NFL Mock Draft 2013: Lions select Barkevious Mingo

The Detroit Lions were probably expecting to see Cliff Avril leave via free agency, which is why they didn't put the franchise tag on him to begin with. But now it is certain the Avril is gone after signing a two-year deal with the Seahawks, meaning that the Lions will now have to fill the void of losing their leading pass-rusher of the last two years. So which player will they find to fill that role?

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Not only are the Lions seeing Avril and his 9.5 sacks of 2012 walk away but they also released veteran Kyle Vanden Bosch. Other than the interior rush of Ndamukong Suh, Detroit looks seriously thin at finding anyone to attack the quarterback from the outside. It's a good thing that they have the number five pick in the draft this year and that there are a number of high-end defensive end and outside linebacker prospects that could step in next year and start right away.

So which one will the Lions choose?

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports thinks that it could be Barkevious Mingo out of LSU and he puts the reason for it very simply in his latest mock draft:

Speed, speed and more speed. The Lions need pass-rush help.

Mingo was impressive at the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, the second-fastest among defensive lineman. Even more impressive that he had a 37-inch vertical and it's easy to see why teams are salivating over the possibility of Mingo rushing the passer from their backfield. But will the Lions take him over the bevy of other pass-rush prospects if he is available?

We will see.

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