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Lions hopeful 2013 draft class is nucleus of championship contender

The 2013 NFL draft was one of the worst in recent memory, yet somehow the Detroit Lions ended up with quite the haul.

The same draft that produced mega busts Dion Jordan, Barkevious Mingo and Dee Milliner in the top nine picks yielded the Lions one of the best defensive ends, cornerbacks, punters and pass-catching running backs in the NFL.

On Friday, days before the Lions open a season in which six of their nine 2013 draft picks will play significant roles, the team signed two of those players to long-term contract extensions.

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Theo Riddick, a sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame, got a three-year extension worth $12.