ALLEN PARK, MICH. (AP) - It took the Detroit Lions until the third and final day of the NFL draft to address a glaring need, taking Syracuse linebacker Douglas Hogue in the fifth round Saturday.
Detroit surprised Hogue by selecting him with the 157th pick overall.
“I was just hoping to get drafted,” he said. “I didn’t expect it in the fifth round. I was thinking maybe seventh. I thought I was just going to make the cut.”
The Lions hope Hogue will help their lackluster linebacking corps eventually and perhaps right away on special teams.
“Filling a need doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a good player,” Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said. “You need to have discipline as an organization.”
The Lions gave up their third- and fourth-round picks the previous day to Seattle to acquire its 57th slot overall. The used it on Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure for short-yardage situations.
Detroit’s draft started with the selection of Auburn’s Nick Fairley 13th overall, a surprising move given the Lions’ strength on the defensive line. The Lions drafted Boise State’s Titus Young in the second round, 44th overall, to be their No. 3 wide receiver.
Hogue was a running back in his first two seasons at Syracuse, then he played outside linebacker the next two years.
“Inexperienced at the position, but he has a lot of potential,” Schwartz said. “He fits exactly what we’re looking for at linebacker.”
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound native of Yonkers, N.Y., was an All-Big East player last season after averaging seven-plus tackles a game.
“My strength is my speed, going sideline to sideline and pass coverage,” he said.
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