With the Lions saying good bye to Kevin Smith, they will be looking to add depth to the running back position behind Jahvid Best and Maurice Morris.

It’s one reason they had Illinois running back Mike Leshoure in for a visit today (Tuesday) at the practice facility in Allen Park.

Leshoure, who is 6-0 and 236 pounds, is a typical strong, physical Big 10 back. Last season he had 242 carries for 1443 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Illini. That works out to six yards per carry.

“I think I can bring versatility and leadership to an offense, especially for my position. I feel like I can run in between the tackles, but I can also run outside of the tackles and hit the perimeters at times to make guys miss.,’’ Leshoure said on the Lions web site.

The National Football Post has Leshoure rated as the second-best running back in the draft behind Mark Ingram.

He could easily fall to the Lions’ pick in the second round at 44th overall. It’s a matter of need and getting the best player who is still available on the board. It obviously also hinges on who they get with the 13th pick in the first round.

Each NFL team is allowed to bring in 30 draft prospects for visits.

The draft (April 28-30) is just over four weeks away. No matter what is going on with the lockout, there will be a draft.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)