Detroit Lions 2011 Draft: Which Needs a Bigger Upgrade, Linebacker or Secondary?

For several years, the Detroit Lions have been a black hole for talent.

That's not to say that they were able to suck in talent from the far reaches of the galaxy with a strong gravitational pull.

That is to say that any talent that happened to be nearby tried to get away desperately, for fear of being chewed up and spit out on the other side as an unrecognizable shell of its former self.

Any talent that had a choice in the matter stayed away. Any talent that arrived was systematically destroyed in an incomprehensible carousel of poor planning, changing coaches, adjusted schemes and a total lack of anything resembling continuity.

The result has been a terrible team with two types of starters: Guys who need to be replaced soon, and guys who need to be replaced immediately, the result of a decade's worth of men without any clear plan being fired and replaced before getting started.

Enter 2011. This year marks the first time in a long time people can look at the Lions' roster and identify needs. Specific needs, that is, not the usual "need to blow it up and start over."

Among those needs, the two most glaring are linebacker and secondary, and with CBA negotiations at a point that can only be called apoplectic, we can pretty well assume that the Lions will be looking to the draft first to fill those needs.

But which is the more glaring need? Which would have a more notable impact if fixed?

The fact that the defensive line is one of the best in the NFL is a major factor in the decision, but 2011 should serve as proof to us all that a strong defensive line and pass rush does not cover up a weak back seven.

Sure, it helps a little, but the Lions are not going to win consistently without some talent in the other two-thirds of the defense.

Of course, a small amount exists there already. Louis Delmas is a young fixture at safety, and DeAndre Levy is growing at the middle linebacker position. Each has his faults (Delmas is often caught out of position, Levy has a hard time shedding blocks), but it cannot be denied that the Lions have a better defense when they play.

Ashlee Palmer and Bobby Carpenter were pleasant surprises at linebacker this year, but their ceilings are low and neither has consistent playmaking ability.

Amari Spievey may well affix himself to the strong safety spot alongside Delmas, but he has a long way to go, and he's certainly not filling one of those very empty cornerback positions that way.

All considered, though, it's easier to see Carpenter and Palmer in place without cringing than it is to see Alphonso Smith and Nathan Vasher/Prince Miller.

But is that accurate?

According to NFL.com, the Lions allowed an average of only 218.6 yards per game passing, good for 16th in the league. For those of you keeping score at home, that puts the Lions in the upper half of the league in pass defense.

Granted, much of that was because of Chris Houston's presence at corner, but he is about to become a free agent (or whatever we're going to call it once the lockout hits... Lost Boys, perhaps?) and can unfortunately not be factored in just yet.

On the ground, the Lions gave up an average of 124.9 yards per game, placing them 24th in the league.

Now, let's get this disclaimer out of the way early.

The defensive line has a bit to do with both areas, linebackers play some pass coverage and the secondary plays some run coverage. So this isn't a perfect comparison.

But Gunther Cunningham's scheme is basically to have his line get after the quarterback, and if it happens to find the running back carrying the ball on the way, so be it. That means that as the linemen create havoc at the point of attack, the linebackers are primarily there to clean up the run and the secondary primarily to defend the pass.

So assuming the linebackers are primarily responsible for stopping the run, and the secondary for stopping the pass, it's fairly clear statistically that the secondary did a better job last year.

Yeah, that's a lot to assume, I know. But it does throw into question the idea that the secondary is necessarily the biggest need this offseason.

Of the 12 playoff teams this season, only one—the Indianapolis Colts—fared worse against the run than the Lions. However, six 2011 playoff teams were worse against the pass.

And the Lions held a lead in most of their games this year, so we can no longer use the "opponents run more after building a big lead" excuse.

At present, it appears the run defense is in need of more help than the pass defense. Of course, that may all be flipped on its head, pending the eventual free agency decision of Houston.

Lions brass has made it clear that re-signing him is a top priority, and fielding an above-average pass defense for what seems like the first time in franchise history might explain why.

Of course, the Lions should fill their needs based on the most talented player available, and considering that all the top cornerback prospects should be off the board by pick 13, going with a linebacker might be all they can do.

But this is not a discussion of the pragmatic realism of the NFL draft (yet), as much as it a discussion of which spot, ideally, would get filled first and best.

So who would have a greater impact on the defense? Clay Matthews or Darrelle Revis? Chad Greenway or Nnamdi Asomugha? Von Miller or Prince Amukamara?

Or are you salivating at the prospect of having any of them?

Don't cop out on me, now.