Jim Schwartz is no longer the head coach of the Detroit Lions; Jim Caldwell replaces him, looking to bring discipline to a talented roster in need of it and refinement to the game of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Notebook
Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit is here to make the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, and if you're a "BPA" purist, you'll love this selection immediately.
| Team | Player | Pos. | Ht | Wt | Class |
| 10. Lions | Jake Matthews, Texas A&M | OT | 6'5 | 308 | SR |
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"My strategy for this mock draft would have been different if trades were allowed. As soon as Khalil Mack and Sammy Watkins slipped out of the top five, I would have tried to jump up for one of them. Similarly, if I ended up staying at 10, I would have tried to move down by making a deal with a team that is actually in need of an offensive tackle once Jake Matthews dropped.
With trades not an option, my choice came down to Matthews and Anthony Barr. Offensive tackle isn’t a pressing need by any means considering the Lions have Riley Reiff and LaAdrian Waddle. And the Lions have actually been quite open about their need for a pass-rushing outside linebacker, meaning that Barr would have been a perfect fit in that regard. In this case, though, talent simply trumped need. The addition of Matthews would create some short-term confusion and could lead to Reiff moving to guard or Waddle taking on a backup role, but in the long term, adding more talent to protect Matthew Stafford is never a bad idea."
Dan Kadar, our beloved NFL Draft analyst, has some thoughts and opinions to share on the Lions' mock draft pick of Matthews:
In many mock drafts, the Lions are given a cornerback. Most of the time, they're value reaches. So to go purely BPA, Matthews has to be the pick. A top-five talent, Matthews is arguably the draft's most pro-ready blocker. He's a better player than Reiff, but could also be an asset on the right side next to guard Larry Warford. A tight end like Eric Ebron should be intriguing with this choice as well.
Tomorrow morning, we forge onward beyond the top 10 with the Tennessee Titans and Music City Miracles set to make the No. 11 overall pick. See you then!
Top 5 players remaining
| # | Player | Pos. | College | Ht. | Wt. |
| 8 | Eric Ebron |
TE | North Carolina |
6'4 |
250 |
| 9 | C.J. Mosley |
LB | Alabama | 6'2 | 234 |
| 10 | Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix | S | Alabama | 6'1 |
208 |
| 11 | Taylor Lewan | OT | Michigan | 6'7 | 309 |
| 12 | Louis Nix | DT | Notre Dame | 6'2 | 326 |
2014 SB Nation NFL writers' mock draft results
Lions picks
| Rd | # | Team | Player | Pos. | College |
| 1 | 10 | Detroit Lions | Jake Matthews | OT | Texas A&M |
| 2 | 45 | Detroit Lions |