National Football League

Matthew Stafford 'fired up' about Detroit's addition of Laken Tomlinson

Published May. 18, 2015 2:57 p.m. ET

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Quarterbacks hate to be hit, so you'll never hear them complain when teams bolster their protection. Instead, it's far more likely to hear passers praise a big investment in the offensive line, like Detroit's Matthew Stafford is currently doing about first-round selection Laken Tomlinson.

"Obviously we were a little thin at the position," Stafford told Detroit Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman. "And to add a guy that has great character, played great the last two years at Duke, I was fired up."

Tomlinson is a physically imposing guard, and his impact will be felt most in the running game. If he can help pave clear paths for Lions running backs in 2015, Stafford's job will only get easier.

"It’s a quarterback’s best friend, plain and simple," Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said about a potent rushing attack, per Twentyman. "It really is. You hear that often. It’s an old term that’s been used for 70, 80 years, but the fact of the matter is, it’s true because it takes some of the pressure off of him."

The Lions also added running back Ameer Abdullah (2nd round, Nebraska) and fullback Michael Burton (5th round, Rutgers) in this year's draft, further strengthening Detroit's offense on the ground.

(h/t Detroit Lions)

Photo Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports