dianapolis were learning he had decided to retire. Barry Sanders understood.Sanders’ surprise retirement from

A look at what NFL insiders thought of the Lions’ early draft picks." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhitePride Of Detroita Detroit Lions communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryLionsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsFiled under:NFL DraftDetroit Lions AnalysisNFL executives weigh in on Detroit Lions’ 1st Tracy Walker Jersey , 2nd-round picks New,143commentsA look at what NFL insiders thought of the Lions’ early draft picks. EDTShareTweetShareShareNFL executives weigh in on Detroit Lions’ 1st, 2nd-round picks Marco Garcia-USA TODAY SportsThanks to a war room video, we already know the Buffalo Bills think of the Detroit Lions’ selection of T.J. Hockenson with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. But what do other league executives think of Detroit’s haul last weekend?ESPN’s Mike Sando pulled opinions from various coaches, executives and draft evaluators around the league to evaluate the picks of all 32 teams. And it may surprise some to see that they were actually very complimentary towards Detroit’s first two selections. One NFL executive was apparently enamored with Hockenson and viewed him as high-and-above the rest of the tight end draft class.“It wasn’t even close for me personally between Hockenson and Fant,” the anonymous executive said. “I thought Hockenson was awesome. If we had been in position to trade up for him, I would have done it in a heartbeat and would not have blinked.”Of course, the question of value came into play here, too. One evaluator thinks you only draft a tight end that early if you’re getting an extremely unique talent. They don’t think Hockenson is that guy.“If you think Hockenson is Rob Gronkowski Da’Shawn Hand Jersey , great, but he is not that,” an evaluator said. “The only time you draft a tight end in the first round is if you’re getting an absolute freak who is athletically unique. Vernon Davis was that and he’s still playing. To use a top-10 pick, that guy has to be Gronk.”While that debate will rage on, the Lions’ second-round pick Jahlani Tavai has drawn just as much varied opinions. The pick shocked a lot of media members, but it wasn’t at all surprising to those inside the NFL ranks. ”Hockenson was my favorite guy and then they got Tavai, who is perfect for them and someone we thought New England would take,” an evaluator said. “Tavai is a big, strong Jarrad Davis Jersey , tough linebacker who can play special teams. It makes sense he would end up there.”You can read reactions to all 32 teams here (ESPN Insider required). Andrew Luck said it hurt on Saturday night when he was booed off the field, just as fans in Indianapolis were learning he had decided to retire. Barry Sanders understood.Sanders’ surprise retirement from the Lions in 1999 wasn’t exactly the same: Sanders faxed a retirement statement and went to Europe, so he wasn’t around Lions fans until they’d had some time for his retirement to sink in. But Sanders, too, faced plenty of criticism and hurt feelings from fans who thought he should have stuck around.“It was tough,” Sanders told the today. “But I understood because I had been an avid fan before myself, so I could appreciate certainly where they were coming from: the fact it was a surprise and just that I was — I wouldn’t say in my prime — but I definitely had years left. I can appreciate both sides.”Sanders, whose son Barry Sanders Jr. got to know Luck on a recruiting visit to Stanford, said he was impressed with Luck’s handling of the situation.“It’s a personal decision Teez Tabor Jersey ,” Sanders said. “It’s extremely difficult [for Luck]. You could tell, just listening to his press conference. He’s a bright, sharp, young man. He’s got many great options I would assume, but it’s tough for everyone involved. I think he handled it about as well as you could.”Just as Sanders has been cheered in return appearances to Detroit, Luck will be in Indianapolis. Even if fans at first thought more about themselves, and their disappointment at seeing their favorite players walk away.