who is the best at his position, and who could make more of an immediate impact.
20man: As I've mentioned above, the Lions currently have four picks in the top 85. I think it's fair to expect that all four of those picks need to be starters or significant contributors.
I've always thought of the draft this way:
The top three picks (in this case four picks because Detroit has an extra third-round pick) need to be starters or key contributors.
Players selected in rounds four and five should add depth to the roster and compete for playing time.
Guys taken in the sixth or seventh round either have physical traits teams like or should be scheme fits teams are willing to take a chance on. There's obviously limitations to their game and they should have to fight for a roster spot. Clubs are always hoping to find a special talent in these late rounds, like the Patriots found with quarterback Tom Brady all those years ago in the sixth round.
