The Good: Nick Fairley has the potential to be one of those game changing defensive linemen. He is extremely effective off of the snap, very good in pursuit and can make plays in every direction. He could be a potential steal at the #13 spot for the Lions.
The Bad: There are some work ethic concerns surrounding Fairley coming out of the draft. At times he can be controlled by one single defender and lacks that pure power.
The Bottom Line: Lions GM Martin Mayhew stuck to his game plan which was to draft the best player available. Even though the Lions drafted a top rated DT last season in Ndamukong Suh, Fairley enables the Lions the to quite possibly employ the best defensive line in the NFL. And to all of your naysayers out there who point to Millen drafting wide outs in consecutive years, this by far is NOT the same thing. A strong defensive line is much more effective than a strong wide receiver corps. A dominant defensive line can immediately eliminate the run, put tremendous pressure on the opposing quarterback, ware out the opposing offensive line and enable your linebackers to drop back into coverage.
Grade: A
Round 2 (44th overall) – Titus Young, WR/Boise State
The Good: Young is a quick receiver capable of running sharp routes and adjusting to snag an errant throw. He has very good concentration that enables him to effectively read coverage and get behind his defenders.
The Bad: It has been said that Young is more quick than fast. He also lacks size that may end up hurting him at the NFL level when handling jams or batting for possession.
The Bottom Line: The Lions had no business what-so-ever drafting a wide receiver in the second round with the 44th overall pick pick. Not to mention a third wide receiver who will play behind Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson. Calvin Johnson is a reason why this team doesn’t need a second round wide receiver skill set since his own skill set should more than make up for that lost talent. With Johnson and Burleson as your primaries the Lions can afford to layoff on the wide out position and worry about other needs. They obviously didn’t take advantage of this.
Grade: D
Round 2 (57th overall) – Mikel LeShoure, RB/Illinois
The Good: LeShoure has good hands, good speed and can catch the ball in the backfield. He can possibly provide that power running game which as been missing from the Lions game plan.
The Bad: LeShoure has the tendency to lose momentum when he has to change direction which hinders him from being a creative type of runner. He can be effective when blocking but isn’t very consistent in that area.
The Bottom Line: Again LeShoure provides the Lions with a dual threat running game. LeShoure can provide the power while Jahvid Best whom the Lions drafted last year in the first round can provide the speed. However I would’ve liked this draft pick a lot more if the Lions drafted a position of need with their previous pick. I also believe power backs is something that can be had later in the draft.
Grade: C
Round 5 (157th overall) – Doug Hogue, OLB/Syracuse
The Good: Athletic and has good ball awareness. Has shown that he has good skill in coverage and is very aggressive and productive in his all around game. He also has the ability to stay with running backs and tight ends down field.
The Bad: Lacks size and can be controlled during the attack.
The Bottom Line: Finally the Lions draft a player at a position of need. However in this case it’s too little too late. The Lions needed to get effective players for their secondary earlier in the draft. Even though Hogue was effective in the Big East he won’t be effective at the NFL level. I see the special teams in his future.
Grade: C
Round 7 (209th overall) – Johnny Culbreath, T/South Carolina State
There’s not much you can say about the last pick for any team in the draft. Yes the Lions need depth and eventual replacements for their offensive line but Culbreath won’t fill any of those voids. Still though I can’t help but think that this pick (positional wise) would’ve better been suited earlier on in the draft.
Unfortunately for Culbreath he is destined for either the practice squad or free agency.
Grade: C
Final Thoughts
With all the uncertainty surrounding next season and free agency this draft was maybe thee most important draft for the Lions within the past ten years.
Unfortunately for the most part, Lions GM Martin Mayhew dropped the ball.
Unlike the wide receiver position and in a sense the running back position (they did draft Jahvid Best last year in the first round) this team had tremendous gaping holes in their secondary that went unaddressed in this years draft. The Lions are now heading into next season with some serious questions surrounding their cornerbacks and linebackers, two positions that tremendously hindered their defensive production last season.
Mayhew as well as fans cannot assume that they will get this help for the secondary via free agency. Again there is no certainty that free agency will be available for the upcoming season and there is no guarantee that free agents would want to come and play for Detroit. Furthermore this makes re-signing Chris Houston extremely vital.
I’m willing though to give Mayhew a slight benefit of the doubt. He has made some good picks during his time as the teams GM and has brought in some viable free agents.
Overall Grade: C-