The world is fixing to end... (1 Viewer)

[Sinrman]

...if you include trades and all, of course. Detroit gets a dominant D-Lineman to go along with a great FA signing (Vanden Bosch). Draft a speedy RB to pick up the slack while Smith recoups, and then keep the defenses on their toes. Beefed the O-line a little (also with the trade for Sims).

Cleveland gets the top CB, a decent RB (Hardesty), and McCoy. Not a bad haul...

Oakland is all over the place, especially if you take the trades into account. I guess Al Davis is finally giving up on Russell, which is a surprise to me that he actually will admit defeat.

Now whether these three teams can translate this positive momentum into something this year will be interesting to watch... I think they will all win at LEAST 5 games (which is a big upgrade for Detroit) and maybe more.

Where's the nuclear explosion emoticon? :nuke:

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Not a big fan of what Cleveland did. I don't want to gripe about it with Browns fans, as long as they are happy, good. But in 3-4 years I think most will look back and realize that Holmgren is a better coach than front office guy. Look at the mess he elft behind in Seattle.

Cleveland needs to get better form the inside out and he starts at DB when most of the teams in their division are run 1st squads. Then he reaches at least 2 rounds to grab that Safety in the top of the 2nd...not a fan. And they got the cherry on top with Colt McCoy who I hate in the 3rd.

 

[Sinrman]

Not a big fan of what Cleveland did. I don't want to gripe about it with Browns fans, as long as they are happy, good. But in 3-4 years I think most will look back and realize that Holmgren is a better coach than front office guy. Look at the mess he elft behind in Seattle. Cleveland needs to get better form the inside out and he starts at DB when most of the teams in their division are run 1st squads. Then he reaches at least 2 rounds to grab that Safety in the top of the 2nd...not a fan. And they got the cherry on top with Colt McCoy who I hate in the 3rd.

I will agree and disagree on things. With Holmgren, he was in charge of the front office AND coaching. I am of the opinion that a person doing that (a la Shanahan in Denver) is taking on too much and not able to fully focus on one job or the other. So I agree that he left a bit of a mess in Seattle, but I think he is starting with a blank slate in Cleveland and only having to focus on the front office job.I agree that he reached on the safety, although he is still a decent one. And I too agree that they needed to work on the D-line more. Can't blame them for taking Haden. He'll be a great DB for years, and that helps. Finding shutdown corners are very hard to find.I have to disagree about McCoy though. Yes, I have been higher on him then most here, but getting him in the 3rd round is a great deal. One of my Cleveland friends was pissed that they didn't take him in the 2nd round. But he turned that frown upside down when they were still able to get him in the 3rd. Great value!I think where they missed the boat was adding more weapons to their offense, which has been very blah for years and years. You mean to tell me that they couldn't have given a 2nd rounder this year and a 2nd next year for Marshall? They would rather have who they have + next year's 2nd rounder and not Marshall? Come on... Or some of the other FAs or other trades that have occurred they couldn't have been in the mix for?

 

[Da Guru]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.

Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

 

[BoulderBob]

Way, waaaaaaaay, too early to call any draft good or bad. Check back in 4-5 years....for all we know, they could have had the worst drafts. And yeah, like the above Lion fan said, Suh was a pick that any average draftnick would have picked, it's more luck than it is good drafting. With that being said, the Lions certainly improved their defensive line through the draft, but that is all we can really say at this point, simply because Suh is pretty much the closest thing to a sure bet as I've ever seen, and well, imo...the Rams will probably regret rolling the dice on a QB when a guaranteed stud at a relatively important position was sitting there...then again, there is a very small chance Suh could bust as well, so, like I said...check back in 2015!

Re: I also think the Best pick was a huge risk, simply because of his size(which, yes, is not as big of an issue as it was a year ago) and that nasty blow to his head. You only get so many of those hits before your body simply says no more...but I see him being a solid back for at least a year or two.

 

[Hendo]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

I didn't like the Best pick since there was a lot left, the Lions could of went with Saffold if they stayed at their 2 and many other possibilities.... however in saying this. Your kidding yourself if you think Jahvid Best is just a scat back. The guy doesn't have the4 biggest body and has measurable s like one but he can flat out run between the tackles. He has superior vision to every RB in this class which is actually intriguing. Staying healthy is another concern but by no means is this kid just a scat back.

 

[Ilov80s]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

Best is the classic boom or bust pick. Not sure if the Lions were in a position to gamble, but they obviously really loved Best and felt like this was a risk worth taking. The Lions see him as a Chris Johnson type player. I am not saying he is that good, but I believe that is what Detroit sees in him.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

They look like they had great drafts right now, who knows how it will all play out. Remember the year Detroit took KJ and Roy everyone on here was raving about how incredible their draft was. Two years later those same folks were using it as an example of how inept Detroit is at drafting.

 

[duece2626]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.

Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

I didn't like the Best pick since there was a lot left, the Lions could of went with Saffold if they stayed at their 2 and many other possibilities.... however in saying this. Your kidding yourself if you think Jahvid Best is just a scat back. The guy doesn't have the4 biggest body and has measurable s like one but he can flat out run between the tackles. He has superior vision to every RB in this class which is actually intriguing. Staying healthy is another concern but by no means is this kid just a scat back.

Didn't Saffold go with the first pick in round 2?

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

What studs were left that were so good they had to take them?I think Best was far better than anyone else at that point and it filled a glaring need. I totally loved the pick.

 

[BoltThrower]

Not a big fan of what Cleveland did. I don't want to gripe about it with Browns fans, as long as they are happy, good. But in 3-4 years I think most will look back and realize that Holmgren is a better coach than front office guy. Look at the mess he elft behind in Seattle. Cleveland needs to get better form the inside out and he starts at DB when most of the teams in their division are run 1st squads. Then he reaches at least 2 rounds to grab that Safety in the top of the 2nd...not a fan. And they got the cherry on top with Colt McCoy who I hate in the 3rd.

Heckert ran the draft, not Holmgren.Defensive backs were far and away their biggest need, and they addressed that adequately. Agree they probably reached on Ward, but they wanted a hard hitting SS and if that's they guy you want you never know when he will go so you better take him. Whatever you think of McCoy, drafting him at least 1.5 rounds later than 99.9% of the people who care thought that he would go is good value.Other than that, top notch analysis..

 

[Hendo]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.

Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

I didn't like the Best pick since there was a lot left, the Lions could of went with Saffold if they stayed at their 2 and many other possibilities.... however in saying this. Your kidding yourself if you think Jahvid Best is just a scat back. The guy doesn't have the4 biggest body and has measurable s like one but he can flat out run between the tackles. He has superior vision to every RB in this class which is actually intriguing. Staying healthy is another concern but by no means is this kid just a scat back.

Didn't Saffold go with the first pick in round 2?

yeah to STL, they could of drafted back into the 1st and got him though.... my point was Best is more then merely a scat back. He's more comparable to CJ then Spiller based off running style and vision alone. I would of went with someone else but i do not think Best is in anyway shape or form a scat back in the NFL.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I love the Suh pick, but lets not call detroits draft great yet. Im really on the fence with the Best pick.

 

[Sinrman]

Well, personally I still wish Detroit had gone Oher instead of Pettigrew last year and we wouldn't be in the pickle we are with OT and trying to keep our franchise QB upright and not shell-shocked, a la David Carr years ago.

At first glance I was not happy with the Best pick, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. I think they were enamored with him for a long time, and planned on going for him. I still am not convinced that a team would have jumped up to snag him before Detroit's 2.02 pick, so I didn't see the need to move up to get him. By that time, most of the top OT were gone. I would have been happy if we had moved up and taken Saffold instead of Best, but oh well!

I really think we should have gone Bruce Campbell with our 3rd rounder. Sure, he fell even more, but he was gone by the time our 4th rounder came around, so I thought he would have been the best of the rest at OT. Hell, Dwyer would have been a decent pick (wasn't taken until the 6th?!).

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Not a big fan of what Cleveland did. I don't want to gripe about it with Browns fans, as long as they are happy, good. But in 3-4 years I think most will look back and realize that Holmgren is a better coach than front office guy. Look at the mess he elft behind in Seattle. Cleveland needs to get better form the inside out and he starts at DB when most of the teams in their division are run 1st squads. Then he reaches at least 2 rounds to grab that Safety in the top of the 2nd...not a fan. And they got the cherry on top with Colt McCoy who I hate in the 3rd.

Heckert ran the draft, not Holmgren.Defensive backs were far and away their biggest need, and they addressed that adequately. Agree they probably reached on Ward, but they wanted a hard hitting SS and if that's they guy you want you never know when he will go so you better take him. Whatever you think of McCoy, drafting him at least 1.5 rounds later than 99.9% of the people who care thought that he would go is good value.Other than that, top notch analysis..

DBs were far and away their biggest needs? They're strong everywhere else, just needed to shore things up at DB? Holmgren didn't make any of the picks? Didn't have any influence? What are you shoveling bro? So if Cleveland is bad still as they have been for a long time, if they still are bad in a few years Holmgren won't be the blame?

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I love the Suh pick, but lets not call detroits draft great yet. Im really on the fence with the Best pick.

Why?

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I love the Suh pick, but lets not call detroits draft great yet. Im really on the fence with the Best pick.

Why?

He is small back, they moved up to get him when they probably didnt have to and he has had concussion problems in the past. But I get the value of the homer run hitter at RB.Seems like a high pick to spend on a RB thats in a committee when the lions really needed a LB another DE a CB a RG a T etc.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I love the Suh pick, but lets not call detroits draft great yet. Im really on the fence with the Best pick.

Why?

He is small back, they moved up to get him when they probably didnt have to and he has had concussion problems in the past. But I get the value of the homer run hitter at RB.Seems like a high pick to spend on a RB thats in a committee when the lions really needed a LB another DE a CB a RG a T etc.

They traded for Rob Sims from Seattle, and he will go next to Backus. How bad do you think the Detroit OL really is? Stephen Peterman is a very nice RG who started or played in about half the games last year. He will start and Sims will play LG next to Backus. Backus at LT, Cherilus who they drafted in the 1st a couple years ago is the RT...OK he isn't the best but he is still learning and he's adequate. Dominic Raiola gets no love but he is a very good Center that no one has ever heard of. Now take Best a guy with a ton of speed and he can exploit some holes that Goldie could not. Suh, Vander Bosch, and Corey Williams are going to totally make over the DL and it will help the LBs that are there already. Detroit made another trade for a DB last week, and I think they drafted another this weekend...they went 2-30 the past two season, let's give them a chance to get back to respectability. I think they are moving that way.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I love the Suh pick, but lets not call detroits draft great yet. Im really on the fence with the Best pick.

Why?

He is small back, they moved up to get him when they probably didnt have to and he has had concussion problems in the past. But I get the value of the homer run hitter at RB.Seems like a high pick to spend on a RB thats in a committee when the lions really needed a LB another DE a CB a RG a T etc.

They traded for Rob Sims from Seattle, and he will go next to Backus. How bad do you think the Detroit OL really is? Stephen Peterman is a very nice RG who started or played in about half the games last year. He will start and Sims will play LG next to Backus. Backus at LT, Cherilus who they drafted in the 1st a couple years ago is the RT...OK he isn't the best but he is still learning and he's adequate. Dominic Raiola gets no love but he is a very good Center that no one has ever heard of. Now take Best a guy with a ton of speed and he can exploit some holes that Goldie could not. Suh, Vander Bosch, and Corey Williams are going to totally make over the DL and it will help the LBs that are there already. Detroit made another trade for a DB last week, and I think they drafted another this weekend...they went 2-30 the past two season, let's give them a chance to get back to respectability. I think they are moving that way.

Goldie?oh dont get me wrong, Mayhew at least knows what he's doing. the future for my local team is better and brighter. I think the O can score some now - Calvin, burleson, scheffler, best, k.smith pettigrew. that isnt terrible at all.the D though is terrible , Corey williams? this dude some kinda god send? KVD is nice but old , and the other DE is Avril, meh. Julian peterson levy and probably Dizon is the LB core. Houston, Delmas, Wade, Spieve, random other saftey. Of course Suh in the middle should and will be the game plan focus of all opponents. Riaola is terrible and undersized, he should be replaced ASAP. Sims/Peterson? Cherlius has bust written all over him. The Oline is downright terrible but I think they are kinda stuck with these players.Fox from the U any good??

 

[Ministry of Pain]

They traded for Rob Sims from Seattle, and he will go next to Backus. How bad do you think the Detroit OL really is? Stephen Peterman is a very nice RG who started or played in about half the games last year. He will start and Sims will play LG next to Backus. Backus at LT, Cherilus who they drafted in the 1st a couple years ago is the RT...OK he isn't the best but he is still learning and he's adequate. Dominic Raiola gets no love but he is a very good Center that no one has ever heard of. Now take Best a guy with a ton of speed and he can exploit some holes that Goldie could not. Suh, Vander Bosch, and Corey Williams are going to totally make over the DL and it will help the LBs that are there already. Detroit made another trade for a DB last week, and I think they drafted another this weekend...they went 2-30 the past two season, let's give them a chance to get back to respectability. I think they are moving that way.

Goldie?oh dont get me wrong, Mayhew at least knows what he's doing. the future for my local team is better and brighter. I think the O can score some now - Calvin, burleson, scheffler, best, k.smith pettigrew. that isnt terrible at all.the D though is terrible , Corey williams? this dude some kinda god send? KVD is nice but old , and the other DE is Avril, meh. Julian peterson levy and probably Dizon is the LB core. Houston, Delmas, Wade, Spieve, random other saftey. Of course Suh in the middle should and will be the game plan focus of all opponents. Riaola is terrible and undersized, he should be replaced ASAP. Sims/Peterson? Cherlius has bust written all over him. The Oline is downright terrible but I think they are kinda stuck with these players.Fox from the U any good??

Goldie...Kevin Smith was called 24K in college. I actually sat down and talked to Fox on campus, we shared an Int'l Business class, the guy is really intelligent. As far as football goes, he was solid. Not the best we ever had here but he was good. Got injured down the stretch as a Senior. Corey Williams was an impressive DT in Green Bay when he was in a 4-3. Cleveland signed him to big dollars adn tried to make him a 3-4 DE and he is not cut out for that role. He will be much better in the 4-3 next to Suh...Williams signed a $30 million contract when he went to Cleveland, he was really good bro. Raiola gave up 2 sacks and only 9 QB pressures all year. Might not be a great run blocker but he's fine in pass protection.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

As a Steeler fan, I was quite happy with how the Browns drafted:

Biggest needs? Probably QB, somehow improve their pass rush, and DB, in that order. What'd they do? Acquired the top CB, reached massively for a S in round 2, picked up a one-year-wonder RB with a rebuilt knee, took the 'name QB' from this class that I feel is the most likely to be a bust, grabbed a G, grabbed another S(who may be better than the one they grabbed in round 2), grabbed a WR, and basically totally ignored their pass rush(unless you expect a 3-4 DE to generate that somehow).

So, outside of Haden and maybe Mitchell , Mike/whoever is taking credit for those picks in Cleveland. We're pullin' for ya down the turnpike.

 

[ChargersOH]

Not a big fan of what Cleveland did. I don't want to gripe about it with Browns fans, as long as they are happy, good. But in 3-4 years I think most will look back and realize that Holmgren is a better coach than front office guy. Look at the mess he elft behind in Seattle. Cleveland needs to get better form the inside out and he starts at DB when most of the teams in their division are run 1st squads. Then he reaches at least 2 rounds to grab that Safety in the top of the 2nd...not a fan. And they got the cherry on top with Colt McCoy who I hate in the 3rd.

Gotta agree with most of this, but Pitt and Baltimore are winning due to QB play as much as RB. Cinci has always been a potent passing team and have leveled Cleveland due to WR mismatches. I don't disagree with any of Holmgren's picks but I think they were value over need, which might be a mistake with the Brown's holes.I'm still baffled about the Holmgren hire in Cleveland. I think they'll regret it in a few years.

 

[Ilov80s]

I thought the Lions were above average. Top defensive player, high ceiling speedster at a position of need, a quality CB, project T with NFL measurables and turned a 7th round pick into a 6th round pick next year. It was both flashy and smart. B+

 

[duece2626]

As a Steeler fan, I was quite happy with how the Browns drafted:

Biggest needs? Probably QB, somehow improve their pass rush, and DB, in that order. What'd they do? Acquired the top CB, reached massively for a S in round 2, picked up a one-year-wonder RB with a rebuilt knee, took the 'name QB' from this class that I feel is the most likely to be a bust, grabbed a G, grabbed another S(who may be better than the one they grabbed in round 2), grabbed a WR, and basically totally ignored their pass rush(unless you expect a 3-4 DE to generate that somehow).

So, outside of Haden and maybe Mitchell , Mike/whoever is taking credit for those picks in Cleveland. We're pullin' for ya down the turnpike.

enough said

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I love the Suh pick, but lets not call detroits draft great yet. Im really on the fence with the Best pick.

Why?

He is small back, they moved up to get him when they probably didnt have to and he has had concussion problems in the past. But I get the value of the homer run hitter at RB.Seems like a high pick to spend on a RB thats in a committee when the lions really needed a LB another DE a CB a RG a T etc.

The Lions needed a playmaker at RB in a bad way. Best has the talent to be an impact player and if not for that freakish concussion, he would have been taken in the top half of the first round. Maybe they didn't need a RB as bad as some positions on defense, but Best is an impact player. I did not see any impact players on defense at that point in the draft.

 

[Blackjacks]

I would also say STL, TB and KC all had very nice drafts also.

I thought TB gets the best grade out of this draft

 

[Da Guru]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

What studs were left that were so good they had to take them?I think Best was far better than anyone else at that point and it filled a glaring need. I totally loved the pick.

Best is a gamble, a high risk high reward pick. When you are 2-30 the last two seasons with the worst defense in NFL history during than span I would draft D, D and more D.Then when the team is 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 take a chance on a guy like Best to complete the puzzle. Right now the defense still needs serious help, and we still probably need to bring in another bigger RB to pass protect. One of Bests knocks was that he is a terrible blocker.Best is a talented RB, but he is not going to push a pile. Seattle landed Leon Washington for a 5th rd pick who can do many of the same things Best does and is probably stronger. I just wanted Mayhew to build the defense in this draft. I hope Best tears it up because we will need to outscore every team we play.

 

[Sinrman]

I would also say STL, TB and KC all had very nice drafts also.I thought TB gets the best grade out of this draft

Actually, I agree with you. I think over the past... 90830938 years, the Brownies and Lions have almost always had crappy teams, so it's a shout out for them. Oakland has gone WAY downhill since their Super Bowl appearance in 2002, so it's a drastic improvement (especially with the crazy drafts they've had over the years - up there with crazy Detroit drafts).STL, TB, and KC definitely had top drafts, too. Also Seattle. But I think STL, TB, and KC have been down in the dumps for several years, too, so they certainly should be mentioned.

 

[Da Guru]

I would also say STL, TB and KC all had very nice drafts also.I thought TB gets the best grade out of this draft

Actually, I agree with you. I think over the past... 90830938 years, the Brownies and Lions have almost always had crappy teams, so it's a shout out for them. Oakland has gone WAY downhill since their Super Bowl appearance in 2002, so it's a drastic improvement (especially with the crazy drafts they've had over the years - up there with crazy Detroit drafts).STL, TB, and KC definitely had top drafts, too. Also Seattle. But I think STL, TB, and KC have been down in the dumps for several years, too, so they certainly should be mentioned.

From what I have been reading Tampa and Seattle and KC were the big winners on paper in this draft.

 

[BoltThrower]

As a Steeler fan, I was quite happy with how the Browns drafted:

Biggest needs? Probably QB, somehow improve their pass rush, and DB, in that order. What'd they do? Acquired the top CB, reached massively for a S in round 2, picked up a one-year-wonder RB with a rebuilt knee, took the 'name QB' from this class that I feel is the most likely to be a bust, grabbed a G, grabbed another S(who may be better than the one they grabbed in round 2), grabbed a WR, and basically totally ignored their pass rush(unless you expect a 3-4 DE to generate that somehow).

So, outside of Haden and maybe Mitchell , Mike/whoever is taking credit for those picks in Cleveland. We're pullin' for ya down the turnpike.

enough said

seriously.Browns had more sacks than 8 of the playoff teams, but pass rush was their 2nd biggest need? Guess he forgot how many times The Sultan of Sexual Assault was on his back that Thursday night.

 

[jurb26]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

What studs were left that were so good they had to take them?I think Best was far better than anyone else at that point and it filled a glaring need. I totally loved the pick.

Personally, I would have liked the Det draft a LOT better if they would have picked any of the bellow players instead of Best:Hughes, DESaffold, OTKindle, DEI think Det is riding off the coattails of Suh in this draft. He was the perceived best player in the class and they got him. I think they nailed that pick but I agree with Da Guru that I think the rest of the draft leaves a good bit to be desired. Now, the plus to this is that I think they had a great off-season before the draft anyway so Det should be a much improved team none the less. Still, I think they took a swing for the fences approach to picking Best there at the end of Rd. 1. I have no problem swinging for the fences, but I feel if they were going to do so then the guy to swing for would have been Kindle. He was graded by most as a 1st round player and was one of the top pass rushers in the entire class. Teaming him with Suh could have been dynamite and really solidified the D.

 

[BoltThrower]

Not a big fan of what Cleveland did. I don't want to gripe about it with Browns fans, as long as they are happy, good. But in 3-4 years I think most will look back and realize that Holmgren is a better coach than front office guy. Look at the mess he elft behind in Seattle. Cleveland needs to get better form the inside out and he starts at DB when most of the teams in their division are run 1st squads. Then he reaches at least 2 rounds to grab that Safety in the top of the 2nd...not a fan. And they got the cherry on top with Colt McCoy who I hate in the 3rd.

Heckert ran the draft, not Holmgren.Defensive backs were far and away their biggest need, and they addressed that adequately. Agree they probably reached on Ward, but they wanted a hard hitting SS and if that's they guy you want you never know when he will go so you better take him. Whatever you think of McCoy, drafting him at least 1.5 rounds later than 99.9% of the people who care thought that he would go is good value.Other than that, top notch analysis..

DBs were far and away their biggest needs? They're strong everywhere else, just needed to shore things up at DB? Holmgren didn't make any of the picks? Didn't have any influence? What are you shoveling bro? So if Cleveland is bad still as they have been for a long time, if they still are bad in a few years Holmgren won't be the blame?

wow. b-i-g-g-e-s-t need does not mean o-n-l-y need. yes, DB was their BIGGEST need.yes, Heckert RAN the draft, with INPUT from Holmgren, Mangini, scouts, and coaches. Holmgren did not MAKE any of the picks. Is this really a hard concept?Holmgren is the team president. If they are bad in a few years he will fire Heckert and/or Mangini, one of whom he brought in and would certainly share in the blame for his poor performance if it came to that.

 

[jurb26]

There were several teams that look to have had great drafts this year. I think most of that is a credit to the quality of this years class, which IMO was the best we have seen in recent years. Having so many quality players makes it look like there was great value all over the board and there was. Oak, TB and Balt all did magnificently IMO but the team I fell really nailed things and had the best results was SF:

Round 1, Pick 11 (11) Anthony Davis OT 6'5" 323 Rutgers

Round 1, Pick 17 (17) Mike Iupati OG 6'5" 331 Idaho

Round 2, Pick 17 (49) Taylor Mays FS 6'3" 230 Southern Cal

Round 3, Pick 27 (91) Navorro Bowman LB 6'0" 242 Penn State

Round 6, Pick 4 (173) Anthony Dixon RB 6'1" 233 Mississippi State

Round 6, Pick 13 (182) Nate Byham TE 6'4" 268 Pittsburgh

Round 6, Pick 37 (206) Kyle Williams WR 5'10" 188 Arizona State

Round 7, Pick 17 (224) Phillip Adams DB 5'10" 192 South Carolina State

SF picked up 4 starters with their 1st 4 picks. Davis and Iupati were arguably the best players at their positions and really make a statement as to what kind of team they are building. Mays was tremendous value in the 2nd round even though his hype a few months back was way overblown. Bowman is going to start along side Willis and make for one of the most athletic LB cores in the NFL. Dixon is almost an ideal backup to Gore and an upgrade over Coffee from day one. Given Gore's injury history this is a much bigger deal than it looks. Byham will blend exceptionally well with V. Davis as Byham may have been one of the best run blocking TE's in this draft.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

What studs were left that were so good they had to take them?I think Best was far better than anyone else at that point and it filled a glaring need. I totally loved the pick.

Personally, I would have liked the Det draft a LOT better if they would have picked any of the bellow players instead of Best:Hughes, DESaffold, OTKindle, DEI think Det is riding off the coattails of Suh in this draft. He was the perceived best player in the class and they got him. I think they nailed that pick but I agree with Da Guru that I think the rest of the draft leaves a good bit to be desired. Now, the plus to this is that I think they had a great off-season before the draft anyway so Det should be a much improved team none the less. Still, I think they took a swing for the fences approach to picking Best there at the end of Rd. 1. I have no problem swinging for the fences, but I feel if they were going to do so then the guy to swing for would have been Kindle. He was graded by most as a 1st round player and was one of the top pass rushers in the entire class. Teaming him with Suh could have been dynamite and really solidified the D.

Hughes is small and is not a fit for this defense. Schwartz likes bigger DEs. Kindle is more of a 3-4 OLB than a pure DE. I don't believe either was going to be considered by the Lions that early. I also don't think either is an impact player to the degree that Best is. The same with Saffold. He is a decent prospect, but nothing special. I would have been on board with an impact player instead of Best, but once Kyle Wilson was drafted, I didn't see anything special left. With as many holes as the Lions still have to fill, best player available trumps drafting a lesser talent for need. I also don't think people realize just how talented Best is. I think he is as good as Spiller and if not for the concussion, I think he gets drafted in the top 20. He was clearly a top target for the Lions and I believe the only way they pass on Best would have been if a top CB had slid to them. Once Wilson went, Best was pretty much it for them. I don't think any other positions were going to be considered unless an elite talent slid to them. Best totally changes the offense and they have to account for him any time he is on the field. None of the other RBs left would demand this kind of attention and that is why they took Best instead of waiting until a later round. The later round RBs were nothing but a bunch of Kevin Smith's and no game breakers among them. We already have a move the chains RB with no game breaking ability.

 

[Comer]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

What studs were left that were so good they had to take them?I think Best was far better than anyone else at that point and it filled a glaring need. I totally loved the pick.

Best is a gamble, a high risk high reward pick. When you are 2-30 the last two seasons with the worst defense in NFL history during than span I would draft D, D and more D.Then when the team is 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 take a chance on a guy like Best to complete the puzzle. Right now the defense still needs serious help, and we still probably need to bring in another bigger RB to pass protect. One of Bests knocks was that he is a terrible blocker.Best is a talented RB, but he is not going to push a pile. Seattle landed Leon Washington for a 5th rd pick who can do many of the same things Best does and is probably stronger. I just wanted Mayhew to build the defense in this draft. I hope Best tears it up because we will need to outscore every team we play.

I give the draft a C at best. They needed to go D with every pick unless it was an O-lineman. RB was not a big need LB,OL,S,CB was a huge need. They could have got by with what they have for 1 season. They could have waited to see who gets cut in July to fill a possible RB hole. The Defense was ranked 30th last season and they trade up to take Best? Mayhew can's afford to keep taking luxury picks in the 1st round like Pettigrew and Best and keep ignoring the Defense and O-line. The grade is a C for the draft but, I give them a B for the the off season so far. Best already has concussion issues and from what I hear is not a run between the tackles type RB. I just don't see ho they take a RB that may not be able to carry the load in the 1st round.

 

[Bob Henry]

They look like they had great drafts right now, who knows how it will all play out. Remember the year Detroit took KJ and Roy everyone on here was raving about how incredible their draft was. Two years later those same folks were using it as an example of how inept Detroit is at drafting.

When everyone was heaping praise on the Lions after the first day, this was exactly what I was thinking, too. I was in the same mindset back then - wow, the Lions nailed the early part of the draft... but it didn't turn out so good, other than saving face on Roy thanks to the Cowboys bailing them out via trade.That said, I can see both sides of the Best argument. I'm personally fine with the pick, although going into the draft I was hoping they would nab a DE/LB/CB/OL at that spot. Best just might be the best back in the draft. After taking Ernie Sims, and now Best, perhaps concussion ridden is amongst the criteria used by the Lions scouting department during their evaluation process. Just kidding, but it is a concern. Too bad the Colts snagged Blair White as a UDFA. It would've been nice to see the Lions get him.

 

[FUBAR]

Gotta love April, the one time a year Raiders and Lions fans have something worth talking about.

 

[FUBAR]

They look like they had great drafts right now, who knows how it will all play out. Remember the year Detroit took KJ and Roy everyone on here was raving about how incredible their draft was. Two years later those same folks were using it as an example of how inept Detroit is at drafting.

When everyone was heaping praise on the Lions after the first day, this was exactly what I was thinking, too. I was in the same mindset back then - wow, the Lions nailed the early part of the draft... but it didn't turn out so good, other than saving face on Roy thanks to the Cowboys bailing them out via trade.That said, I can see both sides of the Best argument. I'm personally fine with the pick, although going into the draft I was hoping they would nab a DE/LB/CB/OL at that spot. Best just might be the best back in the draft. After taking Ernie Sims, and now Best, perhaps concussion ridden is amongst the criteria used by the Lions scouting department during their evaluation process. Just kidding, but it is a concern. Too bad the Colts snagged Blair White as a UDFA. It would've been nice to see the Lions get him.

I've become completely convinced that while who these teams draft does matter, the coaching staff, in particular the position coaches and those working directly with the players including the veteran leadership, matter more. Which is why I think Detroit actually has some hope now, but it remains to be seen if it works out.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Not a big fan of what Cleveland did. I don't want to gripe about it with Browns fans, as long as they are happy, good. But in 3-4 years I think most will look back and realize that Holmgren is a better coach than front office guy. Look at the mess he elft behind in Seattle. Cleveland needs to get better form the inside out and he starts at DB when most of the teams in their division are run 1st squads. Then he reaches at least 2 rounds to grab that Safety in the top of the 2nd...not a fan. And they got the cherry on top with Colt McCoy who I hate in the 3rd.

Heckert ran the draft, not Holmgren.Defensive backs were far and away their biggest need, and they addressed that adequately. Agree they probably reached on Ward, but they wanted a hard hitting SS and if that's they guy you want you never know when he will go so you better take him. Whatever you think of McCoy, drafting him at least 1.5 rounds later than 99.9% of the people who care thought that he would go is good value.Other than that, top notch analysis..

DBs were far and away their biggest needs? They're strong everywhere else, just needed to shore things up at DB? Holmgren didn't make any of the picks? Didn't have any influence? What are you shoveling bro? So if Cleveland is bad still as they have been for a long time, if they still are bad in a few years Holmgren won't be the blame?

wow. b-i-g-g-e-s-t need does not mean o-n-l-y need. yes, DB was their BIGGEST need.yes, Heckert RAN the draft, with INPUT from Holmgren, Mangini, scouts, and coaches. Holmgren did not MAKE any of the picks. Is this really a hard concept?Holmgren is the team president. If they are bad in a few years he will fire Heckert and/or Mangini, one of whom he brought in and would certainly share in the blame for his poor performance if it came to that.

OK sure, and Bill Parcells doesn't pick the groceries for Miami either...

 

[Ilov80s]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.

Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

What studs were left that were so good they had to take them?I think Best was far better than anyone else at that point and it filled a glaring need. I totally loved the pick.

Best is a gamble, a high risk high reward pick. When you are 2-30 the last two seasons with the worst defense in NFL history during than span I would draft D, D and more D.

Then when the team is 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 take a chance on a guy like Best to complete the puzzle. Right now the defense still needs serious help, and we still probably need to bring in another bigger RB to pass protect. One of Bests knocks was that he is a terrible blocker.

Best is a talented RB, but he is not going to push a pile. Seattle landed Leon Washington for a 5th rd pick who can do many of the same things Best does and is probably stronger.

I just wanted Mayhew to build the defense in this draft. I hope Best tears it up because we will need to outscore every team we play.

I give the draft a C at best. They needed to go D with every pick unless it was an O-lineman.

RB was not a big need LB,OL,S,CB was a huge need. They could have got by with what they have for 1 season.

They could have waited to see who gets cut in July to fill a possible RB hole.

The Defense was ranked 30th last season and they trade up to take Best?

Mayhew can's afford to keep taking luxury picks in the 1st round like Pettigrew and Best and keep ignoring the Defense and O-line.

The grade is a C for the draft but, I give them a B for the the off season so far.

Best already has concussion issues and from what I hear is not a run between the tackles type RB.

I just don't see ho they take a RB that may not be able to carry the load in the 1st round.

I don't think the best available defenders were great fits for what Schwartz wants to build on D and the OT's weren't overly impressive at that point. Best fills 3 big needs. He gives them a 1-2 combo with Maurice Morris. I believe Kevin Smith is 100% finished as a Detroit Lion and there was no way the Lions could enter the year without another RB. They saw a RB who had some very special talent slip and grabbed him. Secondly, he adds top end speed to an offense that only featured one player who could stretch the field. Outside of Calvin, the Lions were painfully slow last year on offense. Our other WRs were slow and unathletic, showing no ability to get separation. Pettigrew was improving before he was hurt, but he won't win any footraces. Kevin Smith was regularly ran down from behind by DTs. Adding Best's speed to stretch the field horizontally and Calvin stretching the field vertically, should leave a lot of room for Burelson, Scheffler, and Pettogrew to get favorable match-ups over the middle.

The final piece is they bought more insurance on their top investment. They want to do everything possible to ensure Stafford becomes a great QB and giving him a weapon like Best to get 10 carries and 5 receptions a game should make their offense significantly better than last year. In 2 years, they spent 2 1st round picks on weapons for Stafford. They have used most of their other picks on defensive players. You can't draft a franchise QB 1st overall and then not add weapons to your offense. How many 1st round picks has Indy spent on skill players for Manning over his career? Edge, Wayne, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Brown.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

I love the Suh pick, but lets not call detroits draft great yet. Im really on the fence with the Best pick.

Why?

He is small back, they moved up to get him when they probably didnt have to and he has had concussion problems in the past. But I get the value of the homer run hitter at RB.

Seems like a high pick to spend on a RB thats in a committee when the lions really needed a LB another DE a CB a RG a T etc.

Then what do you think of Spiller at 9??? He is much worse of a RBBC back then Best, b/c he has issues running inside.

 

[BlackHole]

Gotta love April, the one time a year Raiders and Lions fans have something worth talking about.

And the Titans have done exactly what...ever? Or are you still hanging on to losing to the Rams in the SB as a storied franchise moment?It's been 7 years since the Raiders have done much, this is true. However, with the worst 7 years in NFL history under their belt, they've still made it to the SB in this Century and the Titans have not (though the Titans did get their ssA kicked in our house in the AFC championship game when we went to the SB...so thanks for that I guess).

 

[msommer]

Gotta love April, the one time a year Raiders and Lions fans have something worth talking about.

And the Titans have done exactly what...ever? Or are you still hanging on to losing to the Rams in the SB as a storied franchise moment?It's been 7 years since the Raiders have done much, this is true. However, with the worst 7 years in NFL history under their belt, they've still made it to the SB in this Century and the Titans have not (though the Titans did get their ssA kicked in our house in the AFC championship game when we went to the SB...so thanks for that I guess).

Our owner is not as senile as your owner

 

[Comer]

Not sure Detroit had a great draft.

Suh was a no-brainer. Any team at #2 would have taken him. I do not like the Best pick only because the defense has been the worst in NFL history the last two seasons to take an injury prone "scat back" is a luxury pick when there still was defensive studs on the board.

What studs were left that were so good they had to take them?I think Best was far better than anyone else at that point and it filled a glaring need. I totally loved the pick.

Best is a gamble, a high risk high reward pick. When you are 2-30 the last two seasons with the worst defense in NFL history during than span I would draft D, D and more D.

Then when the team is 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 take a chance on a guy like Best to complete the puzzle. Right now the defense still needs serious help, and we still probably need to bring in another bigger RB to pass protect. One of Bests knocks was that he is a terrible blocker.

Best is a talented RB, but he is not going to push a pile. Seattle landed Leon Washington for a 5th rd pick who can do many of the same things Best does and is probably stronger.

I just wanted Mayhew to build the defense in this draft. I hope Best tears it up because we will need to outscore every team we play.

I give the draft a C at best. They needed to go D with every pick unless it was an O-lineman.

RB was not a big need LB,OL,S,CB was a huge need. They could have got by with what they have for 1 season.

They could have waited to see who gets cut in July to fill a possible RB hole.

The Defense was ranked 30th last season and they trade up to take Best?

Mayhew can's afford to keep taking luxury picks in the 1st round like Pettigrew and Best and keep ignoring the Defense and O-line.

The grade is a C for the draft but, I give them a B for the the off season so far.

Best already has concussion issues and from what I hear is not a run between the tackles type RB.

I just don't see ho they take a RB that may not be able to carry the load in the 1st round.

I don't think the best available defenders were great fits for what Schwartz wants to build on D and the OT's weren't overly impressive at that point. Best fills 3 big needs. He gives them a 1-2 combo with Maurice Morris. I believe Kevin Smith is 100% finished as a Detroit Lion and there was no way the Lions could enter the year without another RB. They saw a RB who had some very special talent slip and grabbed him. Secondly, he adds top end speed to an offense that only featured one player who could stretch the field. Outside of Calvin, the Lions were painfully slow last year on offense. Our other WRs were slow and unathletic, showing no ability to get separation. Pettigrew was improving before he was hurt, but he won't win any footraces. Kevin Smith was regularly ran down from behind by DTs. Adding Best's speed to stretch the field horizontally and Calvin stretching the field vertically, should leave a lot of room for Burelson, Scheffler, and Pettogrew to get favorable match-ups over the middle.

The final piece is they bought more insurance on their top investment. They want to do everything possible to ensure Stafford becomes a great QB and giving him a weapon like Best to get 10 carries and 5 receptions a game should make their offense significantly better than last year. In 2 years, they spent 2 1st round picks on weapons for Stafford. They have used most of their other picks on defensive players. You can't draft a franchise QB 1st overall and then not add weapons to your offense. How many 1st round picks has Indy spent on skill players for Manning over his career? Edge, Wayne, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Brown.

Valid points but, look at the Colts 1st round picks since Manning.

1999 4 Edgerrin James RB Miami (FL)

2000 28 Rob Morris LB Brigham Young

2001 30 Reggie Wayne WR Miami (FL)

2002 11 Dwight Freeney DE Syracuse

2003 24 Dallas Clark TE Iowa

2004 — — No Pick — — [17]

2005 29 Marlin Jackson CB Michigan

2006 30 Joseph Addai RB Louisiana State

Morris and Jackson you can say not so good. The Colts hit Homerun with at least 4 and a 5th if you count Addai. We however hit 1 Homerun with Calvin and the jury is still out on Stafford.

 

[BlackHole]

Gotta love April, the one time a year Raiders and Lions fans have something worth talking about.

And the Titans have done exactly what...ever? Or are you still hanging on to losing to the Rams in the SB as a storied franchise moment?It's been 7 years since the Raiders have done much, this is true. However, with the worst 7 years in NFL history under their belt, they've still made it to the SB in this Century and the Titans have not (though the Titans did get their ssA kicked in our house in the AFC championship game when we went to the SB...so thanks for that I guess).

Our owner is not as senile as your owner

 

[bostonfred]

The world is fixing to end. Last post by: blackhole

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Best is a gamble, a high risk high reward pick. When you are 2-30 the last two seasons with the worst defense in NFL history during than span I would draft D, D and more D.

Then when the team is 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 take a chance on a guy like Best to complete the puzzle. Right now the defense still needs serious help, and we still probably need to bring in another bigger RB to pass protect. One of Bests knocks was that he is a terrible blocker.

Best is a talented RB, but he is not going to push a pile. Seattle landed Leon Washington for a 5th rd pick who can do many of the same things Best does and is probably stronger.

I just wanted Mayhew to build the defense in this draft. I hope Best tears it up because we will need to outscore every team we play.

I give the draft a C at best. They needed to go D with every pick unless it was an O-lineman.

RB was not a big need LB,OL,S,CB was a huge need. They could have got by with what they have for 1 season.

They could have waited to see who gets cut in July to fill a possible RB hole.

The Defense was ranked 30th last season and they trade up to take Best?

Mayhew can's afford to keep taking luxury picks in the 1st round like Pettigrew and Best and keep ignoring the Defense and O-line.

The grade is a C for the draft but, I give them a B for the the off season so far.

Best already has concussion issues and from what I hear is not a run between the tackles type RB.

I just don't see ho they take a RB that may not be able to carry the load in the 1st round.

I don't think the best available defenders were great fits for what Schwartz wants to build on D and the OT's weren't overly impressive at that point. Best fills 3 big needs. He gives them a 1-2 combo with Maurice Morris. I believe Kevin Smith is 100% finished as a Detroit Lion and there was no way the Lions could enter the year without another RB. They saw a RB who had some very special talent slip and grabbed him. Secondly, he adds top end speed to an offense that only featured one player who could stretch the field. Outside of Calvin, the Lions were painfully slow last year on offense. Our other WRs were slow and unathletic, showing no ability to get separation. Pettigrew was improving before he was hurt, but he won't win any footraces. Kevin Smith was regularly ran down from behind by DTs. Adding Best's speed to stretch the field horizontally and Calvin stretching the field vertically, should leave a lot of room for Burelson, Scheffler, and Pettogrew to get favorable match-ups over the middle.

The final piece is they bought more insurance on their top investment. They want to do everything possible to ensure Stafford becomes a great QB and giving him a weapon like Best to get 10 carries and 5 receptions a game should make their offense significantly better than last year. In 2 years, they spent 2 1st round picks on weapons for Stafford. They have used most of their other picks on defensive players. You can't draft a franchise QB 1st overall and then not add weapons to your offense. How many 1st round picks has Indy spent on skill players for Manning over his career? Edge, Wayne, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Brown.

Valid points but, look at the Colts 1st round picks since Manning.

1999 4 Edgerrin James RB Miami (FL)

2000 28 Rob Morris LB Brigham Young

2001 30 Reggie Wayne WR Miami (FL)

2002 11 Dwight Freeney DE Syracuse

2003 24 Dallas Clark TE Iowa

2004 — — No Pick — — [17]

2005 29 Marlin Jackson CB Michigan

2006 30 Joseph Addai RB Louisiana State

Morris and Jackson you can say not so good. The Colts hit Homerun with at least 4 and a 5th if you count Addai. We however hit 1 Homerun with Calvin and the jury is still out on Stafford.

Don't forget who did the drafting for the Lions during the worst 8 years in NFL history. Using Millen's drafts as a comparison isn't relevant to anything. Also, once the Colts had their franchise QB, they surrounded him with a bunch of early round talent. The Colts drafted a bunch of offensive skill players and the only defensive player that panned out in that list was Freeney. There was nothing close to a Freeney availoable where the Lions drafted Best. Mayhew went best player available which is what the consistent winners like the Colts and Steelers do.

 

[BlackHole]

The world is fixing to end. Last post by: blackhole

He played the only card he had that was playable. So .

 

[Masked Vigilante]

If Oakland gets half decent play out of Jason Campbell, I think they'll compete for the division. I can't believe I just said that.

 

[Ilov80s]

Best is a gamble, a high risk high reward pick. When you are 2-30 the last two seasons with the worst defense in NFL history during than span I would draft D, D and more D.

Then when the team is 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 take a chance on a guy like Best to complete the puzzle. Right now the defense still needs serious help, and we still probably need to bring in another bigger RB to pass protect. One of Bests knocks was that he is a terrible blocker.

Best is a talented RB, but he is not going to push a pile. Seattle landed Leon Washington for a 5th rd pick who can do many of the same things Best does and is probably stronger.

I just wanted Mayhew to build the defense in this draft. I hope Best tears it up because we will need to outscore every team we play.

I give the draft a C at best. They needed to go D with every pick unless it was an O-lineman.

RB was not a big need LB,OL,S,CB was a huge need. They could have got by with what they have for 1 season.

They could have waited to see who gets cut in July to fill a possible RB hole.

The Defense was ranked 30th last season and they trade up to take Best?

Mayhew can's afford to keep taking luxury picks in the 1st round like Pettigrew and Best and keep ignoring the Defense and O-line.

The grade is a C for the draft but, I give them a B for the the off season so far.

Best already has concussion issues and from what I hear is not a run between the tackles type RB.

I just don't see ho they take a RB that may not be able to carry the load in the 1st round.

I don't think the best available defenders were great fits for what Schwartz wants to build on D and the OT's weren't overly impressive at that point. Best fills 3 big needs. He gives them a 1-2 combo with Maurice Morris. I believe Kevin Smith is 100% finished as a Detroit Lion and there was no way the Lions could enter the year without another RB. They saw a RB who had some very special talent slip and grabbed him. Secondly, he adds top end speed to an offense that only featured one player who could stretch the field. Outside of Calvin, the Lions were painfully slow last year on offense. Our other WRs were slow and unathletic, showing no ability to get separation. Pettigrew was improving before he was hurt, but he won't win any footraces. Kevin Smith was regularly ran down from behind by DTs. Adding Best's speed to stretch the field horizontally and Calvin stretching the field vertically, should leave a lot of room for Burelson, Scheffler, and Pettogrew to get favorable match-ups over the middle.

The final piece is they bought more insurance on their top investment. They want to do everything possible to ensure Stafford becomes a great QB and giving him a weapon like Best to get 10 carries and 5 receptions a game should make their offense significantly better than last year. In 2 years, they spent 2 1st round picks on weapons for Stafford. They have used most of their other picks on defensive players. You can't draft a franchise QB 1st overall and then not add weapons to your offense. How many 1st round picks has Indy spent on skill players for Manning over his career? Edge, Wayne, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Brown.

Valid points but, look at the Colts 1st round picks since Manning.

1999 4 Edgerrin James RB Miami (FL)

2000 28 Rob Morris LB Brigham Young

2001 30 Reggie Wayne WR Miami (FL)

2002 11 Dwight Freeney DE Syracuse

2003 24 Dallas Clark TE Iowa

2004 — — No Pick — — [17]

2005 29 Marlin Jackson CB Michigan

2006 30 Joseph Addai RB Louisiana State

Morris and Jackson you can say not so good. The Colts hit Homerun with at least 4 and a 5th if you count Addai. We however hit 1 Homerun with Calvin and the jury is still out on Stafford.

Don't forget who did the drafting for the Lions during the worst 8 years in NFL history. Using Millen's drafts as a comparison isn't relevant to anything. Also, once the Colts had their franchise QB, they surrounded him with a bunch of early round talent. The Colts drafted a bunch of offensive skill players and the only defensive player that panned out in that list was Freeney. There was nothing close to a Freeney availoable where the Lions drafted Best. Mayhew went best player available which is what the consistent winners like the Colts and Steelers do.

To really judge the Lions draft, you have to look at the offseason trades since they used picks to acquire players. This is essentially what the Lions got for their picks:1st (2) - Ndamukong Suh (DT) starter, widely considered the best player in the draft and best DT prospect in recent memory

1st (28) - Jahvid Best (RB) One of the very few homerun threats in the draft, filled a hole in a very depleted RB platoon.

3rd (66) - Amari Spievey (CB) starter

4th (128) - Jason Fox (OT) project LT with NFL measurables and experience against top level competition.

5th (133) - Rob Sims (OG) starter

5th (146) - Corey Williams (DT) starter

6th (171) - Chris Houston (CB) starter

7th (213) - Willie Young (DE) project OLB/DE

7th (255)- Timothy Toone (KR) Special Teams

That is likely 6 new guys starting right away. Then consider we signed Burelson, traded for Scheffler KVB, and signed Shaun Hill. That is 3 more starters and a legitimate backup QB (no more Drew Stanton, ever again). Traded the legendary Robert Henderson for a 7th round pick, only trade a 7th round pick for a 6th rounder next year. Looking at the big picture, the Lions had as good of an offseason as anyone could expect from a team in their situation.

ETA: we also traded a 7th round pick for Ko Simpson in 2009. Ko started at safety for the Lions before being hurt. He will compete for the starting job.