The Sports Xchange

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — On Day 1 of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions turned the biggest weakness on their roster into a position of strength.

After trading the No. 23 pick to the Denver Broncos to move down to No. 28, the Lions drafted former Duke offensive guard Laken Tomlinson, who immediately should compete as a starting left guard.

In the trade, the Lions also received veteran interior offensive lineman Manny Ramirez and two fifth-round picks, one this year and one in 2016.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew declined to commit to a position for Tomlinson, but whether he or Ramirez starts at left guard, the team now has a solid backup after entering the draft with no solid interior options aside from right guard Larry Warford and center Travis Swanson.

The selection of Tomlinson was a sign that the Lions hope to become a power running team. However, the 6-foot-3, 323-pound Tomlinson is also good in pass protection, allowing zero sacks as a senior.

“I truly believe that the offensive and defensive line is the heartbeat of your team,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “It is a very important portion of the team, and those two guys make a difference in terms of being able to run the ball.”

Tomlinson likely would have had plenty of opportunities to enjoy a successful career outside of football. He was a double major at Duke, earning degrees in evolutionary anthropology and psychology, putting him on track to go to medical school. He overcame some adversity, moving from Jamaica to the United States when he was 11 and commuting 90 minutes each way through Chicago to attend highly regarded Lane Technical High School.

After starting 52 games at right guard the last four seasons for an on-the-rise Blue Devils program, Tomlinson had aspirations of playing in the NFL. During the pre-draft process, teams wondered why he didn’t want to continue his education, but he convinced them that his immediate future is in football.

“I just told them I love football,” Tomlinson said in a teleconference. “That’s what I see myself doing, and I want to see myself do it for a long time. I feel that I can always come back to academics because I’ll always have my brain, but my body will not be at this level for too long.”

Mayhew said Tomlinson was among the players the team hoped to select when he made the trade, and the personnel department was evaluating Ramirez for weeks. Ramirez was a fourth-round pick by the Lions in 2007.

Though many analysts thought Tomlinson was the top guard available, the expectation was that he would go in the second round. Mayhew said the Lions graded him as a first-round talent early in the process.

“Walking across that stage (in Chicago) has deeply impacted my life, not only my life but my family’s life and everyone that I’ve been connected to since I’ve been here in the United States and everyone back home in Jamaica,” he said. “So it’s really been a tremendous night, and I’m just so happy.”

Tomlinson said he played soccer while growing up in Jamaica, but once he grew and was living in the United States, his uncle recommended he play football as a way to remain physically fit. Tomlinson started playing in seventh grade, and on Thursday, he became the first first-round pick from Duke since 1987 and the first interior offensive lineman the Lions drafted in Round 1 since Jeff Hartings in 1996.

Intelligence isn’t Tomlinson’s only attribute. His footwork is a strength, and he said at the combine he is a “nasty” player.

During the Senior Bowl, Tomlinson said he met with Lions offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn. The Lions didn’t host him on a pre-draft visit, but that was unnecessary as he has no red flags off the field.

“Honestly, I had no idea that (the Lions) were so interested in me, and I’m just so happy that they saw me as their guy,” Tomlinson said.