Lions Draft 2007

[detroitsportscity]

LB's go later.

And DL would be nice, but isn't that Ron's specialty?

OL and DB would make the most sense. And there aren't any super DB's, IMO.

[sing4mylady]

We have a young LB core and our DLS are ok.We could use some better ones but our DBS definetly need help.

[mercury]

If they draft anyone besides an O lineman it will be just another nail... how fucking stupid can one GM be?

[Glenn]

Kiper's latest board.

Defense dominating Top 25 Big Board

By Mel Kiper Jr.
Special to ESPN.com

While the top two players on my Big Board play on the offensive side of the ball, 17 of the 25 names are defensive players -- including this week's two newcomers.

Notre Dame defensive end Victor Abiamiri is coming off a three-sack performance against Notre Dame and Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas showed no signs of rust against LSU after serving a two-game suspension.

1. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame (6-3½, 225) | previous: Same
Poised, smart and at his best in pressure situations. After a comeback against Michigan State, Quinn had solid outings against Purdue and Stanford.

2. Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin (6-6½, 313) | previous: Same
Huge, quick and athletic with a long wingspan.

3. Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson (6-4½, 260) | previous: Same
Flashes dominating ability with his athleticism and quickness.

4. Leon Hall, CB, Michigan (5-11, 193) | previous: 7
Tough customer who also shows very good anticipation and awareness in coverage.

5. Quentin Moses, DE, Georgia (6-4, 254) | previous: 4
Mature, hard working and explosive off the edge.

6. Levi Brown, OT, Penn St. (6-4½, 325) | previous: 5
Steady and reliable at protecting the quarterback's blind side.

7. Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn (5-10½, 199) | previous: 6
Deceptively strong with great vision and balance. Another chance to shine this week against Florida's defense.

8. Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio St. (6-3, 297) | previous: 9
Run-stuffing dynamo who does a great job of clogging the interior.

9. Jeff Samardzija, WR, Notre Dame (6-4½, 215) | previous: 11
Super hands and concentration with outstanding speed-to-size ratio.

10. LaRon Landry, DB, LSU (6-1½, 205) | previous: Same
Four-year starter who has proven to be Mr. Reliable throughout his career.

11. Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno St. (6-0½, 200) | previous: 8
He has the size and speed (4.33 40-yard dash) with outstanding coverage technique.

12. Victor Abiamiri, DE, Notre Dame (6-4, 270) | previous rank: Unranked
He has really stepped up as a big-time pass rusher this season. Abiamiri also is one of the more durable and battle-tested ends in the country.

13. Tom Zbikowski, S, Notre Dame (5-11½, 212) | previous: Same
An aggressive ball hawk who brings a swagger to the Irish's defense. A true play-maker who also excels as a punt returner.

14. Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida (6-2½, 288) | previous rank: Unranked
Made his presence felt against LSU despite coming off a suspension. Thomas neutralizes the double team and plays with power.

15. DeMarcus "Tank" Taylor, DT, NC State (6-2¼, 310) | previous: Same
Extremely quick and very powerful. A player on the rise, Taylor was a one-man wrecking crew against Boston College. I'm eager to see him against Florida State.

16. Ryan Harris, OT, Notre Dame (6-4½, 297) | previous: 21
Light on his feet with a defensive mentality. Harris neutralizes quick outside pass rushers.

17. Daymeion Hughes, CB, California (6-0, 187) | previous: 16
Big-play cornerback for the Golden Bears. Finished strong in 2005 and it has carried over to this season. Hughes has five INT in five games.

18. David Harris, LB, Michigan (6-2, 240) | previous: 19
Fast, strong and very productive, Harris has been one of the elite defensive players in the Big Ten this season.

19. Aaron Rouse, S, Virginia Tech (6-4, 218) | previous: 18
Incredible physical specimen with rare computer numbers.

20. Brian Leonard, Rutgers, (6-1, 239) | previous: 14
He will present the NFL with a tremendous amount of versatility, either as a traditional fullback or he could operate as an H-Back.

21. Patrick Willis, LB, Mississippi (6-2, 235) | previous: 20
Tackling machine with great football sense and diagnostic ability.

22. Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska (6-6, 298) | previous: 12
You just don't see many defensive ends carrying 300 pounds who can move as well as Carriker.

23. Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn St. (6-1½, 235) | previous: 17
A productive and consistent player who studies and prepares as thoroughly as anybody.

24. Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee (6-4 ¼, 302) | previous: Same
Prior to going down with a season-ending injury (torn biceps), Harrell was performing at the level you would expect from a first-round draft pick.

25. Michael Bush, RB, Louisville (6-2, 250) | previous: Same
He carried a first-round grade before breaking his leg in the first game of the season. If his rehabilitation goes well, Bush will be an intriguing prospect for next April's draft.

Dropped
Drew Stanton, QB, Michigan St. (6-3, 232) | previous:22
Desire to win is unmatched. Stanton brings every intangible you want at the QB position, but did not look solid in losses to Notre Dame and Ilinois.

Kyle Young, C, Fresno State (6-5, 339) | previous: 23
Experienced anchor on the Bulldogs offensive line. Great physical skills and extremely durable.

[Moodini31]

After watching Leinart shred the #1 Bears' defense, I'm really glad we passed on him.

[Tahoe]

Before reading about the Defensive strength of the draft, I was going to say, trade down and draft an offensive lineman.

I've had enough of drafting a QB top 3 and trading him, drafting a WR top 3 and cutting them, drafting another WR and deactivating them, etc etc etc..

We need someone who knows WTF they are doing with these HIGH draft picks. Hopefully we trade out of the spot.

[MoTown]

It's that time again - the most exciting time of the year to be a Lions fan! Considering everyone is talking about this in every other thread, we might as well have a thread to organize it a little better.

Alright, we all know the Lions will screw this up, but who would you take with the #1 pick? Trade down? There's four good recievers out there for the Lions to choose from: Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Jarrett, Jeff Samardzija, and Tedd Ginn.

Thoughts?

[WTFchris]

It's hard to say what we should do since Kiper's board always sucks (see Mike Williams) and there is no telling who will be hyped until the combine happens. At that point we'll see who is rated highest. If Quinn, Peterson, Johnson and company are all rated in the top 3, we might be able to get a team to leapfrog Oakland if they want Quinn or Peterson. Especially if there is a big drop off to the next best RB or QB. Suppose Smith is regarded as a late first/early 2nd. A team in need of a QB in the back half of the top 10 will be in a pickle. Trade up? Reach for Smith? Not address QB in the first round? Same goes for RB's too.

That's our best case for trading down and grabbing a deeper position in the 3-7 range. If we could do that and pick up an extra 2nd rounder (or more) that would be great. I'd like to get a franchise OT there and address defensive playmakers with our 2nd and 3rd round picks.

I love playing NFL GM, but it's too soon to talk senarios. i will say I do NOT want Quinn or Peterson though. Too many holes to take a first round QB, and Peterson is better suited to a run oriented offense, plus I have faith KJ will be back strong by the middle of next year. I also don't want to take a first round WR either. First round WR's are big physical WR's and Martz uses fast small ones mostly. You can find those later in the draft.

[Jethro34]

I'm glad Glenn posted that big board. An early post mentioned the need for linemen. I think if you go offense you go Joe Thomas for sure. Defense, Gaines Adams. The earlier post mentioned Moses from Georgia, but Adams is the better pro prospect IMO. He's huge, at 6-6, 260. He runs a 4.9 40 and was originally recruited as a TE. Has the instincts necessary to bat balls down at the line (broke up 6 passes), forced 2 fumbles, recovered 3, 15.5 TFL, 10.5 of which were sacks. He's a bigger Woodley, slower by a hair.

[b-diddy]

I love playing NFL GM, but it's too soon to talk senarios. i will say I do NOT want Quinn or Peterson though. Too many holes to take a first round QB, and Peterson is better suited to a run oriented offense, plus I have faith KJ will be back strong by the middle of next year. I also don't want to take a first round WR either. First round WR's are big physical WR's and Martz uses fast small ones mostly. You can find those later in the draft.

i think it would be a huge mistake to draft for next year. we have to face reallity, we have a foundation of shit. we only have a handful of quality nfl players. so even if (huge if) we had a dream offseason, we're not going to go anyplace special next year. and imo, you can ignore the 'system' talk too. martz is gone after this year or next. who knows when marinelli gets axed.

so i disagree with your statement about not drafting peterson due to our offense.

i say, unless injuries are a true concern, take him, and build a team around a star rb. i agree the best thing we could do is draft an 0-lineman, but thats assuming we'd do other things right, too. i dont have that kind of faith. just get me a stud RB, build him a decent line and cast around him, and i dont give a shit if we go 5-11 forever. just something to amuse me.