Detroit Lions: Best Chance For Success In 2010 Might Not Be a Suh Thing

Speculating the NFL Draft and just what the Detroit Lions are going to do.  What a great hobby!

The majority of the articles recently written have entertaining.  Some have made a ton of sense and others have been outlandish.  It seems that every person writing these articles has the definitive answer that will solve all of the Lions problems.

Even some of my own have been laced with that sentiment.  Ah to be a legend in my own mind!

Any person who has read any of my articles knows I believe the offensive line needs to be addressed.  I digressed from that this year because of the ineffectiveness of the Lions defense last year.  I sided with the majority opinion and agreed that drafting Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy would be best for the Lions.

While that would still be a great move for the Lions, because of what Martin Mayhew has accomplished with free agency and trades, I'm not sure that drafting Suh or McCoy would fill the Lions biggest need.

So just what are the Lions three biggest needs?

Left Tackle :  Yes, I am back on that wagon again.  For the Lions to truly get to the next level, they need to move Backus to the right side.  With the acquisition of Rob Sims from the Seattle Seahawks, they are pretty set at both guard spots.  Jon Jansen will slide over to the right side while Sims becomes the left guard.  Dominic Raiola is set at center for now.  Backus was simply over-matched by Green Bay's Clay Matthews on Thanksgiving Day.  Stafford was only sacked twice that game but he was hit a lot, mainly by Matthews.  Backus can run block and between he and Jansen, could open some nice running lanes on the right side.  Gosder Cherilus is not meeting expectations as a right tackle but would be a great sub coming off the bench.  Lions don't have a lot of depth at either tackle as it is.  Lions should draft Russell Okung from Oklahoma State or Bruce Campbell from Maryland.  Either player is a plug and forget for the next 10 years.  And protecting Stafford is a must if the Lions want any chance of getting to the next level.

Strong Safety :  Louis Delmas needs a partner in crime.  While many Lions fans salivate at the prospect of Eric Berry from Tennessee being that partner, Berry will be long gone before the second round.  Lions just might get lucky if Taylor Mays out of USC is still there.  At 6-3, 230, he's a hard hitter.  Still some issues with coverage but he could be coached up in that area.  If Mays is gone, Lions grab Nate Allen out of South Florida.  At 6-0, 207, he's not as big as Mays but he's more polished in the area of coverage as he had four interceptions and four pass deflections in 2009.

Running Back:   The Lions, with no fifth round pick, might be wise to go with a running back in the third round.  Kevin Smith is a work horse but Lions need a back that has the potential to bust a big one from anywhere on the field.  Aaron Brown has been called a "poor man's" Reggie Bush.  But let's remember, despite all the accolades that Bush has received over the years, he isn't a starter and has yet to prove he can be an every down back.  Ben Tate from Auburn would be a great pick-up here.  He had a great senior year with 1,362 yards, 10 TD's and caught 20 passes.  He could be the Lion's first 1,000 rusher since Kevin Jones rushed for 1,133 yards six years ago in 2004.

The Lions have upgraded in several areas.  As I noted above the, defensive line, at least on paper, has been improved with Vanden Bosch and Williams.  If the Lions still feel the need for a defensive tackle, Linval Joseph from East Carolina would be a good pick up.  He's 6-4, 319 and ran a 5.09 at the NFL Combine, fast for a defensive tackle.

Another huge improvement has been at cornerback with getting Chris Houston from Atlanta and signing Jonathon Wade as well as keeping Deangelo Smith and Kevin Hobbs.

Nate Burleson should fill in nicely as the No. 2 wide receiver.  Along with Brian Clark and Brandon Pettigrew, Stafford should have plenty of targets to throw to and hit for some big plays with Calvin Johnson as teams won't be able to double up on him as much.

Lions are going to do better than 2-14 this year.  With some breaks, they might go 8-8 which would put Detroit in a feeding frenzy.  But more than likely, I see them at 6-10 or 7-9.  But if the team can stay together and build some chemistry, playoffs in 2011 shouldn't be too much of a reach.