2007 DRAFT NEEDS:

DETROIT LIONS

presented by

by PFT Editor Mike Florio, with Matt Miller of NewEraScouting.com

We have long believed that it makes little or no sense to force a team that has had a bad season to exercise one of the first picks in the draft.  For starters, the team is required to pay the player a ton of money.  And then both the team and the player are strapped with the scrutiny that goes with a guy being taken so high in the draft.

One of the best examples of this phenomenon is the Lions, who have had a top ten pick in each of the last five years: 2006 (No. 9), 2005 (No. 10), 2004 (No. 7), 2003 (No. 2), 2002 (No. 3).  Though two of the five (receiver Roy Williams and linebacker Ernie Sims) have performed well, it's the three busts (quarterback Joey Harrington, receiver Charles Rogers, and receiver Mike Williams) that have stained the franchise.  And, all things considered, none of this quintet has helped the team get any better.

This time around, the Lions are back at No. 2, in a draft that arguably has four players who would be the No. 1 overall pick in most other years:  quarterback JaMarcus Russell, receiver Calvin Johnson, running back Adrian Peterson, and left tackle Joe Thomas.

But even with the Lions in prime position to land an impact player, there has been plenty of talk of a possible trade down.  Teams that have been mentioned as possible partners include the Redskins, the Dolphins, and the Broncos.  Whether a deal gets done, however, might be deferred until the Raiders make their pick at No. 1 known.

If the Raiders pick Russell, the Redskins or the Vikings might try to get in position to snag Johnson.  Or maybe the Cardinals, who desperately need a competent left tackle, will try to slide up to get Thomas.

If Oakland takes Johnson, the Dolphins might try to make a play for Russell.  Another possibility is the Texans, who might decide that a big push for Russell will help the locals forget that Houston whiffed on Reggie Bush and Vince Young a year ago.

If the Lions use the pick, we see them taking Thomas or Johnson.  Though many league observers presume that Detroit's recent history of taking receivers at the top of the first round precludes them from picking Johnson, we think that Millen and company realize that Johnson is a once-in-a-generation talent, who could do for the 2007 Lions what Torry Holt did for the 1999 Rams.

As to rumors that the Lions are locked in on a quarterback in round one, we think that the goal here is to try to squeeze the Browns into giving up a couple of draft picks for the privilege of moving up one spot.  (Millen pulled off this ploy three years ago, when the Browns and Lions flip-flopped picks so that Cleveland could pick the ill-fated Kellen Winslow.)

But this doesn't mean that the Lions don't need a quarterback.  Jon Kitna is getting up there in years, and it would make sense to let a young guy learn from him, like Carson Palmer did four years ago in Cincinnati.  Michigan State's Drew Stanton is a compelling option, if he's still available at the top of round two.  But given that offensive coordinator Mike Martz has developed into stellar passers guys like Marc Bulger (a sixth-round pick) and Kurt Warner (undrafted), it might make more sense for the Lions to see what's left in the last couple of rounds.

Though the Lions are collecting running backs like they previously rounded up receivers, it might make sense to bring in a young guy on day two of the draft.  With veterans Kevin Jones and Shawn Bryson and Tatum Bell and T.J. Duckett on the roster, we have a feeling that at least one of them will be gone by the start of the season -- two of them once Jones gets a clean bill of health.  At a minimum, they could use a young guy to push Brian Calhoun, and to help out on special teams.

The trade of Dre' Bly leaves the Lions thin at cornerback, although the addition of Travis Fisher, a guy with Tampa 2 experience in St. Louis, provides some help.  Still, there are only four corners on the roster, and it'll be important to add some bodies at the position.  A guy like Marcus McCauley from Fresno State has the size and the skill to jam receivers and provide support against the run, which are two of the primary skills for corners who play in the two-deep zone that keeps the corners close to the line of scrimmage.

Even if the Lions draft Joe Thomas and move Jeff Backus inside, the Lions could use a guard or two in the draft.  The challenge will be to find some guys in the lower rounds with the tough-as-nails, no-bitching mindset that coach Rod Marinelli covets.

In free agency, the Lions were interested in middle linebacker London Fletcher, who ended up signing with the Redskins.  That's bad news for Paris Lennon, who started all 16 games in the middle after jumping from the Packers in 2006.  How about Justin Durant of Hampton, who has the speed to cover the seam routes in the Tampa 2?