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Allen Park ? Former Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert's pre-draft visit to Lions headquarters was delayed a couple weeks due to a canceled flight, but he said Thursday it was worth the wait.
"It just felt like home when I got to the facility," Gilbert said.
During his visit Thursday, Gilbert watched the Lions go through the third and final day of a voluntary minicamp, and he said he could already sense how well the players have embraced new coach Jim Caldwell's staff.
While in Allen Park, Gilbert said he spoke with general manager Martin Mayhew and vice president of football operations Cedric Saunders, among others, and he hoped to talk with wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush, two of his childhood heroes, before flying to Atlanta for his pre-draft visit with the Falcons.
Considered by most the top cornerback in the draft, the 6-foot, 202-pound Gilbert also had lunch with Mayhew and a Lions scout after his pro day in Stillwater, Okla., on March 13.
The Lions have the 10th overall pick in the draft, which begins May 8, and many mock drafts have projected Gilbert to Detroit.
"I'd be excited," he said of the possibility. "I've seen a couple mock drafts with some other teams, and I think this would be one of the top teams that I would want to go to. To me, it's a Super Bowl-caliber team. All they need is a couple of areas fixed, and I think I could fix some of those areas."
As a senior, Gilbert had seven interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He also returned six kickoffs for touchdowns during his four-year career with the Cowboys.
Out of all the cornerbacks projected in the first round, Gilbert appears to be the best fit for the Lions, considering Mayhew's affinity for speed at the position and Gilbert's 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the combine in February.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell agrees with Mayhew about the importance of speed and quickness at cornerback and said Gilbert is "talented" and "a fine gentleman."
As for the other traits Caldwell seeks in a cornerback, he said, "A guy that's willing to be a little bit of a riverboat gambler with a short memory because that's a spot where you're going to be left alone out there from time to time."
Although Gilbert is projected high, he admits to having no idea where he'll be selected.
"That's the crazy thing about it," he said. "I still have no clue where or when I'll be taken, so I'm just hoping for the best."
"At the end of the day, you've still got football to play after the draft, so that's my main focus right now, not when I go in the draft but what I do when I get here."
The Lions also hosted former BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy on a pre-draft visit. A former teammate of Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah, Van Noy projects as a second-round pick and is a versatile outside linebacker.
Houston problems
One reason the Lions will likely consider selecting a cornerback early in May's draft was the struggles of veteran Chris Houston last season.
After signing a five-year deal last offseason, Houston battled through a toe injury in 2013 and played just 12 games and allowed several big plays when available.
Houston, who missed the voluntary minicamp due to injury, is a candidate for a bounce-back year, but Caldwell said he's not certain it will happen.
"You're never 100 percent certain about anything," Caldwell said. "I can't be certain if I'm going to wake up tomorrow. Tomorrow's not promised to me, so I'm not certain. We'll see."
"It just felt like home when I got to the facility," Gilbert said.
During his visit Thursday, Gilbert watched the Lions go through the third and final day of a voluntary minicamp, and he said he could already sense how well the players have embraced new coach Jim Caldwell's staff.
While in Allen Park, Gilbert said he spoke with general manager Martin Mayhew and vice president of football operations Cedric Saunders, among others, and he hoped to talk with wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush, two of his childhood heroes, before flying to Atlanta for his pre-draft visit with the Falcons.
Considered by most the top cornerback in the draft, the 6-foot, 202-pound Gilbert also had lunch with Mayhew and a Lions scout after his pro day in Stillwater, Okla., on March 13.
The Lions have the 10th overall pick in the draft, which begins May 8, and many mock drafts have projected Gilbert to Detroit.
"I'd be excited," he said of the possibility. "I've seen a couple mock drafts with some other teams, and I think this would be one of the top teams that I would want to go to. To me, it's a Super Bowl-caliber team. All they need is a couple of areas fixed, and I think I could fix some of those areas."
As a senior, Gilbert had seven interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He also returned six kickoffs for touchdowns during his four-year career with the Cowboys.
Out of all the cornerbacks projected in the first round, Gilbert appears to be the best fit for the Lions, considering Mayhew's affinity for speed at the position and Gilbert's 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the combine in February.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell agrees with Mayhew about the importance of speed and quickness at cornerback and said Gilbert is "talented" and "a fine gentleman."
As for the other traits Caldwell seeks in a cornerback, he said, "A guy that's willing to be a little bit of a riverboat gambler with a short memory because that's a spot where you're going to be left alone out there from time to time."
Although Gilbert is projected high, he admits to having no idea where he'll be selected.
"That's the crazy thing about it," he said. "I still have no clue where or when I'll be taken, so I'm just hoping for the best."
"At the end of the day, you've still got football to play after the draft, so that's my main focus right now, not when I go in the draft but what I do when I get here."
The Lions also hosted former BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy on a pre-draft visit. A former teammate of Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah, Van Noy projects as a second-round pick and is a versatile outside linebacker.
Houston problems
One reason the Lions will likely consider selecting a cornerback early in May's draft was the struggles of veteran Chris Houston last season.
After signing a five-year deal last offseason, Houston battled through a toe injury in 2013 and played just 12 games and allowed several big plays when available.
Houston, who missed the voluntary minicamp due to injury, is a candidate for a bounce-back year, but Caldwell said he's not certain it will happen.
"You're never 100 percent certain about anything," Caldwell said. "I can't be certain if I'm going to wake up tomorrow. Tomorrow's not promised to me, so I'm not certain. We'll see."
