What a draft

[WannabeGuru]

Lions addressed NONE of the 4 GLARING weakness of the team, instead deciding to "play to our strengths." I haven't been this ticked about a draft since the 2005 debacle.

[moochman]

I agree that the Lions did an awful job of addressing needs.But as a chronic Lions fan I learned to be more positive. Try thinking of it like this. The Lions did a fantastic job of ignoring their needs.
I actually don't hate the first three picks, though could have lived without Titus Young choice. Leary of anyone who played in gimmicky Boise-ball scheme. Quality of competition and high flying O makes me question ifTitus helped Boise blow up, or vice-versa.
Like Leshoure. He is the RB we haven't had, a power back who can run. If his skills translate to the pros, Best will be a nice complement to Leshoure. Hope is he will be hardy enough to carry the ball full time, and talented enough to do lots of damage.
I'd be lying to say I knew anything about Houge. Wait, I do know one thing, he has only played LB for two years in college. To be thrown into a weak LB corps is asking a lot of a seasoned LB, but for someone learing on the job? Seems a lot to ask. Would have much rather they'd tried not to be the smart guy in the room and simply took a higher rated player, like Chris Carter. Once Stillers took him, a few picks later, the Lions were exposed. Hoax is a total reach who should have been invited to camp rather than drafted. Hey, hopefully I am wrong. Sure would like to stop hoping for that with this team.
Last round pick was another ghost of Millen's past. Sure, its unlikely that we find a player, but at least we could draft someone who had some credentials. OL Culbreath is pretty light at 285. Don't see how it makes sense to pick a player who already has to make up for physical limitations when there are plenty of chunkier OL to be had. Once again we see that Mayhew has Millen's knack for swinging and missing on later round picks. If Young doesn't make an impact this season, like any second rounder should, I have to start to think that Mayhew will turn Draft day into May Day.
Grade - C+ Liked Fairly and Leshoure, luke (staley) warm on Titus Young, and am puzzled by the rest.

[scottaa1]

Try thinking of it like this. The Lions did a fantastic job of ignoring their needs.

This is why mooch should take over for Goodell. Positiveness.

Plus he makes me

I didn't get to watch a single pick of the draft this year

[WannabeGuru]

I agree that the Lions did an awful job of addressing needs.But as a chronic Lions fan I learned to be more positive. Try thinking of it like this. The Lions did a fantastic job of ignoring their needs.
I actually don't hate the first three picks, though could have lived without Titus Young choice. Leary of anyone who played in gimmicky Boise-ball scheme. Quality of competition and high flying O makes me question ifTitus helped Boise blow up, or vice-versa.
Like Leshoure. He is the RB we haven't had, a power back who can run. If his skills translate to the pros, Best will be a nice complement to Leshoure. Hope is he will be hardy enough to carry the ball full time, and talented enough to do lots of damage.
I'd be lying to say I knew anything about Houge. Wait, I do know one thing, he has only played LB for two years in college. To be thrown into a weak LB corps is asking a lot of a seasoned LB, but for someone learing on the job? Seems a lot to ask. Would have much rather they'd tried not to be the smart guy in the room and simply took a higher rated player, like Chris Carter. Once Stillers took him, a few picks later, the Lions were exposed. Hoax is a total reach who should have been invited to camp rather than drafted. Hey, hopefully I am wrong. Sure would like to stop hoping for that with this team.
Last round pick was another ghost of Millen's past. Sure, its unlikely that we find a player, but at least we could draft someone who had some credentials. OL Culbreath is pretty light at 285. Don't see how it makes sense to pick a player who already has to make up for physical limitations when there are plenty of chunkier OL to be had. Once again we see that Mayhew has Millen's knack for swinging and missing on later round picks. If Young doesn't make an impact this season, like any second rounder should, I have to start to think that Mayhew will turn Draft day into May Day.
Grade - C+ Liked Fairly and Leshoure, luke (staley) warm on Titus Young, and am puzzled by the rest.

I like the players themselves, I just can't justify drafting them. How we passed on Amukamara I will never understand. The Lions will rue the day they made that mistake.

[moochman]

Wannabe, for now I have to trust the Schwartz and consider that they just weren't that high on the LBs and CBs that were available after the first round. I would rather have taken Fairley over Prince every time. The value he adds to the pass protect via shutting down run, thus leading to more long distance pass plays, and helping Suh collapse pockets will make whatever junk they have in the back 7 this season.
Have to think that drafting OL, LB, and CBs will be heavily emphasized next year. Remember, building a team is not done in one season.

[dream_017]

Wannabe, for now I have to trust the Schwartz and consider that they just weren't that high on the LBs and CBs that were available after the first round. I would rather have taken Fairley over Prince every time. The value he adds to the pass protect via shutting down run, thus leading to more long distance pass plays, and helping Suh collapse pockets will make whatever junk they have in the back 7 this season.
Have to think that drafting OL, LB, and CBs will be heavily emphasized next year. Remember, building a team is not done in one season.

Also, remember that there has not been a free agency period yet. Look how the defense kept us in games with adding a DL last year...now imagine putting pressure on the QB with fresh defensive line players every single down. That in itself is going to help the DBs...like it did last year.

[stomperrob]

I kinda like the first pick - that's gonna be a scary defensive line with Fairley & Suh up front. If there's any concern about his work habits, I have faith in Schwartz & Suh to make sure the kid gives 110% at all times. My only hope is that Fairley loses those glasses and gets more subtle frames - he looks like Steve Erkel on steroids!!!
I was kinda hoping the Lions would address the need at DB in the second round, but Leshoure is a good pickup.

And it was great to see Barry Sanders on the panel on day 2 of the draft!!!

[moochman]

I kinda like the first pick - that's gonna be a scary defensive line with Fairley & Suh up front.

I get giddy just thinking about how imposing the interior D line could be over the next half decade.

Makes me harken back to the days when we went against conventional thinking and drafted BMW. I still smile thinking of how opposing secondaries must have trembled at the thought of trying to cover... Wait, that didn't work out well. Lets hope my euphoria ends with success this time. It just has too, doesn't it?

[Calyxes]

Mooch this draft had me thinking back to those days of BMW, Rogers, and Williams also. I can remember thinking "how is anyone going to stop Joey Harrington and that WR crew!" Throw in Kevein Jones and I thought we were going to be set on offense and drafting for the Defense for years to come. Well........

I do like the pick of Fairley. I would take him over the Prince in every situation. I hope he gets that mean streak that Suh came into the league with. If he does, watch out because they will be knocking some QB's out next year! I am not sure what LB's are out there, but I would think that this would be an ideal spot for a LB. With the D line stacked the way it is, a free agent LB could come in here and not have to worry about having many offensive lineman getting up on him. Oppossing lineman are going to be so worried about the DL that a LB should be able to run around all over the field and smack some people!

[moochman]

I am hoping that that is the plan. We took a DL rather than a pass rushing tackle, but now we can add athletic LBs who, in theory, should be able to rush unabated to the QB. And there's your pass rush. I feel it is critical for us to draft a great LB next year too tie this D together. You can see how the pieces all fall into place. LB next season, secondary year after, all the while supplimenting those positions via free agency, and we could have a Superbowl contending defense within a period of three years. Hard to imagine the Lions could be taking Mooch's advice and start "building something good here."

Excited?

Yeah.