Are the Lions trying something "innovative?"

Personally, in my opinion, the Lions haven't been on the cutting edge of anything except finding new ways to lose since the day Mouse Davis was canned and the Silver Stretch died.

They have stayed with a base 4-3 defense for more than twenty years. Even though almost two-thirds of the league has at least flirted with the 3-4. The Lions did try the West Coast Offense (only ten years after everyone had already figured out how to stop it.)

To say that the Lions are cutting edge on offense or defense is grounds for a straight jacket fitting...but looking at the team this year and the changes that have been made, I'm pleasantly surprised that the Lions may indeed be trying something nobody else is doing.

Now, every team in the league has a two tight end set. Usually, it is used for goal line and short yardage situations. Some, like the Indianapolis Colts, even throw out of the formation from time to time.

It looks like the Lions will now be using this set as the offensive base. Is this going to set the league on fire and set new scoring records? Probably not. But it is a diversion from the norm and it appears to be a very intelligent move in the right direction.

By going to a two tight end, single back set the Lions are able to put their most talented playmakers all on the field at the same time. Last year's #20 overall pick, TE Brandon Pettigrew was showing real flashes at the end of last season, before he incurred a nasty knee injury. TE Tony Scheffler is another gifted receiver who can open up the middle of the field for The Franchize. Scheffler is better and more proven than the Lions current #3 wide receiver, Bryant Johnson.

With Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson on the outside, the drop off to Bryant Johnson is significant.

Another, not to be overlooked, advantage of this set is the ability for the Lions to be able to protect another weakness, the offensive line and the right tackle in particular. Gosder Cherilus is in his third season now and still hasn't been able to play consistently well enough to keep his position. He is currently in a training camp battle with Jon Jansen, a 481 year old fossil, and it is still up in the air if he'll win out.

Jeff Backus has been the unheralded left tackle for ten years now and as bad as the offensive line has been, he's always been the fall guy. I have often said that Backus probably could have been a multiple probowl tackle--if the Lions had played him at right tackle his entire career. Backus, like most tackles, has great difficulty with speed rushers.

Covering up both of those tackles with tight ends does nothing but help them both and slowing down that pass rush keeps Stafford standing a little bit longer so he can launch his rockets deeper down the field to Calvin.

And this is probably the biggest change in the Lions over the last two years...they are looking at what talent they have and are actively trying to find the best way to work with that talent. They are not trying to slam square pegs into round holes anymore.

Pie in the Sky 2010 Lions Prediction - 7-9

So, how much of the kool-aid have I drunk? Apparently, more than I realized. In looking at the schedule and thinking about the supposed improvements of our grid iron warriors, this prediction doesn't seem completely out of the realms of possibility. If they can just win the games that they should expect to win. It shouldnt' be that bad. Let me explain...

Week 01Sun, 09/12 at 1:00 PM EDT Away Soldier Field

The Lions open the season at Soldier Field against the Bears new Mike Martz led offense. For a team that has basically no secondary to speak of, this could be a very large scale problem. But as I think about it long and hard, I start to see some hope. The Martz offense is predicated on long seven step drops and great timing between the quarterbacks and wide receivers. The strength of the Lions defense is in it's front four. If Suh, VandenBosch and Williams can play as expected, the Bears may not have the required time to execute the Mad Scientists offense. Furthermore, they are playing a somewhat inexperienced offensive line, which further boosts the Lions chances for generating a pass rush. Lastly, Martz's offense usually takes a few weeks to start clicking. Prediction: Lions win, 1-0.

Week 02 Sun, 09/19 at 1:00 PM EDT Ford Field

My enthusiasm only goes so far. The Eagles are a ready made playoff team. Yes they have a relative unknown ready to take over the helm for the departed Donavon McNabb, but Kolb has been in training for the last three years (see Aaron Rodgers/Brett Favre). Furthermore, while the Lions defensive line is supposed to be the strength of the defense and the secondary is....well, not, the Eagles run a West Coast offense, which will be only too happy to concentrate on three step drops and shredding our biggest weakness for 60 minutes. Prediction: Lions lose, 1-1.

Week 03 Sun, 09/26 at 1:00 PM EDT Away: Mall of America Field

Whether the Devil who wears #4 plays or not is huge in this meeting. The Lions simply throw out their white flags whenever that Mississippi Douche shows up. Something about him scares the holy hell out anybody sporting a Lion on their helmet. I will assume that the Devil will be back, no matter what he says--that media whore can't go three weeks without doing something to see helicopters circling his alligator infested compound. If he doesn't play and the Tavaris Jackson Era (Part II) is underway, all bets are off. I'd like to see Adrian Peterson running against the Lions improved D-Line. Prediction: Lions lose, 1-2.

Week 04 Sun, 10/03 at 1:00 PM EDT Away: Lambeau Field

With no Favre down the road in Minnesota, Green Bay becomes that prohibitive favorite to take the NFC North. With the Devil, the Packers simply have competition. This is the second year and only third time in 20 years that the Lions have played at Lambeau without snow on the ground. But don't expect the streak to end this year. This is another West Coast offense who can destroy our pitiful secondary. Prediction: Lions lose, 1-3

Week 05 Sun, 10/10 at 1:00 PM EDT Ford Field

Last year, everybody and their brother circled the Lions date with the Rams as the most likely possibility to end the infamous losing streak. Of course the Redskins were nice enough to jump in and end the streak first, because the Lions lost to the Rams 17-10, when the Rams shoved Stephen Jackson down the Lions throats for the entire game. This year, hopefully, the new DL can stop Jackson. Also, with Sam Bradford, a rookie, starting, the Lions chances look pretty good...of course I said that a few years ago when the Lions opened at home with Atlanta who was starting a rookie in Matt Ryan....Prediction: Lions win, 2-3.

Week 06 Sun, 10/17 at 1:00 PM EDT Away: New Meadowlands Stadium

The Lions will make their first visit to the brand spanking new billion dollar digs of the Giants and Jets. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that this game is one that the Lions surprise some people. The Giants are getting exceedingly old on defense. Their front is no where near what it used to be. The receivers in New York are not much to get excited about and Eli Manning is, in my opinion, way overrated. I like the Lions for the upset. Prediction: Lions win, 3-3.

Week 08 Sun, 10/31 at 1:00 PM EDT Ford Field

Welcome back, Skins! We really missed you. The Lions get the new Skins, with Mike Shanahan and Donavon McNabb after the week 7 bye. Aside from quarterback, I am not really sure where the Skins have made significant changes, let alone upgrades. I'm hoping that this isn't one of those "the Lions will prove you wrong" games. Prediction: Lions win, 4-3.

Week 09 Sun, 11/07 at 1:00 PM EST Ford Field

The first ever meeting between the top two quarterbacks of the 2009 draft. The Franchize vs. The Sanchize. But this game will have little to do with the QB's and a lot more to do with the fact that the Jets are built to be a Super Bowl juggernaut this season. This is sad, because I truly do believe that, on even teams, Stafford would definitely out-duel Sanchez. Prediction: Lions lose, 4-4.

Week 10 Sun, 11/14 at 1:00 PM EST Away: Ralph Wilson Stadium

Long, long, long, long gone are the days of Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurmon Thomas and Andre Reed. The Bills are a bad team with probably the worst offensive line in professional football. The Bills, seeing this massive deficiency, promptly drafted another running back to lead to the slaughter. I guess you can never have enough good running backs when everybody you hand the football to is going to be killed. Prediction: Lions win, 5-4.

Week 11 Sun, 11/21 at 1:00 PM EST Away: Cowboys Stadium

I can see how the City of Detroit will react when the Lions hit 5-4. "Above .500 after the midway point? We've got a chance to make the playoffs!" But alas, it is not to be this year. From this point on, the Lions will face a long, impossible road. The Cowboys will probably kill them. Prediction: Lions loss, 5-5.

Week 12 Thu, 11/25 at 12:30 PM EST Ford Field

Unless Tom Brady is run over a bus, or a hoard of screaming supermodels, the Lions stand no chance here. The Patriots will definitely kill them. Why? Because the Patriots are a real contender and the Lions are years away from being a pretender that fans might actually be fooled into believing in. Also, it's the Thanksgiving day game and the Lions have looked abysmal on Thanksgiving, pretty much since Barry left. Prediction: Lions loss, 5-6.

Week 13 Sun, 12/05 at 1:00 PM EST Ford Field

Simply because I don't really expect Jay Cutler to have two legs to stand on by this point in the season, I'm going to hand the Lions a sweep of the Chicago Bears this year. Besides, Cutler and a punt returner that the Bears now refuse to return punts, I don't think they have any weapons. Matt Forte was a one year wonder and the line is shaky at best. The defense? How old is Brian Urlacher? Prediction: Lions win, 6-6.

Week 14 Sun, 12/12 at 1:00 PM EST Ford Field

Green Bay in December with playoff implications? Get ready for a major league withering. This is when the young up and comers see what winning in the NFL is really and truly all about. Again, those who have truly partaken of the hometown cornbread will refuse to see the inevitable. This won't be like the Marinelli year that they started out 6-2...not that bad. But it won't be all that good either. Prediction: Lions blown out, 6-7.

Week 15 Sun, 12/19 at 1:00 PM EST Away: Raymond James Stadium

Detroit picked second in the draft this year. The Bucs picked third. And they picked third for a reason. They had a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback. This year they went and picked a dominant defensive tackle really high....does any of this sound familiar. I think the difference lies in that the Bucs have nobody that compares to a Calvin Johnson. Although they will probably be logically eliminated from playoff contention already in this scenario...lets see if they can rebound from what was probably an epic trouncing at the hands of the Packers the week before. The Lions achieve the first non-10 loss season in what seems like forever. Prediction: Lions win, 7-7.

Week 16 Sun, 12/26 at 1:00 PM EST Away: Sun Life Stadium

Wow, 7-7 with two weeks left, just on the outside of the wild card race? Can the Lions step it up? Not a chance. Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, Chad Henne, and an improved defense put the Motown upstarts back in their place. The Dolphins will most likely be in the same position as our hometown heroes and I don't like the Lions chances in that scenario. All talk of the Cinderella kitties ends both logically and mathematically. Prediction: Lions lose, 7-8.

Week 17 Sun, 01/02 at 1:00 PM EST Ford Field

The Leos will try valiantly to end on an up note, but it will not be meant to be against another bonafide playoff contender. In what hopefully will be the Devil's last ride, I expect him to once again beat down the Lions. Prediction: Lions loss, 7-9. Third in the NFC North.

So are my predictions so far off base? Really everything is contingent on the Lions beating the teams that, on paper, they really should beat. But you know the Lions, they're always out to prove us wrong.

The Kong Signs, the Truth About Camp, and The Devil Retires Again, again

The Kong is signed! Let the havoc begin!

The Kong has finally signed his contract and although it is reported as being $40 million guaranteed, just under Stafford's $41.7 million guaranteed last year, Suh has become the highest paid player in Honolulu Blue. Why? Because the Kong signed for five years vice Stafford's six and also will bring up the harsh reality that in five years there is a strong possibility that the head office down at Allen Park will have to negotiate the expiring contracts of both Suh and Stafford in five years.

Depending on how things shake out with the new collective bargaining agreement next year, this could be a large scale problem.
Of course, these are the Lions and it is just as possible that the team won't want anything to do with either of the high priced bums.

Lets hope that's not the case.

The Truth about training camp

Let me say this right off the bat, in terms of figuring the possible success of the team in the coming season, training camp is completely and utterly meaningless.
Why?

First of all, no matter what you read about the offense or defense and how impressive they look in practice, remember this, they are playing the Lions offense or defense in practice. One could get a better impression if the team brought in blind nuns to scrimmage against.

It's not that I'm denigrating blind nuns, they may be a very potent team -- they could have the power of God on their side, who knows? What I'm saying nobody knows how good they are. If the offense lights it up against the Lions secondary, they're probably supposed to -- the Lions secondary is supposed to be awful. If the offense can't seem to put it together against the Lions defense that could be a really bad omen, but it could also mean that the improved defensive line and the new guys in that same secondary are really making a difference. Could also mean that the d-line is simply taking advantage of bad offensive line...

The whole point is, we don't know. Nobody knows. Nobody knows until the first week of the real season, i.e. not the preseason g
ames.

Why not the preseason games? Because every other NFL team is doing the same thing the Lions are trying to do, find out what works and what doesn't, who's good and who isn't. It's never about winning in the preseason. It's only about getting players on tape so that they can be properly evaluated.

The Devil who wears #4 retires again...

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but Brett Favre has announced that he is retiring--for the third time. This of course means nothing. After all, everyone knows that the Devil is the Lord of Lies.

I would love to be excited about the Devil leaving the game, but I've heard the story so many times by so many people that I simply won't believe it until the Super Bowl rolls around and Favre hasn't taken a snap yet.

He claims that he will retire because he injured his ankle last season and it still hasn't completely healed. He has pulled this kind of thing before. In my opinion, he just really hates training camp and will be calling up the Vikings with a week to go and say "Hey, how about a raise and I'll come give you guys another shot at winning it all..."

And Childress will throw another $20 million (for a single season!) of his owners money at the Devil and he'll be taking snaps again in time to continue his damned-able games played streak.

The Devil has beaten the Lions like a baby seal for so long now that is simply seems like an inevitability. A foregone conclusion that the Lions will never be able to avoid.

The Kong stated in interviews before and after the draft that he would relish the chance to sack the old man. I am pretty sure that he will get that chance.

Just because...

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.