Ok, there are some interesting names left here that I want to keep an eye on.

Here are some of the guys I would like to keep on eye on:

First of all, there are a number of interesting QB's to watch. I wouldn't mind if the Lions used one of their 5th rounders or their 7th rounder on one of these guys, even though they grabbed Stanton.

Troy Smith
Tyler Palko
Chris Leak
Jared Zabransky

RB - I'm really curious to see where Michael Bush ends up. Most people know I think he'll be a stud if he's healthy.

Steve Breaston - I'm curious to see who picks him up as a special teams player.

TE - Scott Chandler from Iowa. He seemed to always be a threat when we played them.

O-Line, there isn't one guy I really have my eye on here. I do think the Lions need to use at least one of their remaining picks here, though. Doug Free seems to be the highest rated guy left at Tackle.

I wouldn't be surprised if we were done with the D-Line, but I'm curious to see where Maimi's Baraka Atkins ends up. I think he has potential.

As a Michigan fan I wonder about Prescott Burgess. I would think he has the size and athleticism to be a good situational LB for someone.

As far as ILB, I think the Lions should take a shot with Brandon Siler. They haven't addressed MLB yet and he's the best one left. If he's there when the pick early in round 4, he should be the pick, IMO.

At DB, I'm curious about David Irons from Auburn. He's the brother of the RB, and in spite of having surgery twice on his ACL, he still ran a 4.44 40. A little small but maybe worth taking late. I've heard of stories before where two brothers from the same school, one a RB and the other a DB, had a pretty decent career.

The last guy I'm watching is Mason Crosby. The first kicker on the board. Some thought he was good enough to go day 1. Is it time to get our hands on Jason Hanson's successor?

We have an early 4th and three 5th rounders so we should be able to make some noise. We can trade away picks or even move up if there are players we covet which is a good position to be in IMO. Here is my semi-wish list.....

4th round -- Brandon Siler (Jethro nailed it)
5th round -- Mason Crosby (he is freaking amazing)
5th round -- DT (anyone but Clifton Ryan)
5th round -- CB with KR/PR skills
7th round -- Brandon Fields (it would be cool to have him and Crosby for the next 15 years and not have to worry about this portion of our team)

I'd really like to see the Lions take OL - Beekman, OLB - Alexander, or CB - T. Jackson. All three are considered to be 1st or 2nd rd. talent and address team needs. WR- Allison is another 1st rd. talent still avail. but we really don't need another receiver.

AJ Davis is a confusing pick. Not sure what Marinelli sees in him more than other guys. 4.56 speed is slower for a corner, and he's under 5'11". Ummm....

By the way, I've heard Siler may not be on the Lions draft board because he's got the same type of attitude as Mike Williams.

Just a couple notes -

First of all, check out the Raiders. Holy crap. I mentioned somewhere they needed to completely revamp this team. I think they have done a great job so far. Of course they have the QB of the future, but they also added a capable QB for this year. They added a top 10 WR who, if he's ever going to make an impact it will be with Kiffin and got rid of another huge waste of talent by shipping Moss out. At this point it will be positive just to get him out of the locker room. Adding TE Zach Miller is huge. Great TE. Better than Olsen IMO. With three 3rd round picks and two 4th rounders they addressed some other needs fairly well, but getting Bush, like I've said MANY times, could be absolutely huge.

Now, for Filly's take. We agreed on Siler but having heard about him being a head case I can understand not taking him. As for Clifton Ryan, I hate Sparties as much as the next guy but having Ryan would be the opposite of Siler. If we took him he may never play, but his leadership skills would be nice to have and Marinelli would probably love him in practices. I wonder, fi they aren't drafted, if we could get Ryan and Fields as UDFA's.

AJ Davis is a confusing pick. Not sure what Marinelli sees in him more than other guys. 4.56 speed is slower for a corner, and he's under 5'11". Ummm....

By the way, I've heard Siler may not be on the Lions draft board because he's got the same type of attitude as Mike Williams.

About A. J. Davis:

"One of the quickest cornerbacks in the country, Davis is regarded as the Atlantic Coast Conference's top man coverage defender. He has drawn comparisons to former Clemson standout Tye Hill, according to opposing ACC coaches, for his ability to instantly change direction and close on the ball with suddenness. He has not only used his impressive quickness and leaping ability to excel on the football field, but was also a productive performer on the Wolfpack's track team. "

I still would have taken CB Tanard Jackson with this pick but at least we addressed a need. TB took him with the very next pick.

AJ Davis
CB | (5'10", 193, 4.45) | NORTH CAROLINA ST

Scouts Grade: 70

Flags: (B: BULK/SIZE) Lacks size/bulk for position(D: DURABILITY) Player that can't stay healthy Selected by: Detroit Lions
Round: 4
Pick (Overall): 6(105)
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Strengths: Displays outstanding quickness and athletic ability. Technically sound cornerback with good footwork, recognition skills and hand-usage. He displays good burst, balance and body control getting in and out of his pedal. He breaks quickly on the ball and is especially effective when coming forward. He shows the quick feet and fluidity to keep with double moves in space. He gives a good effort in run support. He is a hard worker and a team player. Quiet but displays solid overall intangibles.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal size, especially height. He will have trouble matching up one-on-one versus taller receivers in the NFL. He will get pushed around by bigger receivers and will allow them to dictate their routes. He will not make a lot of plays in traffic. He can be a liability in certain red zone matchups. Possesses adequate but not good ball skills. Is not a huge playmaker. Gives a good effort versus the run but will struggle to get off of some blocks and to take down some bigger ball carriers.

Overall: Davis received a redshirt for the 2002 season after having surgery to repair a fractured right fibula (8/14). He returned in 2003, played in all 13 games, and recorded 28 total tackles, two interceptions, nine pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Davis saw action in all 11 games in 2004, finishing with 24 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. He again appeared in all 11 games in 2005, registering 32 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups. Davis appeared in 10 games in 2006 (missed Akron and Clemson games due to injury), with nine starts, and recorded 24 total tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, and six pass breakups. Davis has one child; he is not married.
Davis is undersized and has limitations in terms of run support and matching up versus bigger receivers on an island. He also has never been a huge playmaker. However, he is a hard worker with excellent quickness and athletic ability. Overall, Davis lacks enough special qualities to project as a shutdown No. 1 cover corner, but at best he will be a No. 2 starter and at worst he should be a nickel contributor in the slot. That should be enough to get Davis drafted late on the first day.

Looks like they traded up to get this guy.


Manuel Ramirez
OG | (6'3", 326, 5.24) | TEXAS TECH

Scouts Grade: 58 Selected by: Detroit Lions
Round: 4
Pick (Overall): 18(117)
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Strengths: Possesses excellent overall size. Adequate height for a guard and he is thickly built with great bulk. He is a workout warrior. Shows good upper body power and plays with a mean streak. Is able to jar defenders when he gets a clean hand punch. Plays with a wide base and is able to anchor versus powerful bull rushers. He has great experience in pass pro but he is a more effective run blocker. At his best when working in the phone booth. He uses his wide frame to engulf defenders at the point of attack in the running game. He fights to finish and rarely loses a one-on-one battle if he's in position. A hard worker in the weight room and also a very durable player to this point.

Weaknesses: Comes from a unique spread-offense system, so his learning curve could be steeper than most. While quick for his size, he is lacking in athletic ability. He will wear down late in games and has a tendency to become lazy. He needs to do a more consistent job with his blocking angles and he will struggle to hit the moving target in space on occasion. Also has limitations in pass protection. He plays stiff and will overextend too frequently. He is susceptible to the double-move by athletic pass rushers. Arms are shorter than ideal.

Overall: Ramirez was redshirted in 2002 and then started 10 games for the Red Raiders in 2003. He was a fulltime starter throughout Texas Tech's 12-game season in 2004 and he started 11 of the 12 games he played in as a junior in 2005. As a side note, Ramirez broke his own school record by bench pressing 550 pounds during spring practice in 2005. Ramirez was a fulltime starter at right guard as a senior in 2006, missing one game (Iowa State) due to an undisclosed injury.
Ramirez is an experienced offensive guard prospect with adequate short-area quickness to go along with his outstanding size. He displays exceptional strength in the weight-room but unfortunately it doesn't always transfer to the football field. Ramirez lacks great balance and he failed to show improvement in his technique as a senior. Furthermore, he will have a big adjustment to make as an NFL player coming from Texas Tech's spread offensive attack. As such, Ramirez should grade out no higher than a fourth round prospect in the 2007 class.

Interesting, we trade again. Give up 2 of the remaining 5th rounders to move up into the 4th round and grab Ramirez. Well, at least they finally addressed the line. The whole "can get lazy at the end of games" thing will have to change if he wants to make the team.

This leaves us with 2 more picks, one near the end of the 5th round and then the very last pick in the draft, Mr. Insignificant.

I sure hope they're busy with UDFA's because I still see a bunch of holes. Maybe there will be some interesting June 1 cuts.

I don't get why we are trading away picks when we have as many holes as we do. Crosby, Patrick, Siler, Alexander, Shaw, Ryan, etc. all could be used by the Lions. Of course we dont' save the picks.

BTW - good for Cliff - off to the Rams.

i like that were being aggressive and moving around alot. that suggests we have some sort of a game plan, and are hopefully getting our targets.

but with millen, you always have wonder if maybe we're outfoxing ourselves.

Looks like there will be some interesting UDFA's this year.

The Lions typically bring in around 15 each year, give or take a few. Rarely do many make the team, but it always gives us one more thing to talk about for a few days after the draft.

Lions find a prize in Baldwin
Team raves about tools, instincts of linebacker from Alabama A&M that everyone else missed.
Mike O'Hara / The Detroit News




ALLEN PARK -- The information highway for NFL draft prospects has no boundaries or speed limit. Nuggets of information, however useless, can go all the way back to junior high school.
Height, weight, speed, strength, position switches, favorite dessert -- it is all available on game tapes, practice tapes, scouting profiles and Internet reports.
True draft sleepers probably don't exist anymore. Johnny Baldwin, a linebacker from Alabama A&M drafted by the Lions in the fifth round, comes as close as anyone to being a draft sleeper.
The early reports on Baldwin from their scouting department sparked the interest of the Lions' coaches. The more information they got on Baldwin, the more they liked him.
Baldwin's athletic ability and instincts were evident in a three-day rookie mini-camp that ended Sunday morning.
"He's definitely got the tools that can excite you as a coach," defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. "He's a 230-pound man who really can run. He doesn't know what the heck he's doing right now. You can take that as a coach.
"That was a great find by our scouting department. I give all the credit to our scouting department. Silas McKinnie (a personnel scout) found him."
Baldwin impressed the scouts at his pro-day workout on March 13. He ran the 40-yard dash and was timed in 4.60 and 4.59 seconds. He had a 38-inch vertical jump and a standing long jump of 10 feet, 4 inches.
Only two game tapes were available when the Lions started scouting Baldwin, Barry said. They asked Alabama A&M to send more.
"We ended up watching about seven games on the kid," Barry said.
Baldwin played weak-side linebacker in college. The Lions have moved him to the middle, where Paris Lenon and Teddy Lehman return to compete for the starting job.
Speed is at a premium on every level of coach Rod Marinelli's defense -- the front four, linebackers and the secondary. Baldwin's speed is his primary asset.
"We never really make a big deal about how tall a guy is or how much a guy weighs," Barry said. "We're built on speed and quickness. You can't beat speed, bottom line."
Alabama A&M competes in the Southwest Athletic Conference, made up of historically black colleges. Grambling, Jackson State and Southern are the conference's best-known schools.
Robert Mathis, a starting defensive end on the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, played at Alabama A&M and was drafted in the fifth round in 2003. Baldwin was a redshirt freshman in 2002, when Mathis was a senior.
The school had a reunion for Mathis after the Colts won the Super Bowl.
"It was good to see him again," Baldwin said. "To see him go to the NFL, to see what he did and see him come back, it was great."
Baldwin doesn't seem daunted by making the jump from a small school to the pros. The rookies got a cram course from their first meeting Thursday evening through the last of five practices Sunday morning.
"It's exciting, but at the same time it's football," Baldwin said. "I've been learning a lot of stuff. I have a lot of stuff thrown at me. It isn't something I can't handle.
"But it isn't easy to pick up, either -- just like it would be for anybody else who hasn't been in a pro system. It's a lot more complex. And they push you hard. It's a good thing. It's not something that should break you. It's not something that's going to break me."