Going into the 2012 NFL Draft the Detroit Lions have a lot of needs to fill; on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Most of the Lions draft talk has been centered around the Lions defensive needs (and with good reason). Their offensive line is not the best but they did help the Lions have a great year with their passing game.
The offensive line is also getting older. The Lions should consider using their 23rd overall pick to draft Peter Konz, a center out of Wisconsin, who can protect Matthew Stafford by pushing around the defensive linesmen.
Players like Jeff Backus and Dominic Railoa have done what has been asked of them but often seem outmatched by their defensive counterparts. Konz would be the most ideal candidate to draft with their 23rd pick. He has the performance and the power to able to start in the NFL right away. The Lions want to keep their high powered offense in gear and not lose a step. Drafting Konz would give the Lions a franchise center for years to come. More importantly, he’d be hiking the ball and helping protect franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Bolstering the center position will give Stafford that much more confidence. He can rely on the ball getting hiked the way he wants and have the time to make smart decisions as to where to throw the ball. Konz would not only help the passing game but also give the Lions a blocker for Jahvid Best and their other running backs, and give the running game a much needed boost. In 2011, with Best out most of the year, the Lions were mainly a passing offense.
Jim Schwartz and the rest of the Lions coaching staff would like to have their strong passing game go along with a running game to compliment it; a prolific offense. We saw the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and the New England Patriots fall short in 2011. Their offensive schemes were based around their passing offense, and they were eliminated from the playoffs, just like the Lions.
The Detroit Lions do not want this to happen again. Drafting a center like Peter Konz, in the first round, is the first step in making the Lions better.
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