The Detroit Lions have made their 2011 NFL Draft fifth-round selection. With pick No. 157 overall, the Lions drafted Doug Hogue, a linebacker from Syracuse.
Hogue had visited the Lions in the months prior to the draft, so the Lions were familiar with him. He started off at Syracuse as a running back but switched to linebacker a couple years ago. Playing on the defensive side of the ball, Hogue has made a lot of progress as a linebacker and will now likely be a depth guy when he joins the Lions.
Detroit had a big need at linebacker going into the draft, and that need still exists. This late in the draft it's unlikely they will find guys that can start right away, so the thinking is they will fill that need in free agency (whenever that happens). Hogue could be a player that develops into a starting-caliber linebacker over time, and the Lions must like his upside considering they decided to draft him.
Barring a trade, the Lions' final pick of the 2011 NFL Draft will not come until the seventh round (the 209th overall selection).
SB Nation has full coverage of the 2011 NFL Draft at its NFL Draft hub and NFL Draft blog, Mocking The Draft. For more on the Detroit Lions, make sure to check out Pride Of Detroit and SB Nation Detroit's NFL Draft StoryStream.