First 5 Picks of the 2009 NFL Draft

"With the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, Georgia." Roger Goodell's statement came as no surprise as the Lions reached an agreement with Stafford on Friday night. This pick was the Lions attempt to start fresh. They want to select their leader for the future, but he is also quite a risk. Many first round quarterbacks fail to reach their potential. Names like David Carr, Alex Smith, and thus far, JaMarcus Russell make many teams nervous about selecting a quarterback first overall. However, for all the busts, there are guys like Peyton and Eli Manning who do succeed. It is too early to say that this was a bad pick, but if Stafford does not become a franchise quarterback, this could be yet another time that Detroit blew a first round pick.

The St. Louis Rams played it safe selecting a guy who they hope can replace Orlando Pace. The Rams selected Jason Smith an offensive tackle from Baylor. Smith has a lot of upside and will make sure that Marc Bulger will stay upright. The Rams made a wise choice going with this solid player.

The Chiefs surprised a lot of people by selecting a defensive end, rather than a linebacker. Tyson Jackson of LSU was the first defensive player selected. He will give the Chiefs a pass rush and has been playing in the ultra-competitive SEC, so the transition should be quick. He will join former teammate Glenn Dorsey in Kansas City where they hope to put together a pass rush like they had when LSU won the national title two years ago.

The fourth pick off the board was made when Seattle selected the guy who was considered by many to be the most solid player in the draft, Aaron Curry, linebacker, Wake Forest. With a sure bet like this the Seahawks will have one of the most dominant groups of linebackers in the league. Curry will also be a positive influence for the team both on and off the field.

The fifth pick yielded a surprise when the Cleveland Browns traded their pick to the New York Jets for the Jets first and second round picks as well as three players. The Jets quickly used their newly acquired pick to select Mark Sanchez, a quarterback from USC. The Jets hope that Sanchez will finally live up to what fans have been coveting since Joe Namath left town. Some teams had him ranked higher than Stafford, but the Jets probably could have still gotten him at the ninth pick for a lot less. Sanchez like Stafford represents a lot of risk.