DETROIT – Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft is in the booksÂ
The Lions social media staff presented pictures to the world that would have you believe that the 'war room' was relatively calm Thursday night.
There were plenty of smiles in the #LionsDraft room last night
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 29, 2016
📷s: https://t.co/kWIUv1QHd2 pic.twitter.com/etW19URQaK
GM Bob Quinn making his first pick with the #Lions.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 29, 2016
More draft room 📷s: https://t.co/XUbTr3ISLM pic.twitter.com/hxJRKCAacr
According to Bob Quinn, things weren't exactly how they seemed:
Quinn: "I swung a baseball bat. I got a baseball bat as a gift and I had that kind of in my hand during the draft and took my fidgety hands"
— Jamie Edmonds (@Jamie_Edmonds) April 29, 2016
Quinn's fidgety hands steadied though. Â He and his staff were able to stick to their plan and grab a potential mainstay on the offensive line, Ohio State offensive tackle Taylor Decker. Â This pick wasn't a surprise and certainly wasn't splashy, in any sense. Many feel that the Lions could have grabbed a solid defensive player that could have stepped in right away. Some think they took a guy that can't pass block. Â But we'll get to those opinions later.Â
As for the rest of the 1st round mess...
A few surprises and a bit of scandal and a lot of new millionaires.  The Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles both traded up to grab quarterbacks with the first 2 picks, as expected.  Michigan State's Jack Conklin was picked by Tennessee at number 8, which was higher than most expected.  And speaking of high, Ole' Miss. offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil had an eventful night.  His Instagram account was hacked, which may have cost him dearly.  A video of Tunsil smoking drugs in a gas mask was posted along with conversations with an Ole' Miss. coach asking for money.  Tunsil willfully admitted that coaches gave him money last night at his press conference.  What a way to start your career.
Anyway, a lot more happened in the first round and here's how it all looks neatly put together:
2016 NFL Draft Round 1 Selections | PointAfter
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Let's get back to the Taylor Decker pick
A wide range of opinions on all of the first round picks, but here's a look at what people said about the Lions selection:
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Decker Grade: B. I like him more than Conklin. They need line help, so it makes sense
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) April 29, 2016
Lions draft OT Taylor Decker from Ohio State 16th overall. Good, safe pick.
— Carlos Monarrez (@cmonarrez) April 29, 2016
Jon Gruden didn't exactly endorse Lions' pick of Decker: "Inconsistent effort. I was disappointed." Big run-blocker, though.
— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) April 29, 2016
Decker fills Lions' biggest need. Offered huge immediate upgrade. Not sexy, but logical. If Ogbah/Bullard availabe at 46, even better.
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) April 29, 2016
Possibly the most negative tweet of the night about the Lions pick:
Lions get harshest grade of the 1st round so far: a D+ for Taylor Decker. Just the No. 52 player in our rankings: https://t.co/mFE3hkR330
— PFF (@PFF) April 29, 2016
So, it was a mixed bag. Â Only time will tell if Decker is a stud or a dud. Â We'll all have to stay tuned.