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Lions Draft Iowa OT Riley Reiff No. 23 Overall

Sports

April 27th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have selected Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff with the No. 23 pick overall in the NFL draft. Lions general manager Martin Mayhew vowed the team would stick to its philosophy of taking the top player available on its draft board Thursday night unless he was a quarterback. Mayhew insisted he wouldn’t put a need, such as cornerback, ahead of a better player at a position of strength on the roster. With the top corners off the board, the Lions added depth on their aging offensive line. Detroit had its lowest first-round pick since 1992 when it drafted Robert Porcher 26th overall. The franchise ended its 11-year playoff drought last season with its first 10-win season since 1995.