Last year's draft was so incredible (Williams, Jones, Lehman, Smith, Lewis, & Butler) that I think
some Lions fans may have felt a little bit let down this year. But that doesn't mean that this year's draft
wasn't a good one. LET'S analyze the PICKS (Ron Jaworski speech pattern):
In one of the most surprising picks of the whole draft, the Lions snagged WR Mike Williams from USC with the 10th overall pick.
Some analysts ripped Detroit for being the first team ever to draft a WR in the 1st round 3 years in a row.
However, this was actually an excellent "value" pick. Williams was Mel Kiper's best player available, so getting him with the 10th pick was a real steal for the Lions.
One reason Williams fell so far was his perceived lack of speed. He was timed in the 4.5 - 4.6 range, but that is not slow. Not only that, but speed doesn't matter as much for a guy who's 6' 5" with great hands and good quickness. He was a dominant player at USC, racking up 30 TDs and over 2,500 yards receiving in just 2 years.
Some are also concerned about the fact that Williams had to sit out last season at USC. I don't see this as a problem, either. He's been staying in shape and working closely with former Vikings WR Cris Carter, one of the best red zone WRs of all time.
Personally, I think the Lions made a great pick here by taking a guy who was easily the best player available.
In round 2, the Lions drafted DL Shaun Cody from USC, who was projected to go in the 1st round in
most mock drafts. The only negative about this pick is that the Lions had to use a 4th round pick to trade up and get him.
The pick itself is a good one, though. Cody has the versatility to play inside and outside, and was an excellent pass rusher in college.
He and Shaun Rogers could provied a great pass rush from the DT position, which is somewhat of a rarity in the NFL. The pick also addresses a future need,
as Dan Wilkinson will likely play only 1 or 2 more years with the Lions.
In round 3, the Lions chose CB Stanley Wilson from Stanford. I was a little disappointed in this choice because bigger name players like
Charlie Frye and Alex Smith (the TE) were chosen just prior to this pick. Also, Wilson didn't have great numbers in college. It sounds like he
has a big upside, though. His speed is very good (in the 4.3 - 4.4 range) and he has good size for a corner (nearly 6' 0").
Hopefully Wilson will boom rather than bust.
The Lions addressed the 3rd string QB position in round 5 by picking Dan Orlovsky. I wasn't too happy with this choice,
knowing that Adrian McPherson was still available. After learning more about Orlovsky, though, I'm beginning to like it.
He has all the intangibles that a good QB needs. He also possesses good size, decent mobility, and an accurate arm.
I also think that taking devolopmental QBs in the later rounds of the draft is a smart strategy.
And can the Lions really do any worse than Rick Mirer for 3rd string? I doubt it.
One of my favorite picks the Lions made was Bill Swancutt in round 6. Swancutt didn't have a great workout at the combine (slow 40 time), but
he was an excellent DE for Oregon State. He finished last season with 11.5 sacks and was co-defensive player of the year in the Pac-10
(with Shaun Cody). He also was defensive MVP of the Senior Bowl with 1.5 sacks & 2.5 tackles for loss. I have a hunch that this guy is going to be good. He may not be a speed rusher like Dwight Freeney, but he's a very solid football player.
The last pick the Lions made was LB Jonathon Goddard from Marshall at the end of round 6. Goddard was actually a DE in college, but is projected to be a LB in the NFL.
He led the nation with 16.5 sacks, but slipped to the 6th round due to his lack of size and level of competition that Marshall faced.
Goddard should make the team if he can contribute immediately on special teams. Hopefully the Lions can find a way to utilize his pass rushing ability from the LB spot as well.
All in all I think the Lions had a pretty strong draft. I'm going to grade it a B+. Williams, Cody, Swancutt, and Goddard were all good values.
I think they could've done a little bit better with the Wilson and Orlovsky picks, and not having the 4th rounder kind of hurt them, too. But as you know, time will tell on
all of these guys. Hopefully we can all look back 3 years from now and give the Lions an A+ for this draft.
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