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Reaction to Detroit Lions' Brian Branch draft pick positive, but worry about Sam LaPorta

andrew birkle, detroit free press
·4 min read

With their first pick in the second round, the Detroit Lions decided to stay in the state of Iowa.

The Lions picked up the No. 34 pick in the NFL draft after a trade with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. The Lions used that pick to select Sam LaPorta, the all-time leading receiver for tight ends at Iowa.

About an hour after selecting LaPorta, the Lions decided to trade up a few spots with divisional rivals Green Bay. The Lions moved up from pick No. 48 to No. 45 and gave up pick No. 159 to do so. With the newly acquired pick, the Lions selected Brian Branch, the defensive back from Alabama. Branch was one of the few players who was still in the green room after not getting selected in the first round. Free Press Lions beat reporter Dave Birkett said the moment reminded him of Darius Slay when he was picked in 2013.

ESPN's Booger McFarland called it a fantastic selection, and Louis Riddick also liked the pick.

The Lions continued their trading-trend on Friday when they sent pick Nos. 55 and 194 to the Kansas City Chiefs for Nos. 63, 122, 249. The Chiefs picked wide receiver Rashee Rice from SMU. After getting pick No. 63, the Lions traded again, sending Nos. 63 and 183 to the Denver Broncos for picks Nos. 68 and 139.

After all those trades, the Lions ended up selecting quarterback Hendon Hooker out of Tennessee. The 6-foot-4 quarterback had a breakout fifth year for the Volunteers at 25 years old, throwing for 3,135 yards in just 11 games before tearing the ACL in his knee.

As always with social media, the immediate reactions have been divided, especially for the LaPorta selection. Many thought the Lions should've picked Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer at No. 34, who went one pick after LaPorta to the Las Vegas Raiders. But the Branch pick seems to be turning the social media tide more in favor of the Lions' front office.

Here is what social media had to say about the selections.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions in NFL draft: Love for Brian Branch, but not Sam LaPorta