Lion's Draft (2009)

Now, obviously, our beloved Lion's will have the first overall pick this year in the NFL Draft thanks to their lack of a single win.  Also, they have a second 1st round pick from Dallas courtesy of the Roy Williams, along with an extra 3rd rounder.  It is my secret fantasy/life's ambition/dream to be the next Todd McShay or Mel Kiper, so naturally i consider myself a pretty good draft analyzer.  

I will not provide

you guys with my opinion of what the Lion's should do with their five (5) first day draft picks. Obviously the draft order hasn't been decided yet, so i'm gonna base my picks off of what the order would be if the season ended today.

1st overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Micheal Oher, offensive tackle, Mississippi.

Oher is Ole Miss's gargantuan left tackle, a position the Lion's are desperate for.  This pick would allow 

the Lion's to move Jeff Backus (their current left tackle) inside to a guard postion, providing an aut

omatic upgrade to both the left tackle position (by Backus leaving and Oher entering) as well as the guard positon (because Steven Peterman and Edwin Mulitalo are garbage).  Also, this would give the Lion's 3 legitimate offensive lineman in Oher (LT), Backus (LG/RG) and last years first selection Gosder Cherilus (RT).  Now, some might argue that the Lion's need to pick a quarterback, but the top 3 collegiate QB's are all underclassmen, therefore not as seasoned as i would like to be taken 1st overall.  Matt Stafford (Georgia), Sam Bradford (oklahoma) and Colt McCoy (Texas) are all capable QB's, but still unseasoned.  McCoy has already said he's returning to Texas next year, Bradford i do not believe will declare, and Stafford may return to college as well.

With the 21st pick (approx.) in the 2009 NFL Draft, acquired from Dallas, the Detroit Lions select Brandon Spikes, linebacker,

from Florida.  The Lions current linebacker starting corps reads like this: Weakside-Ernie Sims, Middle-Paris Lenon, and Strongside-Ryan Nece.  Ernie Sims is quickly proving to be one of the best weakside linebackers in all of football, so the weakside will be a strength (HA!) of 

the Lion's for years to come.  Last year, the Lion's drafted Jordan Dizon out of Colorado in the second round in the hopes that he could transition to middle linebacker, although he played his entire career at colorado on the strongside.  Dizon has been unable to do so, and now backs up Nece on the strongside.  Paris Lenon is absolute garbage.  He is slow, stupid, and bites too early on play-action fakes.  All three of these qualities form one awful middle linebacker.  The drafting of Spikes will allow Lenon to move back to special teams where he belongs, and after this year and another training camp under his belt, Dizon will be able to take over the strongside, giving the Lion's one of the most talented corps of linebackers in the NFL.

With the 33rd pick in the 2009 NFL Draft (1st in the second round), the Detroit Lion's select Darrius Heyward-Bey, Wide Reciever, Maryland.  I KNOW I KNOW!, Matt Millen is gone, but so is Roy Williams, meaning that phenom Calvin Johnson needs a compliment, allowing Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey to stay in the slots, where they are much better suited.  Heyward-Bey provides an excellent combination of size and speed, and he will provide a superb compliment to Calvin Johnson, occasionally drawing the safety away from Johnson's side, allowing more longer pass plays to Johnson.  Also, if opposing teams insist on doubling both Johnson and Heyward-Bey, that leaves LINEBACKERS or NICKELBACKs on McDonald and Furrey, a matchup the Lion's would have wet dreams over.

I will post the Lion's 2 3rd round choices in a second blog coming soon, comment are appreciated.