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NFL Mock Draft 7.0: Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft

By Ian Cummings

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 16: Leighton Vander Esch #38 of the Boise State Broncos celebrates with the trophy after the Broncos defeated the Oregon Ducks in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 16, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Boise State won 38-28. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 16: Leighton Vander Esch #38 of the Boise State Broncos celebrates with the trophy after the Broncos defeated the Oregon Ducks in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 16, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Boise State won 38-28. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /
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3ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 01: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers reacts after a two-yard reception for touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Notre Dame won 21-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
3ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 01: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers reacts after a two-yard reception for touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Notre Dame won 21-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

50. . Running Back. LSU. Derrius Guice. 20. player

Perhaps the one thing that has held the Detroit Lions back from a steady playoff run is the lack of a true running game.

Matthew Stafford is a very good quarterback, with a very good cast of weapons. Losing Eric Ebron will hurt, but not as much as the lack of a running game will hurt, if it persists for yet another season.

At No. 20, the Lions can end the charades and pick their running back of the future in Derrius Guice. Guice would be a very good fit for the Lions’ offense, serving as a powerful complement to Theo Riddick’s speed and dynamic ability.

NFL Draft: Redskins Draft Spotlight: LSU RB Derrius Guice

To pigeonhole Guice as a mere power back, however, would be irrational. Guice can do it all. He has the burst to plow through the line, and once he’s in the clear, he can turn on the jets. He doesn’t quite have the speed to get around the edge on outside zone runs, but he rarely goes down upon first contact, and he can create for himself. The last Lions’ running back to do that was Barry Sanders.

The Lions can’t afford to waste Stafford’s career at quarterback, and they’ve already wasted half of it. The team is just as ready for a playoff bid as it has been in recent years, but the addition of a competent lead back could help push them over the hump.

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