Detroit Lions

Even the long snapper couldn't believe Lions used a draft pick on him

Published May. 2, 2016 6:25 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

Long snappers don't hear their names called too often during the NFL Draft. The conventional thought is why use a pick on a player who's on special teams and most likely will be available as a free agent.

Well, the Detroit Lions threw conventional thought out the window this year, when they Jimmy Landes out of Baylor in the sixth round. But if you thought you were surprised when you heard Landes named get called, he couldn't believe it either.

"I was very surprised," Landes said, via mlive.com. "I was expecting free agency, just because I know how rare long snappers get drafted. I wasn't expecting anything in the draft."

This is the first time in the common era that the Lions are taken a long snapper and Landes is just the fifth long snapper taken in the modern era.

"We did a lot of work on all the long snappers, like we do every year, and we felt like he would be a guy that would be able to come in and compete for a spot," Lions GM Bob Quinn said. "The value was right at the right time."

The pick is even stranger since the Lions had 12-year vet Don Muhlbach on the roster. Will Landes prove to be a valuable pick? It will be tough to gauge since his contribution is so limited.