The Detroit Lions have their first three picks in and one can only wonder. Did Mayhew and Schwartz actually do the draft this year or did they bring back Millen for one last hurah?
Round 1:
Before the draft, if you asked any Lions fan what positions the Lions needed to draft the least, they would have said Quarterback, Defensive Tackle, and Tight end. Obvious choices. Myself? I would have put them in the order of Defensive Tackle, Tight End and then Quarterback. So what do the Lions draft with their first round, 13th overall pick? Nick Fairley, a Defensive Tackle!
I understand that most fans like this pick. I know of one poll that the last I heard, had 88% of the fans liking the pick. I just do not understand why.
The Lions have Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams, and Sammie Lee Hill at Defensive Tackle. The Lions as a team in 2010, had 44 sacks. Only 4 less than the NFL leaders, the Pittsburgh Steelers. 39 of those sacks came from the defensive line. Only 5 sacks came from linebackers and defensive backs. When it comes to getting after the quarterback, the Lions defensive line is arguably the best in the NFL. It was the last place they needed to add a player. So drafting a DT in the first round essentially means the Lions spent their 13th overall pick, in a draft when they needed to address so many holes, with depth!
How good is Fairley? Many believe he is going to be awesome. Some comments try to put him on the level with Suh. Let us get one thing straight. There is absolutely no way he is on the level with Suh. When Suh came out, he was not touted as the best DT in the draft. He was touted as the best DT to come out of college in over a decade and possibly ever! Before the Lions drafted Fairley, I rarely heard his name mentioned. To take it farther, Suh played great football for three continuous seasons in college. Fairley has had one big season.
Let us pretend for a moment he will be great though. How much better will he be than Corey Williams? Whether you like Williams or not, the truth is, he played at a pretty high level. Though he only had a couple sacks, Williams had a hand in breaking up a lot of plays. He was the hammer that often sprung Suh free. IF Williams was not good enough, the Lions would not have been able to pull Suh off the line and use him as a blitzing linebacker. Even if Fairly is great.... Even if he is better than Corey Williams, he still only improves the starting unit so much. It is not like he replaces a DT who was not very good. He does not improve the Lions D-line by leaps and bounds. He adds a lot of talent in the depth department. Essentially, he will be their so that the Lions will have four DTs to rotate in and out to keep them fresh.
Again, the Lions D-line had 39 sacks last year. How many more will they get?
On the board at the time they drafted Fairley, was still Prince Amukamara and Jimmy Smith. Two cornerbacks that many experts believed had the talent to press the receivers (something the Lions need desperately), and possibly be shutdown corners. Anyone who would rather have a DT who adds great depth over a top corner who would immediately make the Lions defensive backs a lot better, simply does not know football. Yes I am meaning this fir the Lions brass too!
I will say it again. Last year the Lions defensive line was one of the best (if not THE best) at going after the quarterback. Of the other 7 starters on the field in defense, the Lions only had 2 players who belong starting. Louis Delmas and DeAndre Levy. That leaves 3 defensive backs and two outside linebackers who the Lions need to improve if they ever want to be a play-off contender. Five players of the eleven starters who would be nothing more than back-ups on other teams. The Lions could have addressed one of them and instead chose to add a DT that would add great depth.
Yet I keep hearing the statement that a team needs depth if they want to win games. I will tell you something much more important to have than depth if you want to be a winning team. Good starters! And only 6 good starters on the field at any time for a defense just doesn't cut it. Especially when 4 of them are in one unit.
Round 2:
The second round started with a vengeance to insult the Lions brass. The first two picks off the board? Cornerbacks! The one position the Lions need to address the most. The Lions finally got to pick with the 44th pick of the NFL draft. Did they get a cornerback? No. How about a linebacker? Nope. Ah, then they must have taken an offensive lineman right? Not quite!
The Lions select, Boise State Receiver, Titus Young.
Now as bad as this sounds, I actually like this pick more than the first round pick. Not that I love it by any means, but at least I feel like they did address a need. The Lions need a receiver who can stretch the defense opposite Calvin Johnson. He does not have to be a great receiver. He just has to be good enough that if they ignore him, he will get past the secondary and pull in some long passes. This will force defenses to keep their safeties back and in turn, it will open a little more running room and give Calvin more one on ones.
Titus Young is not a great pick, but at least I can see where his presence can create problems for defenses and make the rest of the offense better. So for this pick I can live with it.
Round 2b:
The Lions made their usual trade to move up again. This is one thing I absolutely love about Mayhew. He is not looking to trade down and acquire more picks like many think. He looks to move up and get higher quality players who can become starters. So Mayhew made a trade with the Seattle Seahawks and gave them their 3rd and 4th round picks as well as swapped places in the 5th and 7th round. In other words, they essentially gave up the rest of their draft to move back into the second round.
With the 57th pick in the 2011 draft, the Lions take.... a cornerback? A linebacker? An offensive lineman? No! They draft Illinois RB, Mikel LeShoure.
Some fans believe the Lions needed a big hard running RB to run between tackles. To get the extra yard on short yardage downs. It seems the Lions brass has agreed. The fact that the Lions center, Dominic Raiola is under sized had nothing to do with it. That the line of scrimmage was often pushed back a couple yards wasn't at fault. We used Suh as a fullback on short yardage and he ran into a wall two yards short of the line of scrimmage, but a big RB will make the difference? I don't see it. The fact that the play calling was horrendous most of the time and that the QB, Shaun Hill rarely threw the ball more than 7 yards in the air, had nothing to do with the bad running game. We can play in a way that bring the defense in tight, taking away running room and filling run lanes quicker, but we will place the blame on the running backs.
It was not a RB we needed to get so bad. We needed a center who can push the line of scrimmage rather than be pushed backwards! The Lions need a fullback who can lead block to clear open some running lanes! What the Lions did not need was a hard running RB, because they already had one in Felton! He is listed as a fullback, but he was never used as one. He is only used as a hard hitting RB.
The Final Verdict:
So the Lions went into the draft needing Cornerbacks, outside Linebackers and possibly a safety the most on defense. They needed a Center, a right tackle, a receiver, and maybe a fullback on offense. After three picks (spending their first 4 picks for them), the Lions filled a total of 1 hole. Wide receiver!
As it stands, the Lions will enter the 2011 season (if there is one), with the same cornerbacks who could not cover a receiver, and the same linebackers, who could not cover or tackle. The Lions will enter the new season with virtually an unimproved starting line-up.
And I just cannot help but wonder. What hand did Millen play in this?
Showing posts with label 2011 NFL Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 NFL Draft. Show all posts
4/25/11
2011 NFL Draft - Year Of the Bust?
We are only a few days away from the 2011 NFL Draft, and there are all sorts of beliefs on what teams should do. I would like to take this opportunity to toss out my own advice. Beware of the bust! More than any year in recent memory, beware.
Let us go back in time, say about thirteen months ago. Remember the talk about how there might be a possible lockout in the coming year? How there was an influx of college players coming out early because they didn't want to get stuck with the rookie salary caps. The 2010 draft was considered one of the deepest in a long time.
Now I ask, if so many of the better players left college last year, what does that mean for this years draft class? Wouldn't that mean that there are not as many top players as in years before? That the top talent may not be as good as it was in years past? Sure you have some players who are absolutely great. Patrick Peterson, Prince Amukamara, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus and others may fall into that category. But the overall depth and talent level of the 2011 draft is not as strong as in years past.
Then I have to take it a step further and ask, how good are the top players this year? We look at the stats and say, "My God, how can you say they are not great?", and like I said, they may be great. But I also have to consider the fact that because the college ranks were not quite as talented as years past, these great players had great stats playing against lesser opponents. They simply did not play against the level of opponents they would have if the best players didn't leave early last year. Again, these players likely are great talents. I am just saying, they may not be quite as good as their numbers make us believe.
NFL Owners, GMs and coaches, take this advice. Beware of any player whose stats took a leap in the last year over previous years. Those are the players that could truly have racked up big stats because they played against lesser talent than years past. If you like a top player, don't be afraid to move up for him this year. Go after the surest things you can, because the later you go in the draft, the less chance of finding a gem. Far more less likely than any year in the past.
Let us go back in time, say about thirteen months ago. Remember the talk about how there might be a possible lockout in the coming year? How there was an influx of college players coming out early because they didn't want to get stuck with the rookie salary caps. The 2010 draft was considered one of the deepest in a long time.
Now I ask, if so many of the better players left college last year, what does that mean for this years draft class? Wouldn't that mean that there are not as many top players as in years before? That the top talent may not be as good as it was in years past? Sure you have some players who are absolutely great. Patrick Peterson, Prince Amukamara, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus and others may fall into that category. But the overall depth and talent level of the 2011 draft is not as strong as in years past.
Then I have to take it a step further and ask, how good are the top players this year? We look at the stats and say, "My God, how can you say they are not great?", and like I said, they may be great. But I also have to consider the fact that because the college ranks were not quite as talented as years past, these great players had great stats playing against lesser opponents. They simply did not play against the level of opponents they would have if the best players didn't leave early last year. Again, these players likely are great talents. I am just saying, they may not be quite as good as their numbers make us believe.
NFL Owners, GMs and coaches, take this advice. Beware of any player whose stats took a leap in the last year over previous years. Those are the players that could truly have racked up big stats because they played against lesser talent than years past. If you like a top player, don't be afraid to move up for him this year. Go after the surest things you can, because the later you go in the draft, the less chance of finding a gem. Far more less likely than any year in the past.
4/24/11
Detroit Lions Upcoming 2011 Draft
Only four days until the 2011 NFL Draft and for the first time in a while, NOBODY knows what the Detroit Lions are planning to do. In 2010, most of us had a good idea they would draft NDamukong Suh and thank God, they did. The year before that, it was widely expected they would draft Matthew Stafford with their first pick. This year? Your guess is as good as mine and mines as good as any NFL expert out there.
Ask most fans and they will tell you they hope the Lions can draft CB Prince Amukamara. He has the talent to be a shut down corner who is big enough to bump and run and the Lions desperately need to improve their cornerback position. However, as much as it would be the perfect pick, it likely will not happen. It would surprise me if he got past the 49ers and then there are a couple other teams that could use him after that.
If the Lions want a shut down corner, they have what essentially comes down to two choices. 1) They can package a couple picks with their 1st round pick and try to move up to 6th to get Amukamara before San Fransisco does. 2) The more likely scenario, is the Lions can take a chance and draft troubled cornerback, Jimmy Smith.
The media has had a field day with Smith lately. He has had run ins with the law for drinking under age and failed either one or four drug tests (depending on which report you read). Definitely does not sound like a player you want to take a chance on in the first round. But some things are not always black and white. Whatever Smith's problems were, they happened early on. He has said he was young and stupid and needed to grow up. The fact that he has not had any red flags in the last two years only lends his statements credit.
Personally, I don't care what he has done in the past. Whether it was drinking, pot, meth, robbery or grand theft auto, as long as it stays in the past, I am fine. It is not what a man has done in the past that matters, but who he is now that counts. Jimmy Smith has the size, speed and talent to be a shut down corner in the NFL. He would make an immediate impact on the Lions. He is ranked a top-10 pick if not for the problems in his past. So if he has cleaned up his act, the Lions should absolutely draft him with the 13th pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
Consider this. If the Lions pass up on him.... The Lions are an up and coming team. They ended the 2010 season with a four game winning streak. If they continue to show they can win, the Lions may be years before they get a pick in the first half of the first round again. With that in mind, ask yourself one thing. How long will it be before the Lions get another chance at a shut down corner again? This could be their last chance for years to come and they need to get him while they can. The Lions absolutely should either trade up and get the Prince, or sit tight and take Jimmy Smith.
It will be easier in the future to get a top linebacker in the later part of the first round than it will be to get a shut down corner.
Ask most fans and they will tell you they hope the Lions can draft CB Prince Amukamara. He has the talent to be a shut down corner who is big enough to bump and run and the Lions desperately need to improve their cornerback position. However, as much as it would be the perfect pick, it likely will not happen. It would surprise me if he got past the 49ers and then there are a couple other teams that could use him after that.
If the Lions want a shut down corner, they have what essentially comes down to two choices. 1) They can package a couple picks with their 1st round pick and try to move up to 6th to get Amukamara before San Fransisco does. 2) The more likely scenario, is the Lions can take a chance and draft troubled cornerback, Jimmy Smith.
The media has had a field day with Smith lately. He has had run ins with the law for drinking under age and failed either one or four drug tests (depending on which report you read). Definitely does not sound like a player you want to take a chance on in the first round. But some things are not always black and white. Whatever Smith's problems were, they happened early on. He has said he was young and stupid and needed to grow up. The fact that he has not had any red flags in the last two years only lends his statements credit.
Personally, I don't care what he has done in the past. Whether it was drinking, pot, meth, robbery or grand theft auto, as long as it stays in the past, I am fine. It is not what a man has done in the past that matters, but who he is now that counts. Jimmy Smith has the size, speed and talent to be a shut down corner in the NFL. He would make an immediate impact on the Lions. He is ranked a top-10 pick if not for the problems in his past. So if he has cleaned up his act, the Lions should absolutely draft him with the 13th pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
Consider this. If the Lions pass up on him.... The Lions are an up and coming team. They ended the 2010 season with a four game winning streak. If they continue to show they can win, the Lions may be years before they get a pick in the first half of the first round again. With that in mind, ask yourself one thing. How long will it be before the Lions get another chance at a shut down corner again? This could be their last chance for years to come and they need to get him while they can. The Lions absolutely should either trade up and get the Prince, or sit tight and take Jimmy Smith.
It will be easier in the future to get a top linebacker in the later part of the first round than it will be to get a shut down corner.
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