Lions Draft for Need, For Once

The detroit Lions have made a lot of high draft picks in the last decade. They have taken a lot of wide receivers in the top 10 of these drafts. One thing was certain, they were going to take a skill position in almost every 1st round they had a chance to. Drafting 4 WRs in the top 15 in the past 6 years in the likes of Charles Rogers (#2 Overall 2003), Roy Williams (#7 Overall 2004) Mike Williams (#10 Overall 2005), and Calvin Johnson (#2 Overall 2007. Only roy Williams has shown he was worth the pick, and Calvin still has a long ways to go before anyone can say he was worth a #2 pick. Throw in Joey Harrington at #3 overall in 2002 and you have a laundry list of 1st round busts.

This year they actually decided to stay away from skill position guys for the most part and while we all laid in our massage chair watching the draft this year we saw something a little different. They took guys that you could actually say were positions of need and passed on guys like Mendenhall that we were all expecting them to take in the 1st round.

Although Lions fans were still quite pissed off that we took one offensive tackle at 17 by drafting Gosder Cherilus instead of just taking Albert at 15, there isn't much to complain about in my opinion. These guys are all rated relatively the same and they were able to move up 10 spots in the 3rd round to still get a tackle that was rated around where Albert was by trading back to 17.

The big thing that everyone was pissed off about this year however, was the 2nd round pick of Jordon Dizon of Colorado. Since Lions fans treat mock drafts like gospel, they all believed that the Lions reached way too far to get the guy. According to some mock drafts he was projected to go in the 4th round. Many others showed him in the early 3rd, so really it wasn't that huge of a reach. Most of these fans wanted Connor of Penn State. IN THE 2nd ROUND AT THAT PICK. Connor ended up getting drafted with the 11th pick in Round 3! To think these guys can complain about a perceived reach after calling to get this guy. Dizon lead the nation in tackles last year and was the Big 12 Player of the Year.

These same fans tend to think that our 3rd round Pick (#1 traded up from #3 with Dolphins)Kevin Smith is going to be all that. Like we got a steal. The guy is a dancer, and he is slow. Lions RBs are always like this guy and they always suck ass. HE will be no different. NEWSFLASH: This guy was the 8th best ranked RB coming out so anyone thinking we got a steal there is a moron.

As for the rest of the draf tthey picked positions of need all day. Look at the breakdonw with out even knowing the names and you may have to say that Millen had his most sensible draft since he has been here.

Round/Pick:

1/OT
2/LB
3/RB
3/DT
3/DE
5/WR (He's more of a kick returner, which we need desperately)
5/FB
7/DT
7/S (Dude from the Army)

Actual Picks

RB was a need so skill position there isn't a big deal. The WR is going to be used as a KR so it wasn';t really a bad pick. Everyone else? Straight need.

I am excited about Dizon for sure no matter where he was drafted. Nobody knows anyways how much he was moving up. I've seen quotes from other teams that said they were going to take him in the 2nd anyways so it really doesn't matter. Marinelli took him because he loves to play and he isn't a prima donna. Fine with me. Let him and Ernie Sims crack some skulls on Sundays is what I say.