The Detroit Lions have been getting mocked defensive players more and more in the past few weeks, and cornerbacks seem particularly popular for the team with their defensive line mostly settled. Stephon Gilmore has been a very popular name for the Lions, but the new SB Nation 2012 NFL Mock Draft has them going for a slightly different player, Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick.
The Lions may not have the cap space to sign one of the big names in free agency to address their needs in the secondary. If Kirkpatrick did slip this far, it would be a stroke of luck for the Lions. Even if he does not, they might be able to get Gilmore here instead. He 40 time was less than impressive, but his physical style of play will appeal to Jim Schwartz.
As it said in there, Kirkpatrick isn't likely to go all the way down to the 22nd overall pick, but if he does manage to go that far down he'll likely be scooped up happily by Detroit or another team with a glaring CB need. Of course, there's still plenty of free agency to go so the Lions could always make a move to make their draft needs a bit more clear heading toward April.
For more on the Detroit Lions, check out Pride Of Detroit. For more on the NFL Draft in general, head to Mocking The Draft or the 2012 NFL Draft hub at SB Nation.