The Official 2014 Lions Draft Thread

[shoktart]

If I may digress for just a moment...

One thing is clear, a team with such consistently good draft position over the last 5-7 years has no business with so many holes.

Actually, I think this is a perfect time and thread to bring that up. And I agree completely. Let's analyze that for a moment. Why do you think the Lions have so many holes?

I think the answer has everything to do with what the Lions have done (or failed to do) in previous years with the exact picks that they will be making tonight:

2nd & 3rd round draft picks.

Championships aren't won in the 1st round. I'm a strong believer that championships are won in the 2nd and 3rd round. Throw in the 4th round too. These are the draft picks that fill holes, eliminate needs, build a team.

Why do the Lions have so many holes? Look at the evidence.

2009 - very good draft overall. We addressed some big needs in getting Stafford, Pettigrew & Delmas. But with our second pick in the 3rd round we had a chance to bolster our CB or OL positions. Instead - what did we do?

3rd round - Derrick Williams

Huge opportunity wasted. There were some great OL players available at that spot.

2010 - Suh was a solid pick and really a no-brainer. But our next two choices turned out to be huge busts.

2nd round - Jahvid Best (pick was in the 1st but we used our 2nd round to move up)
3rd round - Amari Spievey

The injury to Best is not really Mayhew's fault. But the logic behind the pick was. Trading up to take Best sacrificed valuable draft assets. RB is not as big a need as other positions. And Spievey had bust written all over him and no one knew what position he would even play. Once again, we passed on great OL prospects.

2011 - The jury is still out on Fairley & Leshoure. I will refrain from passing final judgment other than to say that neither addressed the biggest needs for the team. The 2nd worst pick in Detroit Lions history (after Mike Williams) was sandwiched right in between these guys:

2nd round - Titus Young

What a waste of a very important draft pick. Once again, (do you see then trend) we failed to address the OL when we had the chance.

2012 - Once again the jury is still out on Reiif, Broyles & Bentley. I would be shocked if at least one didn't end up a bust. Maybe all three. I was not a fan of any of the picks. History might show this was one of the worst drafts ever. Time will tell.

Why do we have so many holes?

Just look at our recent history in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th rounds?

Too many WRs? Too much trading up? Bad scouting? Wasted picks?

Teams can't whiff on these important draft picks and not suffer major consequences.

All we can hope is that tonight things change. Regardless of the position, we need to hit homeruns tonight. We need to draft at least two starters!! We CANNOT afford to whiff anymore in these important rounds.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Why do we have so many holes?

Just look at our recent history in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th rounds?

Too many WRs? Too much trading up? Bad scouting? Wasted picks?

Teams can't whiff on these important draft picks and not suffer major consequences.

You better watch what you are typing. I've stated how bad the Lions have been after the 1st round numerous times and it hasn't gone over too well with the other fans on here.

IMO (i'm getting good at putting this in my threads now) -- that is exactly why the Lions have so many holes to fill. Instead of using FA money to fill holes not filled in the draft. They end up having to spend that money to fix mistakes made in the draft and in some cases -- multiple mistakes made in the draft (just during Mayhew's tenure)

 

[black_magic]

i think everyone can agree that we've whiffed an alot of picks after the 1st rd

 

[shoktart]

Instead of using FA money to fill holes not filled in the draft. They end up having to spend that money to fix mistakes made in the draft and in some cases -- multiple mistakes made in the draft (just during Mayhew's tenure)

Great point. You hit the nail on the head. It's difficult to grow as a team and as a franchise if FA money is needed to fix mistakes rather than move forward.

Think of it as a staircase leading to a championship. It would be nice to add stepping stones on top of other stepping stones. But when steps need to be removed it just kills the momentum. Nothing builds off anything. Instead steps are just being replaced.

Maybe this will change someday.

 

[Thruthefog]

The position the Lions needed to address since drafting Stafford was DE?!?!

Isn't that what I just said?

 

[gvsulaker82]

kj ester. One pick is in for the lions and you act like there is no chance they can improve their secondary. Why not wait until a few more rounds are in before that judgement call...

 

[gvsulaker82]

trustmeimright, as opposed to last year when they drafted reiff and the guy barely say the field? I think its safe to say that the lions owner is pretty content with the team fielding a mediocre product. The end result in determining if that idiot Schwartz is back will be wins and losses this upcoming season not their first round pick.

 

[gvsulaker82]

damn I agree with shok, mayhews biggest flaw is drafting nobodies in the 2nd, third and fourth rounds. And please don't try to tell me how levy was a steal. Hes hot garbage. Also for whoever commented about how the linebackers will be the downfall of this team. I agree, that position needs help immediately and urgently. There is still plenty of draft to go though. Secondary is much stronger than last year. I like how everyone has already given up on greenwood and Bentley.

 

[gvsulaker82]

Shoktart the disturbing trend you see is mayhew consistently trade up to draft an injury prone wide receiver or running back. Best and Leshoure. Young, ugh. Broyles last year? I'm still pissed off about that pick. I would not be surprised to see the lions waste yet another pick on a wide receiver.

 

[Cleaves2000]

Man the negativity....i hardly ever agree with the lions, but i believe they got this one right....ansah's a DE, not a QB....since when does it take years to teach a "project" to play DE? That was the position i played....i enjoyed it because it wasnt a hard position to play...main rule...dont let them around your end....otherwise, its get the QB...I remember getting put at OT and i hated it....too much to remember and if u miss a block, your friend gets crushed....the playbook was thick...too much to remember....i just think while the coaches were coaching him inthe senior bowl, they must of really liked what they saw....im sorry, its the NFL, there is no "sure thing" in the draft....i remember people thinking mandriach was going to be one of the best OL ever......there is NO safe pick in the draft ......and drew sharp is a moron anyways.....never liked that guy. Hes as bad as rob parker.

 

[jdwills126]

I keep hearing how Ansah will be a developmental guy. In reality their was not to many sure things in this draft. Mingo and Jordan projected out as 3-4 Ends. Miliner would have been solid but give a QB time to throw an you can have a secondary full of Deon Sanders and you will get burned.

The run on o-line and the couple of major surprises....EJ manuel, Hayden, Pugh, and Long have pushed some really good prospects into the second round. Detroit should trde down for a shot at Armstead and pickup an extra third or 4th.

WRs will be their in the 3rd if Mayhew has patience...with Allen the exception as I would not have a problem with him in the second.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Originally Posted by TrustMeIamRight
The position the Lions needed to address since drafting Stafford was DE?!?!
Isn't that what I just said?

Truth -- Yeah it is what you said. I was just trying to figure out why DE, of all position, is what the Lions needed to address. Between KVB and Avril since 2010 -- they had 46.5 sacks and 15 forced fumbles between the two.

That is just the production from their top two DE's the last 3 years. So how is it the Lions have had to address the DE position since Stafford was drafted?

 

[Cleaves2000]

There are alot of good options for the lions in the 2nd.....for once i actually wouldnt be mad if they drafted another WR, if its hunter......or another DE, if its hunt or carradine.....brown or te'o at LB......watson at OT......lets just hope they dont reach and try and shock everyone like the bills and bears.....myself i woudnt mind another DE to sure up our line.

 

[Cleaves2000]

Also having willie young and lo jack backing them up

 

[Thruthefog]

Truth -- Yeah it is what you said. I was just trying to figure out why DE, of all position, is what the Lions needed to address. Between KVB and Avril since 2010 -- they had 46.5 sacks and 15 forced fumbles between the two.

That is just the production from their top two DE's the last 3 years. So how is it the Lions have had to address the DE position since Stafford was drafted?

KVB was well past his prime when he got here. He was brought in mainly to change the attitude in the locker room.

Avril could make an average of one play a game to keep his stat line looking good. Other than that, the opposing QB had too much time to throw, making our secondary look worse than it was. If your DTs are getting double-teamed, your DEs have to be able to beat one-on-one protection to limit how long the opposing QB has to survey the field. Avril and KVB weren't getting it done. So despite the pretty stat lines, the opposing QB usually has too much time to throw. Granted, mixing in a few more blitzes would help, but short of that, the Lions have needed better DEs for a long time.

Sorry for being an asshat, but I hate making long posts. I was hoping to get away with my usual one-liner.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

So despite the pretty stat lines, the opposing QB usually has too much time to throw.

If averaging 15 sacks and 5 forced fumbles from your main two DE's isn't enough production -- What kind of production are you looking for? As you stated -- it isn't as if the Lions are bringing in blitzes and these guys are getting free runs at the QB. Detroit pressures the QB with 4 guys.

Also -- how can you call it a pretty stat line and then at the same time say the QB has too much time to throw? It isn't as if they were putting up garbage minute sacks.

 

[Thruthefog]

If averaging 15 sacks and 5 forced fumbles from your main two DE's isn't enough production -- What kind of production are you looking for?

Also -- how can you call it a pretty stat line and then at the same time say the QB has too much time to throw?

I don't care about the sacks and forced fumbles (although the turnovers are pretty sweet), I care about how long the opposing QB has to survey the field. It's how I watch football when the Lions are on defense. I'm very conscious of how long we give the other QB to look downfield. Over half the time it's way too long, and that means the other team moving the chains. It's how the Giants beat the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl. They never gave Brady the time to do what he does.

I don't hate the wide-9. I don't think any scheme is bad, if you have the personnel to run it. The Lions don't have the personnel to run the wide-9. Our DEs aren't good enough, at least with no blitzes to prevent predictability. That's one reason I'm losing confidence in Schwartz to coach this team. He's too inflexible.

 

[black_magic]

Jason jones has 33 inch arms, ziggy has 36 in arms. Both longer than what KVB and Avril had, so we may play to that have more balls batted down (per mike ohare)

 

[lions_rthe_best]

with the 36 pick the lions take Justin Hunter please!!!

 

[K.J.Ester]

I like Hunter, but I actually wouldnt mind seeing Margus Hunt still. Man that would be a top notch D-line then! lol