Detroit Lions 2012: NFL Draft, Best Player Available & Drafting a Defensive End

It's a curious thing, the whole concept of "best player available" and how it relates to a team's draft outcome.  The concept is that a player will fall to your team during the draft, a player that should not be available when it is your team's turn to draft.  Your team selects "best player available" and seems thrilled, but this drives fanbases crazy because for the most part, needs are rarely addressed.

Looking at the draft history of the Detroit Lions under general manager Martin Mayhew, you can see that the Lions employ the "best player available" concept almost all the time.  Mayhew does take heat amongst some Lions fans.  This was on display during the 2011 NFL Draft when the Lions did not take a cornerback or a safety in round one.  They had two selections in round two and still ignored the secondary.  In fact, they ignored the position throughout the entire draft.

Detroit area sports talk radio was flooded with callers who were angry and confused.  This anger and confusion is unfounded as the Lions have seen success under Mayhew that has come surprisingly fast.  Mayhew and the Lions have hit a home run or two in each of his first three drafts.  The bottom line is that his decision-making has earned him the respect and the trust of the majority of the fanbase.

No one thought that the Lions needed an interior defensive lineman last year.  Ndamukong Suh had a dominant 2010 season; it was clear that the defensive line was all set.  Rewind to the 2011 NFL Draft and somehow a talent like Nick Fairley falls to where the Lions are in the draft.  The Lions viewed it as a no-brainer and drafted him.

This is where it will get interesting during the 2012 NFL Draft.  The Lions have clear, pressing needs at cornerback and safety on defense and at right guard, center and left tackle on offense.  Given Mayhew's history it should not surprise anyone if they draft a player that is an elite talent but doesn't play in one of those positions.

At some point "best player available" will match a need and this could be the year, especially with the Lions having a selection later in the draft.  It could be this year that a player falls a few spots, and the Lions will get to satisfy the fans by telling them that the best player available was also a cornerback, or a left tackle, but don’t count on it.

It's the draft and the one thing we do know is that no one knows how this thing will play out.  History tells us that we will be surprised during the draft at the player that Mayhew selects.  As much as I want him to address the offensive line or the secondary, I know that those are moves that will have almost no impact on the field in 2012.

The Lions are calculating and will not reach and put themselves in a bad spot, whether it is in free agency or the draft.  The Lions seem intent on setting a price and waiting for the other side to blink.  They play the game very well.

It is for the following reasons that I think it makes sense for the Lions to take a defensive end in the first round of this year's draft.  The Lions de-prioritize the corner position and are happy to fill it with players that they can grab elsewhere.  The idea is that the pressure that the defense creates can make average corner backs look good in this system.

There is also the age of Kyle Vanden Bosch and his health concerns.  He won't be around long, and if the Lions can find his replacement now by getting a player that doesn't belong on the board when they draft then they should select him.  Follow that up by allowing Vanden Bosch to teach this player while he plays out the rest of his career. 

Another factor is the contract status of Cliff Avril.  You can blame the Carolina Panthers for this one.  The Panthers paid Charles Johnson $72 million over six years with $30 million guaranteed.  The problem is that Avril has out-performed Johnson and wants "Charles Johnson" money, and the Lions can't afford that.  The Panthers set the bar far too high, and the Lions can’t reach it long term.  The Lions and Avril are apparently very far apart in negotiations.

I am not advocating passing on a premier left tackle or a stud cornerback if that player falls to them, but we know that is very unlikely to happen.  The defensive end class is deep and full of talent.  There will be a player on the board at number 23 who can make an impact right away and down the road.   

I like what Mayhew has done and could not be happier that I saw the Lions in the playoffs last year.  I like the idea that they continue to trend in a positive direction, but I understand that needs are not necessarily a priority for the Lions and I won’t be surprised come draft day when the take “best player available” again. 

I think fans should get ready for needs to get ignored again, and that’s fine as long as the Detroit Lions improve on draft day, like they have the previous three years with Mayhew at the helm.