Lions Have Another Successful Draft, But Still Have Holes to Fill in Free Agency:

The Detroit Lions went into the 2011 NFL Draft with a few needs to address. Even after not addressing their most pressing needs, the Lions were still considered to have one of the best drafts of any team in the NFL. After failing to trade up to take CB Patrick Peterson, the top cornerback in the draft, the Lions stayed in their #13 spot and had an unexpected player fall to them.

DT Nick Fairley should make the Lions defensive line even scarier when he's paired with 2010 Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro DT Ndamukong Suh.Just as the Lions did last year, they selected one of the most dominant defensive players in this year’s draft. The interesting parts about the selection was that: 1) CB Prince Amukamara, the 2^nd best cornerback in the draft and a player the Lions were rumored to have great interest in, was available with the 13^th pick and 2) defensive line and especially defensive tackle was a position that many would have considered to be a strong point for Detroit in 2010. Despite both of those points, Detroit selected DT Nick Fairley out of Auburn with the 13^th pick. Fairley was the most disruptive interior defensive lineman this year and, at one point, was thought to possibly be the #1 overall pick in the draft. He finished the 2010 season with 60 total tackles, 24 tackle for loss, 11 ½ sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. Those numbers allowed Fairley to win a few post-season awards: 1^st-team All-American, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and the Lombardi Award (the most outstanding lineman). Fairley has a quick burst at the snap that allows him to get leverage over the offensive lineman across from him. His quickness off the snap is where his effectiveness is. He then uses his athleticism to wreak havoc in the backfield and close on the football. One of the knocks on Fairley is that he slacks off at times and doesn’t give the same dominant effort every play. The other knock on him is that his production only came this past season having playing JUCO ball and as a backup the past two seasons. Pairing him with DT Ndamukong Suh (last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, the 2^nd overall pick in 2010, and an All-Pro) and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch should be enough to prevent him from taking plays off. Plus having the luxury of being able to sub in DTs Corey Williams and Sammie Lee Hill is an advantage as well. The Lions hope that with all the attention rightfully on Suh, that Fairley and the defensive ends will have an easier time getting to the quarterback.

WR Titus Young should be the quality #3 wide receiver the Lions have been looking for to pair with WRs Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson.So after making Detroit’s defensive line even scarier with their 1^st Round pick, it was again expected that the Lions would look to fill one of their top two needs (cornerback and linebacker) with their 2^nd Round pick. Detroit again surprised everyone when they selected WR Titus Young of Boise St. with the 44^th pick. Young earned 1^st-Team All-WAC honors last season after catching 71 passes for 1,215 yards (a 17.1-yards-per-catch average) and 9 touchdowns. He brings value as a quality #3 wideout behind WRs Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson. Detroit needed a wide receiver that would be able to stretch the field and that’s one thing Young brings. He has the ability to beat you with speed and get down the field or gain yards after the catch on short routes. Young also has good concentration while the ball is in the air and excellent hand/eye coordination. Young also brings the versatility of being able to be used in the return game. Detroit is excited to bring in Young with the talent and potential that comes with him. The Lions have been searching for a quality #3 that can get down the field and create more room for Burleson and TE Brandon Pettigrew underneath.

Leshoure provides the Lions with a big back (thunder) to take some of the load off of the explosive RB Jahvid Best (lightning).Just as the Lions did a year ago, they traded back into a round to select a running back. Last year they traded back into the 1^st Round to select RB Jahvid Best out of Cal. Best proved to be an explosive player but being a little undersized, he had trouble staying healthy. This year, Detroit traded back into the 2^nd Round to select RB Mikel Leshoure out of Illinois with the 57^th pick. Detroit was looking to bring in a big back to take some of the pressure and hits off of Best, and they did just that by drafting Leshoure- almost 6’0”, 230-pounds. Leshoure was widely known as the main guy you needed to stop when playing Illinois, but he still managed to earn 1^st-Team All-Big Ten honors after leading the conference with 1,697 yards rushing (a 6.0- yards-per-carry average) and 17 touchdowns. Leshoure is a very instinctive runner and shows very good vision and feet. He also has tremendous ball security and shows good speed for a back of his size. The Lions are excited to be able to bring this back in and use him as a more of the thunder aspect to go with the lightning of Best.

LB Doug Hogue is a tremendous athlete that the Lions hope they can groom into a quality starter.Not having another pick till the 5^th Round, Detroit finally addressed one of their top needs when they selected LB Doug Hogue out of Syracuse with the 157^th pick. Hogue is still a little raw as a linebacker, having been converted from running back after his sophomore season. Hogue used his tremendous athleticism to make the switch and finished with 72 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 9 ½ sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery as a junior. This past season, he earn 1^st-Team All-Big East honors after making 95 tackles, 10 ½ tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. Hogue has become a very good form tackler in his two seasons at the linebacker position and was very active and often around the ball. He was also one of the most athletic linebackers at the Combine. He is still raw and needs more seasoning before he would potentially crack the starting lineup, however he could be very valuable as a backup and special team player until that happens.

The Lions hope to have the same success with OT Johnny Culbreath as Chicago did with OT J'Marcus Webb.With their 7^th Round pick, The Lions selected OT Johnny Culbreath out of South Carolina St. Culbreath will have a bit of a jump going from Division I-AA to the NFL, but the Lions believe he can make the transition. Culbreath originally committed to play at Florida St. but was a four-year starter for SCSU when he was unable to attend FSU due to his academics. He earned multiple awards including the MEAC Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2009. Since he wasn’t invited to test at the Combine, Detroit brought him to their facilities to test him and came away very impressed. Being a former wrestler, Culbreath adds good balance and flexibility to his already good athleticism and size (6’5”, 323-pounds) for the position. While he will need some seasoning and coaching, the Lions hope that they can groom him as they have been with OT Jason Fox, their 2010 4^th Round pick out of Miami (FL). Mel Kiper even commented that Culbreath should be a good developmental player and also mentioned about the success OT J'Marcus Webb had for the Chicago Bears last year as a 7th Round pick out of West Texas A&M.

While the Lions still have some holes they need to fill (especially at cornerback and linebacker), they still have free agency (which is usually before the draft) to fill those needs. (All of that will get sorted out when the lockout ends and the new rules on free agency are established.) The Lions did a great job of grabbing the best player on their board instead of reaching for a player to fill a need. The Lions did end up addressing a few question marks however and got great talent while doing so. All in all, it was a very successful draft for the Lions…for the second year in a row!

The 2011 NFL Mock Draft:

The 2011 NFL Draft is about 24 hours away and although there is still some uncertainty about next season, NFL fans can’t help but get excited about adding a few new players to help their team. Some teams might be one good draft pick away from being a legitimate title-contender. Other teams have many positional question marks that need to be filled. All in all, the draft can help eliminate some of those questions marks. This is my mock of how I see the draft going:

1. Carolina- QB Cam Newton, Auburn

• Even though Carolina drafted Jimmy Clausen last year in the 2^nd Round, they will have a tough time turning down the physical talents that Newton brings to the table. But will the questions of whether Newton is still a project be strong enough for Carolina to go another route?
  • Secondary options: DT Nick Fairley, Auburn or CB Patrick Peterson, LSU

2. Denver- DT Marcell Dareus, Alabama

• The Broncos will try to fill one of the biggest areas of need drafting Dareus. While Fairley is considered to be the higher rated DT, Dareus will fit better in Denver’s 3-4 defensive scheme.
  • Secondary options: LB Von Miller, Texas A&M or DT Nick Fairley, Auburn

3. Buffalo- LB Von Miller, Texas A&M

• Buffalo needs LBs after switching to the 3-4 defensive scheme last year. Miller is the top all-round LB in the draft and should fit perfectly.
  • Secondary option: QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri or CB Patrick Peterson, LSU

4. Cincinnati- WR A.J. Green, Georgia

• Even though Carson Palmer said he would retire if he is not traded making the quarterback position the Bengals biggest need, Cincinnati might hope to entice Palmer to stay by adding another weapon to throw to.
  • Secondary options: QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri or WR Julio Jones, Alabama

5. Arizona- QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri

• With Von Miller off the board, look for the Cardinals to fill their other position of need- quarterback. Arizona unsuccessfully used four players at quarterback and need an upgrade.
  • Secondary options: CB Patrick Peterson, LSU or DE/LB Robert Quinn, North Carolina

6. Cleveland- WR Julio Jones, Alabama

• The Browns need a big play receiver to play opposite Mohamed Massaquoi. Jones has had some injury problems in the past, but he is one of the top wideouts in this year’s draft when healthy.
  • Secondary options: DE Da’Quan Bowers, Clemson or CB Patrick Peterson, LSU

7. San Francisco- CB Patrick Peterson, LSU

• While cornerback is not the biggest position of need on the 49ers’ team, they will not pass on Peterson should he fall to them in the draft.
  • Secondary options: DT Nick Fairley, Auburn or DE/LB Robert Quinn, North Carolina

8. Tennessee- DT Nick Fairley, Auburn

• The Titans still have not replaced the dominance in the middle of their defense lost when DT Albert Haynesworth left, and Tennessee will look to do that by bringing in Fairley.
  • Secondary options: DE/LB Robert Quinn, North Carolina or CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

9. Dallas- OT Tyron Smith, USC

• While there are a lot of different directions the Cowboys could take (OT, CB, or DE), but there has been a lot of noise about Smith. Smith is a very athletic tackle and should do a great job of protecting QB Tony Romo.
  • Secondary options: CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska or DE J.J. Watt, Wisconsin

10. Washington- DE J.J. Watt, Wisconsin

• With Tyron Smith off the board and no quarterback or nose tackle worthy of the 10^th pick, the Redskins will bring in Watt to help upgrade the defensive line. At 290lbs., Watt will be able to hold up as a defensive end in Washington’s 3-4 defense.
  • Secondary options: DE Cameron Jordan, Cal or OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

11. Houston- DE/LB Robert Quinn, North Carolina

• The Texans are making the switch to the 3-4 defensive scheme and need another outside linebacker that can rush the passer. With Von Miller long gone, Houston will bring in Quinn to fill the void.
  • Secondary options: CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska or DE/LB Aldon Smith, Missouri

12. Minnesota- DE Da’Quan Bowers, Clemson

• While the Vikings could reach for a quarterback or try to trade up for one, they will look for some help on the defensive side of the ball if they stay at the 12^th pick. Minnesota could address either defensive end or cornerback, but it will be tough to turn down the talent Bowers possesses despite his injury concerns.
  • Secondary options: DE Cameron Jordan, Cal or CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

13. Detroit- CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

• The Lions top three needs are linebacker, cornerback, and offensive tackle. With Amukamara (Suh’s college teammate) on the board and no linebackers available worthy of the 13^th pick, Detroit will jump at the chance to draft a potential #1 corner.
  • Secondary options: OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College or CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado

14. St. Louis- DT Corey Liuget, Illinois

• The Rams really wanted to take one of the top two wide receivers but with both of them off the board already, they will look to fill another position of need by drafting Luiget to upgrade the middle of their defense.
  • Secondary options: DE/LB Aldon Smith, Missouri or LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA

15. Miami- G/C Mike Pouncey, Florida

• The Dolphins have had a problem area at the center position, and they hope that he can fill that role as well as his brother has for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  • Secondary options: RB Mark Ingram, Alabama or QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

16. Jacksonville- DE/OLB Aldon Smith, Missouri

• The Jaguars have been searching for a defensive end that can get to the quarterback. They have drafted a few DE’s in the past, but those players haven’t given them the results they’ve been looking for. Smith is a disruptive force that can get to the QB.
  • Secondary options: LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA or DE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue

17. New England (from Oakland)- DE Cameron Jordan, Cal

• The Patriots need upgrades at both linebacker and defensive end. With Jordan still on the board, the Pats won’t be able to resist drafting a perfect DE for the 3-4 defense.
  • Secondary options: LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA or RB Mark Ingram, Alabama

18. San Diego- DT/DE Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple

• Wilkerson can provide some pass rush, but more importantly, he can occupy space and stand up well against the run in the Chargers’ 3-4 defense.
  • Secondary options: OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin or CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado

19. New York Giants- OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

• With Pouncey off the board, the Giants will look to bring in Castonzo as their new left tackle and move David Diehl to offensive guard.
  • Secondary options: OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin or LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA

20. Tampa Bay- DE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue

• The Bucs addressed the defensive line last year when they drafted DT Gerald McCoy with the 3^rd overall pick last season. This season they will address their pass rush by bringing in Kerrigan.
  • Secondary options: OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin or LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA

21. Kansas City- LB Akeem Ayers, UCLA

• The Chiefs need an outside linebacker to play opposite LB Tamba Hali in their 3-4 defense. KC couldn’t have dreamt a better scenario having Ayers falling to them at #21.
  • Secondary options: OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin or DT Phil Taylor, Baylor

22. Indianapolis- OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

• The Colts are looking for ways to keep QB Peyton Manning healthy, and the quickest way is upgrading his protection. Carimi is a veteran of the trenches in the Big Ten and can play at either left or right tackle.
  • Secondary options: OT Nate Solder, Colorado or DT Stephen Paea, Oregon St.

23. Philadelphia- CB Jimmy Smith, Colorado

• The Eagles have CB Asante Samuel patrolling one side of the defense, but they need another corner to play the opposite side. Smith had some charter issues that caused him to slide a bit, but the Eagles will love the athleticism and aggressiveness he’ll bring.
  • Secondary options: OT Nate Solder, Colorado or OT Derek Sherrod, Mississippi St.

24. New Orleans- DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

• The Saints need some help at their defensive end position. Clayborn had an off year this past season and has some injury concerns with his right arm, but he will still be a productive DE for the Saints.
  • Secondary options: DT Phil Taylor, Baylor or DT Stephen Paea, Oregon St.

25. Seattle- OT Derek Sherrod, Mississippi St.

• The Seahawks can use an offensive tackle to go opposite of Russell Okung, last year’s 1^st Round pick. Seattle could also look at the quarterback position.
  • Secondary options: QB Jake Locker, Washington or QB Andy Dalton, TCU

26. Baltimore- CB Aaron Williams- Texas

• The Ravens could also look to reach a little for a wide receiver here, the cornerback position was hit hard by injuries last season and will be the direction Baltimore takes.
  • Secondary options: CB Brandon Harris, Miami (FL) or DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio St.

27. Atlanta- DE Jabaal Sheard, Pitt

• The Falcons have been looking for a consistent pass rush to play opposite of John Abraham. Sheard showed a great ability of getting to the quarterback in college, and Atlanta hopes he’ll be able to do the same for them.
  • Secondary options: WR Torrey Smith, Maryland or WR Leonard Hankerson, Miami (FL)

28. New England- RB Mark Ingram, Alabama

• The Patriots most likely would have been tempted to take Ingram at pick #17, so they’ll be thrilled to still see him on the board at this point. It’s not often that you can take the top RB in the draft with the 28^th pick…especially with someone of Ingram’s talent.
  • Secondary options: WR Torrey Smith, Maryland or LB/DE Justin Houston, Georgia

29. Chicago- OG Danny Watkins, Baylor

• The Bears could use some upgrades and depth on their offensive line. With all the top offensive tackles off the board already, Watkins is the top guard in the draft and could help keep QB Jay Cutler off the ground.
  • Secondary options: WR Leonard Hankerson, Miami (FL) or DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina

30. New York Jets- DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio St.

• Heyward fits a position of need and is a perfect for the Jets’ 3-4 defense.
  • Secondary options: DT Phil Taylor, Baylor or LB/DE Justin Houston, Georgia

31. Pittsburgh- CB Brandon Harris, Miami (FL)

• None of the top offensive tackles are left on the board. Harris has some talent and could definitely push for a starting job as the #2 corner for the Steelers.
  • Secondary options: DT Phil Taylor, Baylor or OT James Carpenter, Alabama

32. Green Bay- LB/DE Justin Houston, Georgia

• The Packers would have loved one of the top offensive tackles to somehow fall to them here, but finding an outside linebacker of Houston’s talent to play opposite of LB Clay Matthews will be a nice consolation.
  • Secondary options: OT James Carpenter, Alabama or OT Ben Ijalana, Villanova

The Lions 2011 Team Needs:

The Lions definitely saw an improvement last season after a successful offseason of making trades, signing free agents, and drafting players. And even with the uncertainty of next season due to the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, the Lions front office still has work to do. All the NFL teams are unable to make trades or sign free agents until a new CBA is in place, so that much more emphasis is being put on this year’s draft.

The Lions have a little extra work to do this year that they haven’t had to deal with the past couple seasons. Owning one of the top two picks in three out of the past four years, the Lions only had to minimize their “want/need” list down to two or three players for their 1^st Round pick. With the 13^th pick this season, the potential that one or a couple of the top players they really like and desire will be off the board when they pick is more of a certainty now. With that being said, more research needs to be done on a wider variety of players…not that the Lions’ front office doesn’t already do at least a little research on every player. There are a few positions that might stick out a little more than others and could use a potential improvement through the draft: linebacker, cornerback, left tackle, wide receiver, offensive guard, running back, and safety.

After trading undersized LB Ernie Sims last season, the Lions released LB Julian Peterson this offseason due to his age and contract. Now the Lions find themselves in a little bit of a pickle needing help at the linebacker position. DeAndre Levy returns having operated at both outside and middle linebacker. Zack Follett started last season with Peterson at outside linebacker, but a neck injury ended his season. Newcomers Ashlee Palmer and Bobby Carpenter finished the season at outside linebacker and did a nice job, but there are still questions of whether they’re the answer or just a temporary fix.

Cornerback was an area that was a concern going into the draft last season. The Lions made a few offseason moves to try to improve the position such as: trading for CB Chris Houston and CB Alphonso Smith, signing free agents like CB Jonathon Wade, and drafting CB/S Amari Spievey. And while this group was an improvement over the previous season, the Lions still could use a shutdown corner to help give their much-improved defensive line a little more time to get to the quarterback. Making this position even more of a need is the chance that the Lions could lose Houston to free agency.

With franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford only playing in 13 games in his first 2 seasons due to injuries, the Lions offensive line needs to do a better job at protecting him. The Lions did draft OT Jason Fox last year in the 4^th Round, however he is considered to be a work in progress. The answer might be drafting a left tackle and moving OT Jeff Backus (soon to be 34-years-old) over to right tackle, where current right tackle Gosder Cherilus is coming off of micro-fracture knee surgery.

The Lions did a great job of addressing the wide receiver last offseason when they signed Nate Burleson. Burleson did a good job of getting open when teams were double-teaming Calvin Johnson. Bryant Johnson, who the Lions signed two years ago to be the 2^nd wideout, has totaled 53 catches and 3 touchdowns with the Lions and is not even the answer as the 3^rd wideout. The Lions need to find someone that can stretch the field (much like DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles or Mike Wallace of the Pittsburgh Steelers) to allow Johnson, Burleson, and tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler to find the open areas.

The Lions also address the offensive guard position last offseason when they traded for Rob Sims. And while Stephen Peterman did a decent job at right guard, he was one of the most penalized offensive lineman in the NFL last season. An upgrade at the position could be in order.

In last year’s draft, the Lions traded up to get back in the 1^st Round to draft a running back- Jahvid Best out of Cal. Best proved to be an explosive player out of the backfield and forced opposing defenses to focus on more than just WR Calvin Johnson. Best however was slowed by toe injuries, and Detroit had to use others RB Kevin Smith and RB Maurice Morris more often. This offseason, the Lions decided not to tender an offer to Smith, which left Morris and Aaron Brown backing up Best in the backfield. With all three of their running backs being a little undersized, Detroit could use the services of a bigger back to take some of the tough, short-yardage carries and take some of the load off of Best.

Finally, the Lions have a young defensive playmaker in S Louis Delmas. However, the still haven’t found a suitable safety to play next to him. Detroit tried again to fill the position with many different players- C.C. Brown, Randy Phillips, and Spievey. And while each one of those players had their moments, the Lions couldn’t get a consistent effort from any of them. Detroit did sign Erik Coleman this offseason and hope he can be the answer for this position.

Over the next two weeks, I’ll touch on each position…but especially on the positions of need.