Who Will the Lions Pick?

The Detroit Lions are fresh off the first 0-16 season in NFL history. While the Lions failed to win a game last season, there is hope. Matt Millen, the President of the Lions, is no longer in Detroit. Neither is the head coach from last season, Rod Marinelli. The Lions have a new president (Tom Lewand), a new general manager (Martin Mayhew), and a new coach (Jim Schwartz). The winds of change are sweeping into town.

However, Detroit is a team in trouble. A quick look at the roster reveals only a few positions that are solid. Kevin Smith preformed really well last year and will provide a solid running game. Calvin Johnson is one of the better receivers in the league. Dominic Raiola isn't the best center in the league, but he will get the job done for now. Ernie Sims is a good linebacker and could improve if he had a little help. Strong safety Daniel Bullocks has been decent when he is healthy. There are other Lions who are serviceable, but for the most part, there were a lot of holes to be filled this off season.

The have filled some of these holes by making some free agent signings that they hope will improve the team. These include wide receiver Bryant Johnson, defensive tackle Grady Jackson, cornerback Phillip Buchanon, offensive tackle Daniel Loper, running back Maurice Morris, cornerback Eric King, wide receiver Ronald Curry, and various others. They also made a couple of trades to help them out by trading John Kitna to Dallas for cornerback Anthony Henry and Cory Redding to Seattle for line backer Julian Peterson.

What does all this mean come draft day? The Lions will have the first overall pick and though there are numerous ways they could choose to go with that, here are the most likely choices.

Trade the pick - The Lions have numerous needs. These needs could be addressed by picking in the draft, since they have two first round picks, or by trading their first pick to get a couple of first round choices in return. This would give them the opportunity to pick three first round talents and with the first pick in the second round, take a fourth player who slips from the first round. This would allow them to get the maximum number of first round picks, but it will also eliminate possibilities when it is their turn to draft because other teams may have already taken their guy. There are ups and downs to this strategy, but the major question is whether having one top talent is better than having 2 that are very talented, but not as sure of a thing as the top guys overall.

Draft Matt Stafford - The Lions current starting quarterback is Daunte Culpepper who is 32 years old. Culpepper has lost a step and isn't close to his former pro-bowl self. Picking Stafford would bring a young quarterback with a lot of potential to Detroit. If he could learn behind Culpepper through this season, by next year, he might be ready to make the jump. The downside of this pick is that Stafford skipped his senior season, so it might lead to him not being ready to start in the NFL this season or possibly ever. He also may have trouble completing passes from his back should the Lions line not improve through the draft.

Draft Jason Smith - The Lions line is terrible. They could really use an upgrade. Some people thing that Smith is the best OT available. Should the Lions choose to upgrade the line and worry about quarterback later, Smith would probably be a first day starter and a solid addition for years to come. The only downside to picking Smith is that very seldom never does an offensive tackle score the winning touchdown.

Draft Eugene Monroe - Monroe, like Smith would be a solid addition to the offensive line. The talking heads are about 50-50 on whether Smith or Monroe is the better prospect. They should both be successful and will probably have long careers in the NFL. Like Smith, Monroe's only downside is that he isn't a playmaker, but rather will allow the playmakers behind him to do their thing.

Draft Matt Sanchez - The Lions have talked a lot about liking Stafford, but Sanchez rates higher on a lot of teams' draft boards. Sanchez, like Stafford, entered the draft after his junior year. He has many of the same attributes as Stafford and the two are very closely matched in most categories. His biggest downfall is that he has very limited experience backing up John David Booty last year and only being the full time starter for one season. Like Stafford, he has a lot of potential, but also a lot of risk.

Draft Aaron Curry - The best player in the draft is Aaron Curry. He is a stud linebacker who will anchor a defense for years to come. With a little work, he could end up a perennial pro-bowler who will lead his team to the playoffs. The downside to drafting him is that the Lions already have Ernie Sims and just traded for Julian Peterson. Curry may be better than those two, but even the best linebackers are only as good as the team around them. Curry is the safest bet in this year's draft, but he isn't a need player for the Lions.

Draft Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin - The Lions have drafted wide outs in the first round over and over again. Of the 4 they selected recently, only one is still on the team and only two are still in the NFL. Either of these guys would make a good compliment to Calvin Johnson, but neither of these guys will dawn a Lions jersey, unless they take a serious fall out of the first round.

The Lions have a lot of options for the upcoming draft, but each option has its downside. Their safest bet (Curry) is not a high need. They could gamble on a quarterback, but this may lead to years of painful recovery (i.e. Joey Harrington for the Lions, Alex Smith for the 49ers) or instant success (i.e. Joe Flaco for the Ravens, Matt Ryan for the Falcons). However, the best option for the Lions is to pick a lineman who will keep whoever is under center safe long enough to hit their talented receiver (Calvin Johnson) or hand off to Kevin Smith. The Lions should take Jason Smith with the first overall selection, but don't be surprised if Stafford's name is called on April 25^th as the Lions have had little luck in the draft for what seems like endless years.