Daily DLP: Post-Combine reset for top 5 Lions 1st round options

Combine fallout reshapes Detroit’s No. 17 board

The Detroit Lions Podcast finally hit the post-combine reset after a chaotic week that included a David Montgomery trade and the release of Graham Glasgow. Jeff Risdon and Michael Grey used Indy results to revisit the five most likely options for the Detroit Lions at pick 17 in the NFL Draft. Three names from the pre-combine slate remain. Two dropped out for clear, on-field reasons.

The three still standing at 17

The core of the list holds: Auburn edge Keldrick Falk, Clemson edge TJ Parker, and Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller are still in play at 17. The Lions’ needs on the line of scrimmage keep all three relevant. Detroit values trench versatility and production, and each brings a different answer to that profile.

Why Keldrick Falk fits Detroit’s front

Falk checks the size and power boxes as a crush the can edge who can also reduce inside. He is young and very athletic, even if not a classic twitch rusher. His floor arrives with elite run defense. His ceiling rises with inside-out flexibility. He can play a big end role, then kick to three-tech on passing downs. Detroit has mixed five-man fronts and odd looks, moving bodies to find matchups. Falk fits that menu. Post-combine, his range tightened. He could be gone by 17. Dallas is a possibility. Miami is a possibility. There is even outside buzz about Kansas City at nine. He remains a strong Lions match if he lasts.

TJ Parker’s stock rebounds in Indy

Parker stacked a strong combine on top of earlier production. He moved himself more firmly into the 15-to-20 range. His past billing in some mocks as the first defensive player off the board slipped during the season, but he explained the context well and showed maturity. Traits, motor, and makeup line up with what Detroit wants on and off the field. He is a devoted father, a motivated worker, and a confident finisher. Parker could still be there at 17. It also would not shock if he goes just above Detroit. Either way, he is squarely in the tier the Lions are weighing.

Who fell off the board at 17

Caden Proctor slid out of round-one consideration for Detroit at that slot. His wave drill was rough, and the consensus view now leans guard projection. Many see him in the 25-to-40 range as a supersized interior lineman. His athletic background at Alabama, including tight end and short-yardage running back snaps, does not fully translate to NFL offensive tackle. Monroe Freeling went the other direction. He became a combine darling. He looks likely to be gone well before 17, perhaps even the first offensive lineman taken and a candidate in the top 10. That makes the Freeling-at-17 dream unrealistic for the Lions.

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