10 Best Draft Picks of the Last 25 years.

If a list of the 10 worst draft picks of the last 25 years had to be done, so then should a list of the top 10 best picks should also be done. One might wonder if the Lions had 10 notable players/picks in the last 25 years, but history shows that, where they might not have a lot more than 10, they do at least have 10 players worth showing a little pride over.

It's hard to believe that anybody on this list could have been drafted by Matt Millen, but surprisingly, or maybe because his reign covers more than a third of the twenty five years, he managed to place two in the top 10.

10. Shaun Rogers - DT - 2nd round (#61 overall) 2001. Big Baby came to the Lions injured, via a draft day trade in Millen's first draft. Rogers has been known to take plays off, lots of plays off, but when he is on, he is one of the most dominant forces in the game. He's been selected to three pro bowls in his career as he has amassed 35.5 sacks and 344 tackles over his nine year career.

9. Calvin Johnson - WR - 1st round (#2 overall) 2007. It is still very earl in Johnson's career and this may be a major league jump, but Johnson is a human freak who will be consistently moving up this chart throughout his career. In his three years in the league so far, he has averaged 7 TD's per year and just over a 1000 yards as the only weapon on the roster. No running back and no complimentary receiver or tight end. He's doing that all under TRIPLE coverage...hopefully that'll change this year.

8. Ray Crockett - CB - 4th round (#86 overall) 1989. In my mind, Crockett will always be remembered as the guy who intercepted a pass, blazed 99 yards down the sideline and then stopped at the 1 yard line, and then turned around to look over the field at the rest of the players before stepping back into the endzone for a touchdown. Crockett played five years for Detroit before escaping via free agency. His career lasted 14 seasons in which he intercepted 36 balls, returning 3 for TD's, returned 2 fumble recoveries for scores, and even chipped in 15.5 sacks. Not bad for a fourth round pick.

7. Luther Ellis - DT - 1st round (#20 overall) 1995. Ellis was a massive DT who managed to make it to two pro bowls in his 10 year career (9 with Detroit). He clogged the line and pushed the pocket, helping to free up Robert Porcher on the outside. He is credited for 29 sacks and 213 tackles.

6. Bennie Blades - S - 1st round (#3 overall) 1988. Blades was the first pick in a draft that started an almost decade long revitalization of the Lions to relevancy. Bennie played for the Lions for nine years and was selected to the pro bowl after the mythic 1991 season. Often criticized for his stone hands, he managed 14 interceptions and a single TD in his career. Blades is currently ranked second in team history with 815 tackles.

5. Jason Hanson - K - 2nd round (#56 overall) 1992. Who spends a second round pick on a kicker? Hanson was drafted the year after the Lions only playoff run in more than 50 years and was perceived by many to be a "luxury" pick. But Hanson has been more than a luxury, he's been a God send. He's played 17 seasons, so far, and is responsible for 1835 points. A total that is more than 700 points better than his nearest competitor in Lions history. Hanson has been to two pro bowls and should be going to the Hall of Fame. Why is he so low on this list? He is "only" a kicker.

4. Robert Porcher - DE - 1st round (#26 overall) 1992. 3 pro bowls, 95.5 sacks (#1 in Lions History), 12 years...all in Detroit. A class act. After Chris Spielman was forced out of Detroit, he was one of the only constants left in the defense. The Lions have always had issues keeping corners, their linebackers seemed to always be in a constant state of flux and yet, you could write it down, 10+ sacks and solid effort every game from Robert Porcher. Porcher is still in Detroit, a solid citizen and businessman and can occasionally still be seem at Lions games.

3. Chris Spielman - LB - 2nd round (#29 overall) 1988. 1138 career tackles as a Lion, 300 more than the second place guy. Spielman was the heart and soul of the defense for most of the '90's. The day Wayne Fontes and Chuck Schmidt let him leave for Buffalo via free agency, I gave up the Lions for a year. 3 time pro bowler.

2. Herman Moore - WR - 1st round (#10 overall) 1991. In 1995, Herman Moore caught, what was then, an NFL record 123 passes. The mark still stands as #2 of all time. His name stands atop almost all the Lions receiving records. In his 11 year career, he was selected to 4 pro bowls, caught 670 passes (#1 in Detroit history) for 9174 yards (#1 in Detroit history) and 62 receiving TD's (#1 in Detroit history).

1. Barry Sanders - RB - 1st round (#3 overall) 1989. There are times when I catch replays of the things that Barry did on the field for ten years and think to myself, "The Hall of Fame isn't good enough for Barry." People that claim that Emmitt Smith or Walter Payton or even Jim Brown are better running backs than Barry are in desperate need of medication or a detox period. In ten years, Barry ran for 15,269 yards (almost 3 times the next player in Lions history, Billy Simms--who wasn't too shabby in his own right.) Emmitt Smith may own the all time record for yards, but if Barry played three more years, like he could have, the record would most likely be well over 20K and Smith would have never even sniffed the record.

He ran for 99 touchdowns--and was consistently pulled by brain dead coaches in goal line situations. He could have easily had at least another 25, probably more.

Barry wasn't just the best Lions draft pick of the last 25 years, a very good argument could be made that he was the best NFL pick of the last 25 years. And to think Green Bay passed him over for Tony Mandarich.

The Lions Long Ugly OL History

"No quarterback is ever any good when he's always having to throw the ball from his back." -- My Dad, about a billion times.

This is a very true statement. Over the last twenty five years, for the most part, the Lions have ignored the "trenches" and chosen to draft "skilled" position players in the draft. The old Barry vs Emmitt argument will rage forever because Barry ran behind a swiss cheese line whereas Smith ran behind a line stocked with annual probowlers.

In the last 25 years, staring in 1986 (the year after selecting Lomas Brown #6 overall and Kevin Glover in the second round), the Lions have picked only 25 offensive lineman in the draft--only four in the first round and none in the top 10. No Detroit offensive lineman has been to a pro bowl while wearing the Honolulu Blue--although Jeff Hartings made two after leaving for Pittsburgh.

Lomas Brown was the last offensive lineman the Detroit Lions drafted in the top 10. He was drafted #6 overall. Brown's career lasted 18 years, playing in 263 games and earning seven trips to the pro bowl.

Kevin Glover, who was drafted with next Lions choice the same year (#34 overall) is the only other Lion to have been to a pro bowl in the last 25 years.

25 years.

In those 25 years, 25 other offensive lineman have been selected and nobody has even sniffed that kind of greatness.

This kind of blows my mind as I think about how many top 10 picks the Lions have been saddled with since the beginning of the Bobby Ross era flowing into the black hole of hope that was the Matt Millen years.

For three years in a row, the Lions did actually make an effort to look at their porous front. From 1999-2001, the end of the Ross era and the start of the Millen era. Aaron Brown (Ross, #28 overall), Stockar McDougle (Ross, #20th overall) and Jeff Backus (Millen, #18 overall) were all selected to protect the Lions quarterbacks and running backs. In 2001, Millen's first year, and probably his only half way decent draft, he selected Backus and Raiola, #1 and #2. Neither have been to the pro bowl, but both have played average (many may say below average) for their entire careers. Brown and McDougle have already long since washed out of the league. The Lions then waited another seven years before overdrafting Gosder Cherilus with the #17th pick overall.

If we just go back over the last decade, we can look at the Lions selections and offensive lineman taken in the same area of the draft.

For instance in 2002, would you have rather had Joey Harrington, taken #3 overall, or LT Bryant McKinnie (#7) or Levi Jones (#10)?

In 2003, Charles Rogers (#2) or LT Jordan Gross (#8)?

2004 appears to have been a horrible year for offensive lineman, I guess we'd have been stuck with Roy Williams and Kevin Jones.

In 2005, how about LT Jamaal Brown (#13) instead of Mike Williams (#10)?

2006 was another awful year for lineman, we'd have been stuck with Ernie Sims (#9).

But in 2007, you could have a real debate between LT Joe Thomas (#3) and Megatron (#2).

I'm not saying you draft a top 10 OT every year you can, but we haven't done it in 25 YEARS! I'd certainly feel better with Stafford throwing to Megatron, if he was being protected by Jordan Gross and Jamaal Brown as opposed to Backus and Cherilus.

Who would you rather have on the sidelines?

10 Worst Lions Draft Picks of the last 25 years

The 2010 NFL draft is now complete and every team in the NFL thinks they've gotten all of the steals in the draft and each one is ready for a brand new run at the Super Bowl. It's the same thing every year. Coaches and GM's love the players they've drafted, otherwise they wouldn't have been picked.

Which automatically brings to my mind the main question of every draft, other than who's going to Canton from this class, who's going to be the biggest bust? But it also brings to mind all of the busts the Lions have been involved with.

Surprisingly, the Lions don't have the avalanche of outright screwjobs you'd expect, however, on the other hand, they have very, very few "great" picks. The Lions rarely get quality contributions from low picks and most of their high picks rate as "middle of the pack" kind of players.

Today, I will concentrate on the worst of the worst. Later, I'll try to pick the best of the best and then I'll look at the first two rounds of the 2010 draft and tell you who I think has the biggest chance of being colossal busts.

For the most part, I only looked at the first three rounds, because all picks in round four and beyond are crapshoots. I also let most third round picks go, working under the same assumption, unless the player turned out to do especially bad. Anything you get from those rounds is gravy. I also took out anybody who busted out because of injuries...players like Reggie Brown, Mike Utley, Erik Andolsek, and even Bryan Westbrook.

10. Chuck Long - QB - First Round (#12 overall) 1986.
The first "Franchise Savior" in my transformation from Lions fan to Lions "obsessionist." Long came out of Iowa with huge fan fare. He threw his first pass for a TD on Monday Night Football...back when MNF meant something! But with all that pomp and circumstance, Long quickly fell back to the all too hard Earth of failure. Long managed only five years in the league, amassing a 4-17 record, 19 TD's, 28 INT's, a mere 3747 total yards and a career QB rating of 64.5

9. Kalimba Edwards - DE - Second Round (#35 overall) 2002.
The Lions were still reeling from losing Barry Sanders - FIVE YEARS EARLIER. They were still in desperate need of somebody to tote the rock. James Stewart was the big free agent signing, and he'd never finished a season, due to injuries. The Lions were staring down the barrel of Clinton Portis, a dual threat RB from the U, who'd miraculously fallen out of the first round...so Matt Millen selected...Kalimba Edwards, a DE from South Carolina that nobody had really heard of. Edwards is no longer in the league, Portis is.
Edwards managed 31 sacks in his seven years in the NFL...

8. Reggie Barrett - WR - Third Round (#58 overall) 1991.
In 1991, the Detroit Lions selected two 6'4 wide receivers with adequate to good speed to be paired up with Barry Sanders and 1990's #1 pick, Andre Ware to build one of the great offenses in modern football history! Too bad Reggie Barrett turned out to be nothing like Herman Moore.
Barrett could never get on the field. In two years, he managed to step on the field for only ten games, amassing the astounding statistics of 4 receptions for 67 yards and one lone touchdown.

7. Juan Roque - T - Second Round (#37 overall) 1997.
In looking at Juan Roque, he breaks one of my cardinal rules in compiling this list...he had injury problems...tons of them...but I allow for this position in the draft, because the Lions knew he had these problems before they even drafted him. They drafted a guy with two bad knees and were somehow surprised that he couldn't play with two bad knees. Roque underwent surgery in the middle of his first season and never really came back. He played in a total of three games in two season. This also brings to mind another article I'll do...how bad the Lions are at drafting offensive lineman.

6. Ray Roundtree - WR - Third Round (#58 overall) 1988.
Truthfully, I don't know much about Roundtree, I only vaguely remember him. But in researching this article, I now know why. In his only season in the league, Roundtree appeared in only four games, never catching a ball.

5. John Ford - WR - Second Round (#30 overall) 1989.
Who did the Lions draft after Barry Sanders? No, Rodney Peete was drafted in the sixth round. The first draft of Wayne Fontes put together an offense trio of Sanders, Peete, and John Ford. Ford supposedly was "faster than Jerry Rice." What a joke. Ford managed a single year in the league, playing only seven games, catching five balls for 56 yards and 0 TDs.

4. Reggie Rogers - DE - First Round (#7 overall) 1987.
Rogers was a stud. A quarterback eating monster coming out of college. When he got the the NFL? Not so much. In his four years in the NFL he managed only two sacks in fifteen games played. His career was destroyed when he killed somebody in a DUI accident.

3. Andre Ware - QB - First Round (#7 overall) 1990.
This pick is the main reason that I hate Joe Theisman. Theisman proclaimed that the Lions had gotten the "steal" of the draft. That Ware was the best quarterback coming out. He was a run and shoot quarterback who had racked up something like seven billion yards passing and a trillion touchdowns playing at Houston for Jack Pardee. The Lions had brought in Mouse Davis, June Jones, and the Run and Shoot the year before, so this pick was obvious. Except that two things happened, the Lions quickly started to abandon the Run & Shoot and Andre Ware couldn't the turf with a forward pass if he wanted to. How he managed to pile up all those stats is a complete mystery. In his four years, he managed six starts, a 3-3 record, 5 TDs, 8 INTs, and an abysmal QB rating of 63.5.

2. Mike Williams - WR - First Round (#10 overall) 2005.
This pick was Matt Millen at his finest. The third wide receiver in three years. A mammoth wide receiver in a tight end's body. He was slow, fat, and greedy. He had been forced to take a year off after hitching his wagon to the Maurice Clarett case. He hired an agent after a judge ruled that the NFL couldn't keep players out of the NFL on the basis of age...three months later the ruling was overturned and Williams was out in the cold, unable to go back to school or eligible to be drafted.
His career line so far, three years, 30 games, 44 receptions, 539 yards and 2 TDs--and about 7500 big macs. He's eaten himself out of the league twice.

1. Charles Rogers - WR - First Round (#2 overall) 2003.
In Rogers' first game, he managed 4 receptions for 38 yards and two touchdowns. His career numbers over three injury and drug plagued seasons, 15 games, 36 receptions, 440 yards, and 4 TD's. That is the definition of a shooting star. Two collar bone injuries destroyed Rogers and then he took to smoking pot....his entire career was really only the first five games of his first season.

Draft Day 1 Analysis; Day 2 Predictions

#2 The Kong! will wear #90 in the honolulu blue and hopefully dominate the defensive front for the next 12-15 years. Paired up with Kyle Vandenbosch on the outside and Corey Williams on the inside and rotating with Sammie Hill...the Lions could very well have an incredibly disruptive front, perhaps they can provide enough pressure to deal with the fact that they are currently employing human pylons at one cornerback spot and a one safety spot.

#30 The Lions moved up in a trade with the dreaded Minnesota Vikings to get running back Jahvid Best. On the surface this looks like a great pick...and without thinking too hard about it, I like it. But once I start thinking about it, several issues come up.

First, the trade itself, the Lions swapped the #34 pick, the #100, and the #214 overall for the #30 and the #128. On paper, thinking about just the numbers, it looks OK...but on deeper inspection you start to realize that a) the Lions didn't need to move at all to get Best. Best's concussion history had already scared off most teams, b) #34 pick is the second pick of the second day...the entire NFL is now in regroup mode looking at all of the players left on the board and trying to figure out how to get back up high enough to get the players that have slipped through the cracks. This is a prime pick, which could have been auctioned off for multiple picks and very likely the Lions could have still gotten Best, just a bit lower. The swapping of fourth round picks, in effect is the same deal. The draft is only doing rounds two and three tonight, leaving the #100, at the top of the fourth, to be another pick which could have generated more picks. Moving back to #128 might as well be dropping completely out of the fourth round and down to the fifth. There is a drastic change in the talent levels at this point in the draft. The Lions have a ton of holes, and whereas I love Best as a possible home run threat that could legitimize the offense, the Lions still need to address CB, OLB, S, DE, and multiple offensive line positions and now they only have a third round pick to try to address so much.

Second, the Lions just traded Ernie Sims for Tony Scheffler, with the idea of converting to a two tight end set as the primary formation. This leaves the RB alone in the backfield and Best is a very light back with some question marks about his toughness.

Thirdly, they're not going to pull the magic #20 down from the rafters to give to this kid, and anybody who's watched Lions football over the last 50 years knows that a running back in Detroit isn't worth a damn, if he's not wearing that jersey. Ask James Stewart or Kevin Jones or Kevin Smith or James Jones or Greg James or ...the list goes on.

So what happens tonight?

Watch for the Lions to try and fill the CB or OLB spot tonight at the #66 pick. Names to watch are CB's Brandon Ghee, Chris Cook, and Javier Arenas or OLB's Koa Misi, Daryl Washington, or ILB Sean Lee.

It's Detroit SuperBowl Day!

And, frankly, I'm surprised I could sleep last night. Maybe, it was because I was so tired from the previous night and the whole is "The Kong" a racial slur bit.

I'm not sure, but I know I'm having problems concentrating today. It's like I've taken 7 5-hour energies in the last 10 minutes--I'm almost vibrating.

Which, as I try to calm down and take deep breaths, is really very sad.

Even after this weekend's football fest, there won't be a meaningful football game played for another four and a half months.

So why? Why am I following this draft like a crack addict follows his dealer when he's out of cash?
I have a theory, but first let me explain something to you. I've been following the draft since 1989, when the Lions drafted a little dude named Barry Sanders...and then a John Ford, then Mike Utley, Ray Crockett, and eventually Rodney Peete...(Holy crap, what an awesome draft that was!) I mean Ford was the only bust in the bunch...sorry. You see, this is part of the problem.

This was my first draft and it was the primary draft that led to a decade of pretty good Lions football. They pretty much made the playoffs every other year. The highest point came in 1991 when the Lions made it to the NFC Championship game...60 minutes from a SuperBowl...and were totally destroyed by the Washington Redskins. It came after the abysmal Daryl Rogers pretty much dared the Ford's to fire him by putting one of the worst and most boring teams on the field that perhaps has ever played the game...and then followed that up by asking, "What do you have to do to get fired around here?"

The major issue with me and the draft and football in general is simple, history.

I think that Lions fans share a commiseration of long term continued failure and embarrassment with other fans like Browns fans and Cubs fans, places where the chosen darlings of the city have been downright awful for so long that it's impossible to remember when they were good. Oh, all of these teams have flirted with greatness, but we're always left against the wall at the prom without a dance partner. There are no championship games and no championships.

And we've lived through all these years, starting out every year with the hope "that it's going to be different this season!" And we're always wrong. People jump off the bandwagon every year because they can't take the losing and the disappointment anymore, or maybe they just get properly diagnosed and are prescribed the proper medications....I'm not sure.

Some of us, the sick twisted, misguided few stay on because...it's going to be different this season! And if it actually ends up being different this year and we missed it....well, there are ropes for that kind of thing.

For me the draft has so many memories.

First it was Barry and Rodney Peete, who were going to be the centerpieces of a whole new generation of football.

And then Peete got hurt and it was Andre Ware (huge bust!) and Dan Owens and Marc Spindler, two defensive ends who showed up at the Silverdome the day after the draft, Owens in an expensive suite and Spindler in a leather jacket and torn jeans, both in the same limo. Owens and Spindler lasted a hell of a lot longer than Ware. And there was also Willie Green, "The Touchdown Machine."

In '91 it was Herman Moore and Reggie Barrett, a couple of bookend 6'4 wide recievers that were going to rewrite the record books...only Barett was never good enough to get on the field.

In '92 came Robert Porcher and Tracy Scroggins and Jason Hanson and "Big Play" Willie Clay!

'93 began a long infatuation with really short corners and Ryan McNeil and pretty much nobody else.

'94 Jonnie Morton, the original MetroSexual and a man named "Beer".

'95 Luther Ellis, David Sloan, Stephen Boyd, Corey Schlesinger...the same year Scott Mitchell threw 5 interceptions in a playoff catastrophe at Philadelphia and then argued with Wayne Fontes about being pulled!

'96 Reggie Brown, poor Reggie Brown and Jeff Hartings, who was smart enough to leave because Millen was a complete moron.

And then it all started going south from there with the poor drafts of Bobby Ross and the epic failures of Matt Millen...but my point is made, there is history. A train running through the NFL timeline that will eventually pass through a super bowl for Detroit...I hope...and I don't want to miss it. I want to remember drafting "The Kong!" and the next great CB -- so that passing on the Detroit defense isn't easier than taking a knee.

I love the draft.



And I still love cheerleaders.



And I'm kind of warming up to hockey....

What'll the Lions do for the rest of the draft?

Round 1: No. 2 overall - Ndamukong Suh...nuff said. Other than it kept me awake for a few extra minutes last night wondering if it was a racial slur to try and give him the nickname "The Kong." I mean, I meant it in the sense of "Huge unstoppable beast hellbent on mass destruction," but I fear it could be misconstrued...

Round 2: No. 34 overall - Daryl Washington, ILB, TCU - I have had Jahvid Best penciled in to this spot for several months now, but the recent trade of Ernie Sims for Tony Scheffler put a big wrench into those works. The trade leaves a huge hole at the weakside linebacker and also signifies the possibility of a lot more two tight end sets. Two tight end sets means a single back formation, which Best just isn't built for. The Lions have tons of needs, i.e. CB, DE, OT, S, and RB, so they could go a lot of different ways, but I really think they're going to try to fill that hole. As a side note, Gunther Cunningham, Lions defensive coordinator, was dropping hints about a player they think they can get in the second who they'll move to a new role. Many thought this meant a DE/OLB type player, it could just as easily be a move for an inside linebacker moving outside.

Round 3: No. 66 overall - Ben Tate, RB, Auburn. As stated above, the Lions will need an all around back that can carry the load with Kevin Smith in a single back set. Tate fits that bill. In this spot there are also still a lot of possiblities, most notably CB, S, and OT. Names to look out for are Parish Cox, CB, Jared Veldheer, OT (who I doubt drops this far) and Morgan Burnett, S.

Round 4: No. 100 overall - Major Wright, S, Florida. - Again, this fills a need. Wright has blazing speed and can play alongside developing star Louis Delmas. Other names that might be there are Mitch Petrus, G and Ciron Black, OT/G.

Round 7(a): No. 213 overall (from Seattle) - Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech. Finally, a cornerback? On the upside, the Lions have had Lito Shepard and Pac-Man Jones on speed dial for a couple weeks now, the position will not be completely ignored.

Round 7(b): No. 214 overall (from Cleveland) - Freddie Barnes, WR, Bowling Green. Not sure if he'd be there, but the guy did nothing but produce. 155 catches last year, who cares what system he's playing in! He'd be a great slot receiver and special teams guy.

Round 7 (c): No. 220 overall (from Denver) Trindon Holliday, WR, LSU - Ran a blazing 4.34 and is a return specialist, something the Lions haven't had for years.

Round 7(d): No. 255 overall (compensatory program) - Brett Swenson, K, MSU - How old is Jason Hanson? He's lost a lot on his kickoffs and he's been losing it on his accuracy for the last two years.
Total selections: 8

NFL Draft 2010 - The Lions SuperBowl

For me, this week is like...a week of Christmases. I love the NFL Draft (much to my wife's chagrin). As a fan of NFL and college football, this weekend is the culmination of the old year and the shining portal to the new year.

Every team is full of hope. Every team believes they're smarter than the other 31 teams in the league. Every fan can believe that they're every bit as intelligent as an NFL scout. Everybody has their own opinion about the abilities of potential players versus the needs of every NFL squad.

To most (especially my wife), it's boring as hell.

To me, it's heaven with cleats.

So this is going to be a long article, with a full first round mock and then a "guess-timation" of each of the Lions eight picks. Plus some cheerleaders, because I don't like to break with tradition. I'm old-fashioned like that.

The news so far.

OK, lets bring everybody up to speed on what the Lions have done up to this point, just two days before the Holy Day.

The Lions went 2-14 last season, which in the bizarro world of Lionsland, was an improvement from the prior year. You remember, 0-16, first team to ever lose 16 games in a season. Anyway, needless to say, the Lions still had many holes to fill.

Last year, the Lions drafted Matt Stafford to be The Franchise Savior, and early returns were pretty good. The team also drafted Brandon Pettigrew, a potential pro-bowl tight end, Louis Delmas, a very promising young safety, and DeAndre Levy, a starting caliber middle linebacker. They also drafted Sammie Hill, a run plugging defensive tackle who showed great potential. A very good haul for one draft.

But 0-16, could not be fixed in one year -- it probably won't be fixed in two either. So lets look at where they're at now.

1. Corner Back. The Lions have had the worst passing defense in the league for three years running now. That about says it all.

The Lions have acquired Chris Houston, CB from the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth round pick. This was done in concert with not bringing back Philip Buchanon and Anthony Henry, last year's pitiful secondary. Houston is a starting caliber corner, who is probably best suited as the "off" corner, i.e. the guy who takes on the offenses second best wide receiver. The Lions also signed CB Jonathon Wade, who is most likely a nickel or dime defensive back. In other words the Lions still need a corner that they'll feel safe leaving on an island against the opposition's biggest receiving threat.

This is most likely an issue that should be addressed in the draft. However, the Lions have also held separate talks with both Adam "Pac-Man" Jones and Lito Sheppard, both free agent corner's who may be able to fill the job, if the draft board doesn't fall they way the Lions need it to.

2. Guard. The Lions traded their sixth round pick for Seattle guard Rob Sims, who has been professed by several sporting periodicals to be a top ten player at his position. This move has quieted most talk of moving Jeff Backus inside to guard. However, there is a large contingent who still believe that the Lions should use the #2 pick in the NFL Draft on the best left tackle on the board and kick Backus to the curb. This is may actually happen.

3. Outside Linebacker. The Lions were part of a completely unexpected deal in which they sent Ernie Sims to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for TE Tony Scheffler and Denver's seventh round pick. This leaves a huge gaping hole on the weakside of the defense and gives the Lions an embarrassment of riches at TE. This, most likely, should lead to the Lions using a two tight end set as one of the teams primary formations, but it also means that they'll most likely be running one back sets, i.e. they won't be using a fullback and they'll need a good all around running back. Which brings us to the Lions next major need.

4. Running Back. Kevin Smith was the primary back last season. He didn't play well, continually showed that he didn't have the break away speed needed to go the distance and took a major step backward in his ability to break tackles. And then, in December, he tore his ACL and blew up his knee. It is not known whether Smith will be back in time for next season and history has shown that it usually takes at least two years for a player to get back to 100%. Maurice Morris, the Lions backup running back, showed that he might actually be better, but he's not exactly the next coming of Barry. Aaron Brown showed exceptional speed, but couldn't be counted on to remember his blocking assignments and was in the doghouse several times because of it. Their have been several rumors about the Lions talking to teams about acquiring a couple of different backs prior to the draft and it is possible the team could trade picks during the draft for a new ball carrier. Names that have been heard include, Marshawn Lynch and Lendale White.

5. Defensive Tackle. As has been mentioned before, the Lions have had the worst passing defense three years running, their rushing defense has also ranked in the thirties (of 32 possible teams) for that same time period. The Lions began addressing this issue by trading a fifth round pick (the Lions had two) for Cleveland DT Cory Williams, a good penetrating DT who was playing out of position in the Brown's 3-4 defense. This gives the Lions a tandem of Sammie Hill, primarily a run stuffer, and Williams, primarily a pass rusher. But what they really need is...

Ndamukong Suh, who should be the Lions pick with the #2 overall selection. Suh is the most complete, most awe inspiring defensive player to come out in years. At least since Julius Peppers and some say since Bruce Smith and Reggie White. He is a once in a generation defensive Armageddon that cannot be denied. The type of player the Lions haven't had in my lifetime. The closest possibility in Lions history is Bubba Baker...Please God, make the Lions bring "The Kong" to Detroit!

6. Wide Receiver. Calvin Johnson wasn't just double teamed all last year, he was triple teamed all last year, because there was no other player on the Lions roster that the opposing defense had to worry about. To address this, the Lions signed Nate Burleson, a slick #2 receiver who may be better suited to the slot, but who has been consistent throughout his career, can make people miss and has very good hands.

7. Defensive End. Did I mention "worst passing defense three years running"? The Lions had no pass rush. The first position that was addressed in free agency was DE with the signing of Kyle VandenBosch. However, on the other side, the Lions are still hoping for something from Jason Hunter and Cliff Avril.

8. Safety. The Lions have Delmas, who's proven to be great so far, but he has nobody worth noting playing next to him.


First Round Mock*
*The sad faces are not necessarily about who they draft, it's that they don't have cheerleaders.

1. St. Louis - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. The Rams have passed on three franchise quarterbacks over the last three years. Marc Bulger is gone. The greatest show on turf is long, long gone. This team needs to start over, because as bad as the Lions have been....St. Louis has been on our tail down the drain the last few years.

2. Detroit - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska. Love THE KONG! As noted above, the Lions are in desperate need at pretty much every position on the defense. Suh is the best player available in this draft. His game against Texas in the Big 12 championship was every bit as impressive as Vince Young's dismantling of USC in the National Championship game a few years ago.
3. Tampa Bay - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. People are saying that McCoy is 1a in the defensive tackle department, but to me he seems to have one big red flag--he only put up 23 reps at the combine, a number that was beaten by many cornerbacks. And he never tried to improve on that number. If he had a bad day, ok, but don't just leave that number out on the board.

4. Washington - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma. The Redskins lost Chris Samuels to retirement this last year and they have nobody on their roster who could replace him. There is a lot of argument between who's better, Okung or Williams and as the Skins will run Alex Gibb's Zone block cutting scheme, Williams seems the better fit here.
5. Kansas City - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee. KC is bad. They need every player they can get. They have spent a lot of picks in recent years on the offensive line and still have needs, but I think they have to get a playmaker in the back end of their defense.
6. Seattle - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State. Walter Jones is pondering retirement as he went down with a season injury last year and is recovering at a very slow pace. A replacement needs to be acquired sooner, rather than later.
7. Cleveland - Earl Thomas, S, Texas. Cleveland has major secondary problems and huge question marks at QB. They've brought in the turnover machine named "Jake Delhomme" and also traded for a career backup in Seneca Wallace, while getting rid of both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Mike Holmgren, the new guy in charge in Cleveland, has said publicly that he "wished he liked Clausen more." That sounds to me like their breaking up..."it's not you, honey, it's me..."
8. Oakland - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame. Jamarcus Russell has been the biggest bust since Charles Rogers. There is talk of the Raiders addressing the offensive line, which certainly needs to be done, but talk of them drafting OT Bruce Campbell because of his triangle numbers at the combine is insulting to NFL stalwart Al Davis...almost as insulting as all the Detroit's going to draft another wide receiver jokes.
9. Buffalo - Anthony Davis, DT, Rutgers. I think Buffalo was really hoping that Clausen would fall to them, but since he doesn't they'll draft their next franchise LT. They still haven't replaced Jason Peters from two years ago.
10. Jacksonville - Derek Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech. This may be a stretch, as the Jaguars drafted two defensive ends high last year, but it doesn't appear that either of them panned out and there is still a great need for a pass rush in Jacksonville.
11. Denver - Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee. After shipping out Brandon Marshall for two second round picks, you'd think the Broncos and Josh McDaniels would be searching for a replacement #1 WR, but Dez Bryant has too many marks against him, both in maturity and the fact that he hasn't played in almost a year. Williams can provide a stalwart front on a defense that has been slipping for a while.
12. Miami - Joe Haden, CB, Florida. Joe Haden ran slow at the combine and that stigma has attached to him since. Many believe, especially in Florida, that he is a shutdown corner in the make of Darrell Revis. Bill Parcells can't get enough defensive playmakers.
13. SF - CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson. The Forty-Niners need a complement to Frank Gore. CJ Spiller has olympic sprinter type speed and can hit a home run from anywhere on the field.
14. Seattle - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State. Wilson is flying up draft boards, which is amazing for a guy who most had never heard of before the Senior Bowl just a few months ago. Wilson is a lock down corner with a nose for the football and a penchant for tackling. He'll immediately improve the defense.
15. NY Giants - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama. The Giants have been targeting McClain for months now. They are in desperate need of a new MLB with loss of Antonio Pierce. There are some strange questions about Crohn's Disease surrounding McClain, ie does he really have it, but McClain is an upstanding citizen along with a great football player and gym rat.
16. Tennessee - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, Southern Florida. The Titans lost Kyle Vandenbosch through free agency and they are still trying to find a replacement for the production that Jevon Kearse used to provide the team. JPP is another freak in terms of his triangle numbers and could provide a new pass rush.
17. SF - Mike Iupati, G, Idaho. Iupati has been the darling of the draft, quietly sneaking up the charts for months. He is an uberaggressive guard who may even eventually move out to tackle.
18. Pittsburgh -Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan. Graham was made to play outside linebacker for the Steelers. He follows what seems a well paved road from the Big House to Heinz field.
19. Atlanta -Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri. Weatherspoon fits a need for Mike Smith's defense. In recent years, the defense has taken a beating. Weatherspoon is a very active, aggressive and overly talkative player who'll bring some attitude to the Dirty Birds.
20. Houston - Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State. The Texans add another weapon to Matt Schaub's arsenal. Matthews is a perfect complement to the slashing style of Steve Slaton.
21. Cincinnati -Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State. This is more a pick convenience. The Bengals could not pass up on the value of Bryant at this point in the draft. Pairing Bryant with Ochocinco and Antonio Bryant would take the pressure off of Cedric Benson and the running game. The Bengals and Carson Palmer would be very hard to stop.
22. New England - Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas. Kindle provides speed, speed, and more speed from the outside. He'll pair with Jerrod Mayo in a stellar linebacking core.
23. Green Bay - Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers. McCourty is the best of the corners left. He provides speed on the outside, can return punts and provides insurance for a Packer secondary that is rapidly approaching applying for Medicare.
24. Philadelphia - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa. The Eagles are primed to take a DE/DT here, but Bulaga's value won't allow it. Bulaga will step into either the left or right tackle right away and greatly improve the protection of the new found Eagle savior, Kevin Kolb.
25. Baltimore - Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama. The Ravens defense has been getting long in the tooth for several years now. The secondary lost Chris McCallister last year and need continue to upgrade the team's coverage abilities.
26. Arizona - Sean Lee, MLB, Penn State. In a bit of a reach, the Cardinals move to replace the loss of Karlos Dansby in free agency. Lee has quietly been moving up draft charts and is believed to be one of the safest picks in this draft.
27. Dallas - Taylor Mays, S, USC. Mays is freakish athlete with questions about his coverage ability. He could instantly step into the Cowboys secondary and bolster the run defense and will improve in his pass coverage.
28. San Diego - Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama. The 360-370 lb Cody will clog the middle of the Charger defense for years to come. Needless to say, at that weight, there have been questions about possible weight problems and the likelihood of Mt. Cody eating himself out of the league, but at the nose tackle in the 3-4 there is a long history of mammoth men with long, long careers.
29. NY Jets - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida. The Jets have loaded up on so much talent via trades and free agency this off season, this seems to be the team that has everything. Pouncey falls to them and pairs up with Sanchez for the next ten years.
30. Minnesota - Colt McCoy, QB, Texas. In a surprise move, the Vikings select a Drew Brees clone to build into the heir apparent of Brett Favre. McCoy may be a bit on the shorter side, but he has just as many intangibles as Jesus Tebow without the questions about his throwing motion.
31. Indianapolis - Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State. When you play in the SuperBowl, you typically don't have a lot of glaring needs. Odrick adds to an already very formidable front for this year's also rans.
32. New Orleans - Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU. Hughes adds to the one weakness that the Champs had. They need to increase the pass rush abilities of their defense.