Lions Draft Report Card: C+
I guess it could have been worse. As most of you know, I was hoping that the Lions would trade out of the #2 slot and stockpile more draft choices. I also was hoping for a big name defensive star to join the Honolulu Blue.
Instead, Matt Millen chose to draft his fourth first round wide receiver in five years in Calvin Johnson. It’s a gamble, but obviously, if they haven’t fired Millen at this point, what the hell does the guy have to lose? Johnson was rated by most to be the best available player in the draft, so why not pull the trigger. He’s obviously a stud (but so was Mike Williams and Charles Rogers) and Johnson should start immediately opposite Roy Williams and Mike Furrey. Again, Millen is gambling big time on this WR.
Wisely, the Lions traded down in the second. And lo and behold, they still got their guy, quarterback Drew Stanton. Being a Michigander, I am obviously biased in favor of Stanton. He’s got a decent arm and a lot of toughness. He’ll push Kitna to start by mid-season, especially if (or should I say, when) the Lions are out of the playoff race. He’s a great young prospect for Mike Martz to groom for the future.
Detroit picked up a defensive end (Ikaika Alma-Francis from Hawaii) in the middle of the second and a safety (Gerald Alexander of Boise State) just three slots later. Hopefully these guys can be impact players, because let’s face it, the Lions defense is in bad shape right now and they really need difference makers, not just players to fill roles.
To round out the draft, the Lions chose:
6 round (105) AJ Davis CB NORTH CAROLINA ST
4 round 18 (117) Manuel Ramirez OG TEXAS TECH
5 round 21 (158) Johnny Baldwin ILB ALABAMA A&M
7 round 45 (255) Ramzee Robinson CB ALABAMA
Waiting until the fifth round to grab a linebacker is a little troubling to me. This team really needs to improve at that position and they haven’t done enough to address that. The cornerbacks are shots in the dark as both of them are a little undersized. In general, these picks don’t excite me that much.
Although I was happy to see the Lions grab a promising young QB for the future (Stanton), they drafted a player that they really didn’t need (Johnson) and did not get any impact players on defense. But hey, I could be wrong. For the record, I actually thought Charles Rogers would be a star for the Lions. Anything can happen in the NFL, but when you get drafted by the Lions, all bets are off.
Posted: May 1st, 2007 under Coaching, Players, Ownership.
Comments: 1
Comments
Comment from Rockne
Time: May 4, 2007, 10:07 pm
Well,
When the Lions end up 5-11 because they have no blocking, injuries to two of their three starting wide receivers and a toothless defense, we’ll finally see Millen go. Unfortunately, I’m afraid Marinelli, an excellent coach in my opinion, will probably be gone as well. I hope Stanton is as tough as everybody is saying.
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