2017 NFL Mock Draft: NFL Conference Championship Edition

The Detroit Lions desperately need some help on the defensive side of the ball, and they’ll likely be putting almost all of their focus this offseason into improving that side of the ball. The Lions could draft just about any defensive prospect in the first round and it’ll be a good move, which will allow them to sit tight and look for the top player remaining on their big board.

The Lions would be thrilled if Alabama’s Ryan Anderson was still on the board at No. 21 overall. He might not have been the biggest name on the Crimson Tide defense this year, but he still had a huge impact with 19 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

When watching Anderson on film, the phrase that keeps popping up in my head is “heat-seeking missile”. Anderson has a great combination of footwork and violent hands to get by offensive linemen and into the backfield. He’s an explosive athlete who does a great job of timing the snap and bending the edge.

Anderson has been relatively overlooked by some scouts and media members because of he’s not the strongest guy and comes in at just 6-foot-2 and 253 pounds. However, Anderson is so technically sound and athletic that he’ll be a dominant outside linebacker or edge rusher in the NFL, which is something that the Lions desperately need.