The Detroit Lions are coming into the offseason after making it back to the playoffs and heading into the draft, names like Todd Gurley, Breshad Perriman, Tevin Coleman, Melvin Gordon and DeVante Parker could be potential targets to give Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson some more support on the offensive side of the ball.
Last season the Lions ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing yards per game and that is one area they may look at in the upcoming draft. The team let Reggie Bush leave in free agency and while Jim Caldwell likes Theo Riddick and Joique Bell, Michael Rothstein at ESPN.com writes the team has the potential to add more depth. Pro Football Talk reports that Tevin Coleman and Todd Gurley have had visits with the team, while Rothstein writes that Jay Ajayi from Boise State could be a late round target.
The running back class is deep in the draft this year, with names like Todd Gurley, Ameer Abdullah, Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, TJ Yeldon and Duke Johnson coming out. The Lions are likely to add at least one running back in the draft and the team could also look at wide receivers. The Lions have Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, but with the way Johnson was banged up last season, the team could look for more depth at the position.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Lions are bringing in wide receiver Breshad Perriman for a pre-draft visit. The website also reports that the Eagles are meeting with Perriman and he quickly is rising up draft boards after a strong pro day workout. Perriman showed off some explosive speed with a sub-4.3 40-yard dash at the UCF pro day and that came after he did not work out at the combine while dealing with an injury. Perriman has had workouts with the Giants and Texans and has also visited with the Ravens.
Perriman has some NFL bloodlines, as PFT reports his father played for the Lions in the 90s. Perriman could be an interesting option after he ran for a 4.27 40-yard dash, as he could be a perfect third receiver with Tate and Johnson for Matt Stafford. The Lions have the 23rd pick in the draft and Perriman could be there after players like Amari Cooper, Kevin White and DeVante Parker go. Perriman is 6-foot-2, 212 pounds and he comes in after making 50 catches last season for 1044 yards and nine TDs for UCF.
Perriman was productive during his time at Central Florida, as he had over 2200 yards and 115 catches for 16 touchdowns in 39 games played. The 40-time could bump him up in the first round and there is a chance he could be out of reach for the Lions. Rothstein writes that Ajayi could be a strong option for the Lions, as he is versatile and could pick up where Bush left off.
Last season Ajayi had 50 receptions for 535 yards and during his time at Boise State he had over 50 total touchdowns. Coleman also was very productive last season while setting a school record for rushing yards in a season at Indiana.
