The Revival of the Detroit Lions: Martin Mayhew's Story

December 29, 2008 is a very important date for the Detroit Lions and their fans. Martin Mayhew was named general manager of the Detroit Lions, and the road to legitimacy was laid before them.

The steep climb out of the hole began that day, and what a hole it was.

The Lions and their fans had endured eight years of misery: the Millen years. It was a dark period for the Lions and their fanbase. Gone was former president Matt Millen, but left in his place was a person who worked under him, and there were big questions about Mayhew’s ability to lead the Detroit Lions.

It is only in hindsight that we can see that Mayhew has answered those questions and then some. He has employed virtually every weapon in his arsenal to acquire talent for the Lions.

One of his first moves was to hire head coach Jim Schwartz on January 16, 2009  This was a great decision, and they really have not looked back.

Mayhew has been shrewd and calculating. He traded Roy Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for first- and third-round selections. With the ability to look back, it is incredible that he got anything for Williams, let alone that much.

He has used late-round draft selections to acquire players like Rob Sims (fifth round in 2010), Corey Williams (fifth round in 2010) and Shaun Hill (seventh round in 2010). These are critically important players for the Lions.

He has also traded players to get important pieces that are working well for the Lions right now. Linebacker Ernie Sims was moved for tight end Tony Scheffler.

Looking at the 2009-2012 Detroit Lions' draft classes, we can find players that are critical to their success. They are building their team through the draft, and Mayhew’s “best player available” approach works.

There are those that question each and every pick that the Lions make because of this “best player available” approach, but looking at his draft record, it is easy to see that it is working. Players are productive from all points of the draft, from the obvious first overall pick to seventh-round picks.

In 2009, the Lions drafted Matt Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew in round one. They drafted Louis Delmas in the second round, DeAndre Levy in the third round and Sammie Lee Hill in the fourth round.

In 2010, the Lions drafted defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and running back Jahvid Best in Round 1, safety Amari Spievey in Round 3 and defensive end Willie Young in Round 7.

In 2011, the Lions drafted defensive tackle Nick Fairley in Round 1 and wide receiver Titus Young in Round 2.

The Lions have gone from the basement and are now a rising power in the NFC. Mayhew has led them and deserves the credit for the transformation.

Mayhew has been busy, but the real work is just beginning. The Lions can’t afford to slide backwards but it is difficult to keep a team winning.

The Lions have gone from a winless team in 2008 to a playoff team in 2011. It is a remarkable change of course that has been both rapid and surprising. Like anything else, the success leads to a desire for more success, and this is where it will get tough.

The Lions' ascent has been steady: two wins in 2009, six wins in 2010 and 10 wins in 2011. As crazy as it sounds, taking a team that was winless to the playoffs in three years will be considered easy when compared to the job Mayhew will have to do to now push them over the top and keep them there.

The Lions have an incredibly talented group of young players on their roster. They are built for long-term success as they have set the foundation to have one of the best offenses in football for a long time.

Quarterback Matt Stafford is just scratching the surface as he is only 24 years old. Calvin Johnson is 26, Brandon Pettigrew is 26, Ryan Broyles is 23 and Titus Young is 22.

This is a team that is going to put up silly numbers on the offensive side of the ball. It would not surprise me to see the Lions becoming the gold standard for offenses in the NFL. That is how much potential there is on offense.

Looking around the league, you can see the trend of teams that are winning. Teams like the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers are similar in that they are explosive on offense and have defensive fronts that can dominate at times.

These are the best teams in the NFL, and they are teams that struggle in the secondary, but when they get pressure on the quarterback, they are almost unbeatable. This is what the Lions are building, and they are very close.

The 2012 NFL draft is another example where the Lions added value while Mayhew gets shredded for the picks that he made. Fans are screaming from the rooftops because they waited until the third round to draft a cornerback.

As hard as it is for us to understand, the Lions don’t necessarily place a priority on their secondary play and prefer to get pressure on the quarterback to help their cornerbacks. This is why they look so good when the defensive line gets pressure and so bad when it does not. It’s the scheme that does not call for an elite cornerback, and fans need to understand that.

In no way am I dismissing the questions that some may have concerning the decisions Mayhew makes. However, look at his track record to see how much success he has had. Another thing to remember is just how big the disaster was that he inherited.

Mayhew has done a brilliant job and has to be considered one of the best general managers in the NFL today.