Why any Lions O-line draft picks could tip their offensive plans

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Their history says front seven. That's the best guess on what positions the Detroit Lions will target in the draft, based on where the people running the team come from. General manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia both grew up in the New England Patriots system. It’s the only NFL team either one had ever worked for before taking jobs in Detroit, and their mentor is the same: Bill Belichick.

And in both men's years there, about half the time the Patriots drafted a player for the front seven. And the front seven is a well-documented position of need for Detroit, from edge rushers to interior linemen to linebackers, even though the Lions signed two backers --…