2011 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 2, Pick 44

by Brian Galliford on Apr 15, 2011 12:00 PM EDT in SB Nation Writers Mock Draft

Our annual 2011 NFL Mock Draft, with picks made by each of SB Nation's NFL team bloggers, is in full swing. The latest pick in to the podium: the Detroit Lions, at No. 44 overall.

With the 44th overall pick in the 2011 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, the Detroit Lions select Brandon Harris, cornerback, Miami (FL).

Sean Yuille of PrideOfDetroit.com explains the choice, and our own Dan Kadar reacts to it, after the jump. Make sure you're grading this pick for the Lions, and checking out Pride of Detroit for all of your Lions needs.

Sean Yuille explains: After going defense in the first round with DE Da’Quan Bowers, I opted to continue to upgrade that side of the ball for the Detroit Lions in the second round with CB Brandon Harris. Cornerback is perhaps the position of biggest need for the Lions. Depth isn’t great, and with the CBA in limbo it’s unclear if free agent Chris Houston, the Lions’ top CB last season, will be restricted or unrestricted. That means it’s unclear if the Lions will be able to re-sign him, so I felt it was important to add talent to this position both as an insurance plan for Houston and to make the position better in general.

Why Harris? He seems like a player that could come in and crack the starting lineup early on in the season. While the draft is all about building for the long-term future, Harris could provide help in the short-term as well. If Houston is back with the Lions next season then they wouldn’t have to rely on Harris as their top guy by any means, but he could still become a starter over someone like Alphonso Smith. Between Smith, Harris and potentially Houston as well, the Lions would have a solid group of young, talented corners. It has been a while since the cornerback position hasn’t been viewed as a liability for the Lions, but these three guys could go a long way toward changing that negative perception.

Dan Kadar reacts: This is a stellar pick for the exact reasons Sean mentions. Over the next couple of seasons, the Lions have a good chance to become a top team. To do that, they need to target players who can contribute early. Harris can do that. He's not a physical corner, and may be best covering the slot. But he's very good in that role. [Brandon Harris Scouting Report]

With that, the San Francisco 49ers - and our friends at Niners Nation - are now on the clock.

Mocking the Draft's Top 5 Remaining Prospects

OVR	Name	Pos.	College	Report
15	Mikel Leshoure	RB	Illinois	scouting report
20	Jon Baldwin	WR	Pittsburgh	scouting report
27	Kyle Rudolph	TE	Notre Dame	scouting report
29	Jurrell Casey	DT	USC	scouting report
35	Johnny Patrick	CB	Louisville	scouting report

2011 SB Nation NFL Writers' Mock Draft - RESULTS

Rd.	No.	Team	Player	Pos.	College	Link
1	1	Carolina Panthers	Blaine Gabbert	QB	Missouri	story
	2	Denver Broncos	Von Miller	OLB	Texas A&M	story
	3	Buffalo Bills	Patrick Peterson	CB	LSU	story
	4	Cincinnati Bengals	A.J. Green	WR	Georgia	story
	5	Arizona Cardinals	Cam Newton	QB	Auburn	story
	6	Cleveland Browns	Marcell Dareus	DT	Alabama	story
	7	San Francisco 49ers	Prince Amukamara	CB	Nebraska	story
	8	Tennessee Titans	Nick Fairley	DT	Auburn	story
	9	Dallas Cowboys	Tyron Smith	OT	USC	story
	10	Washington Redskins	Robert Quinn	DE	North Carolina	story
	11	Houston Texans	Julio Jones	WR	Alabama	story
	12	Minnesota Vikings	J.J. Watt	DE	Wisconsin	story
	13	Detroit Lions	Da'Quan Bowers	DE	Clemson	story
	14	St. Louis Rams	Corey Liuget	DT	Illinois	story
	15	Miami Dolphins	Mark Ingram	RB	Alabama	story
	16	Jacksonville Jaguars	Christian Ponder	QB	Florida State	story
	17	New England Patriots	Gabe Carimi	OT	Wisconsin	story
	18	San Diego Chargers	Cameron Jordan	DE	California	story
	19	New York Giants	Mike Pouncey	G/C	Florida	story
	20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Ryan Kerrigan	DE	Purdue	story
	21	Kansas City Chiefs	Phil Taylor	DT	Baylor	story
	22	Indianapolis Colts	Anthony Castonzo	OT	Boston College	story
	23	Philadelphia Eagles	Jimmy Smith	CB	Colorado	story
	24	New Orleans Saints	Muhammad Wilkerson	DT	Temple	story
	25	Seattle Seahawks	Ryan Mallett	QB	Arkansas	story
	26	Baltimore Ravens	Aldon Smith	DE	Missouri	story
	27	Atlanta Falcons	Justin Houston	DE	Georgia	story
	28	New England Patriots	Cameron Heyward	DE	Ohio State	story
	29	Chicago Bears	Stephen Paea	DT	Oregon State	story
	30	New York Jets	Akeem Ayers	OLB	UCLA	story
	31	Pittsburgh Steelers	Nate Solder	OT	Colorado	story
	32	Green Bay Packers	Derek Sherrod	OT	Mississippi State	story
2	33	New England Patriots	Brooks Reed	DE	Arizona	story
	34	Buffalo Bills	Jake Locker	QB	Washington	story
	35	Cincinnati Bengals	Andy Dalton	QB	TCU	story
	36	Denver Broncos	Marvin Austin	DT	North Carolina	story
	37	Cleveland Browns	Adrian Clayborn	DE	Iowa	story
	38	Arizona Cardinals	Martez Wilson	ILB	Illinois	story
	39	Tennessee Titans	Bruce Carter	OLB	North Carolina	story
	40	Dallas Cowboys	Aaron Williams	CB	Texas	story
	41	Washington Redskins	Danny Watkins	OG	Baylor	story
	42	Houston Texans	Rahim Moore	S	UCLA	story
	43	Minnesota Vikings	Ricky Stanzi	QB	Iowa	story
	44	Detroit Lions	Brandon Harris	CB	Miami (FL)
	45	San Francisco 49ers
	46	Denver Broncos
	47	St. Louis Rams
	48	Oakland Raiders
	49	Jacksonville Jaguars
	50	San Diego Chargers
	51	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
	52	New York Giants
	53	Indianapolis Colts
	54	Philadelphia Eagles
	55	Kansas City Chiefs
	56	New Orleans Saints
	57	Seattle Seahawks
	58	Baltimore Ravens
	59	Atlanta Falcons
	60	New England Patriots
	61	San Diego Chargers
	62	Chicago Bears
	63	Pittsburgh Steelers
	64	Green Bay Packers

Poll

What's your grade for the Detroit Lions' selection of CB Brandon Harris?

A

114 votes

B

21 votes

C

17 votes

D

2 votes

F

5 votes

159 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I think Harris is a steal anywhere outside of the first

Back on the Sweed train. Choo Choo!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller

by John Stephens on Apr 15, 2011 12:05 PM EDT reply actions

I'm not disagreeing with the pick, but what's with this reasoning?

Over the next couple of seasons, the Lions have a good chance to become a top team. To do that, they need to target players who can contribute early.

What? No. They’re not an old team looking down the barrel of a closing Super Bowl window. They’re a young, building team. They need young, high-upside players. What would they need players that can contribute early for? They’re not grabbing the North this year.

by Thomas Beekers on Apr 15, 2011 12:07 PM EDT reply actions

I disagree, clearly. If Stafford can stay healthy, I think they can challenge for the playoffs soon. Minnesota is going down and Chicago is a crapshoot.

Mocking the Draft: Talking NFL Draft all year.

by Dan Kadar on Apr 15, 2011 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Football teams don't really work like that

It’s not like baseball where players regularly contribute for 10+ years. There are players who do do that in football too, obviously, but they’re far more rare. You’re right that the Lions need more than a 1 year window, but a 3-5 year window is probably as long-term as it can get

TheSouthWing.com - A Magazine of essays, prose and poems

by OldProspects on Apr 15, 2011 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions

A

Lions have had an awesome draft

by Yankees10 on Apr 15, 2011 12:27 PM EDT reply actions

I think Harris is a modest upgrade over what we have now. ie Alphonso Smith and Chris Houston.

They are similar sized CBs and look to be more suited as nickel corners. The Lions need a big, physical corner. But, as some have mentioned, Harris has some upside that he might develop into something more than a nickel guy.

Still a good pick that I would support making in the real draft.

"I read one article, I said, 'This guy doesn't know what he's talking about,' " Mayhew said. "Then I read another one, and I thought, 'Wait a minute, they're all saying the same thing.' -Martin Mayhew 2011 regarding Draft Gurus.

by NorthLeft12 on Apr 15, 2011 12:58 PM EDT reply actions

In today's NFL

You can never have enough CB’s! Gotta have at least 3 good ones if you wanna stop the Packers and maybe more than that! Look at the Packers, we have 3 good CB and are still looking for another one. Harris is a good pick… And great value at this point. A bigger CB would have been Davon House and still good value IMO. When you shore up your back 7 on D and OL you might have a chance to win the division over the Packers! I’m thinking 2 years to challenge the Pack, but should be able to contend for a wild card next season.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Apr 15, 2011 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't like Davon House at all.

I would wait until later in the draft and get Curtis Marsh from Utah State. I think he has a lot more upside than most of the CBs that are currently ranked ahead of him. And he has a great size and speed combo.

by NorthLeft12 on Apr 15, 2011 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

DaQuan Bower and Brandon Harris?

I got two words: HELL YA!!

House of Spears | My Lions/NFL Blog | De-facto Editor of Blue & Silver Pride

by Latif Masud on Apr 15, 2011 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

If the lions get bowers and harris in the real thing

the NFC North will probably be the best division in football next year

Final Dream Draft

1) Akeem Ayers, OLB
2) Marvin Austin, DT
3) Jake Kirkpatrick, OC
4) Chimdi Chekwa, CB
6) Henry Hynoski, FB
6) Jarriel King, OT
6) Josh Bynes, ILB
7) Ricardo Lockette, KR/PR

by BigBlueIntervention on Apr 15, 2011 2:11 PM EDT reply actions