Who's Number One? The Lions Find More Questions Than Answers at The NFL Combine

The Lions are in quite the quandary right now. If they were hoping that the NFL Combine would clear up the question as to who should be their first overall pick, they walked away disappointed.

The combine not only didn't reveal a clear-cut No. 1, but it put in doubt the one guy that a lot of people have been touting as the best option-Georgia quarterback, Matthew Stafford.

Stafford, choosing to do his best impression of a prima-donna quarterback, decided to skip the throwing sections of the combine in favor of a private workout at his alma mater in March. He referenced both Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning in his decision not to throw, saying that it didn't seem to hurt their value on draft day.

Well, Matt, here's the difference between you and the other two, both were seniors when they declared for the draft in their respective years and both were held in very high regard by most scouts and analysts. Further, neither was in a position where, if they were drafted, they would be expected to be the savior of an 0-16 team.

Sure, Matt Ryan had the madness that was Michael Vick and the scorched earth that Bobby Petrino's defection left behind, but no one really felt the Falcons would be able to contend if they got Matt Ryan. He was a safe pick at that position; some felt they would have been just as safe in picking defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey at the time.

Peyton Manning was to be the face of the franchise for the Colts, but they were willing to throw him in there and let him take his lumps. He took quite a few too. He was sacked 20 times, threw 28 INT's and won only three games.

That said, the Colts had a better foundation to build on as when Peyton came into the league, they already had Marvin Harrison at wide and Marshall Faulk at tailback. The situation may not have been perfect, but it was appreciably better than what Stafford would be walking into if the Lions were to take him first.

I love you Matt, but you aren't ready for that kind of spotlight. If your play behind center in the red and black showed me anything, it's that you lack the focus to be consistent when you need to be. Your mental lapses in the big games of 2008 showed that you had your eye on the prize, but not so much on the games at hand. We lost you after Alabama and so went our season.

So, should the Lions pick you first? I don't think so. You will be a good, maybe even a great quarterback for someone, but not for the Lions.

Which leads to the next possibility, OT Andre Smith. I mean that Lions offensive lion did give up 52 sacks last season. A left tackle seems the best choice. Start with the line and go from there. Well, Mr. Smith isn't giving the appearance of a good pro either.

He showed up unprepared and out of shape. He then left early and didn't let anyone know he was going until long after he was gone. It definitely set off some red alerts in the minds of those who were thinking he was a clear-cut number one.

Virginia's Eugene Monroe and Baylor's Jason Smith could just as easily be the best left tackles in this draft because they have both shown that they have something that Andre is apparently lacking at present-character.

Detroit doesn't need personalities. Leave that distinction to the other D-Town boys. Detroit needs football players who want to play the game. Andre Smith could be that guy, perhaps this one time is just a fluke-well this and that little issue with him being suspended from the Sugar Bowl. Maybe that's just a couple misunderstandings that can be negated by great play.

Maybe? Perhaps? No offense, but these are hardly words that can be allowed in the draft room of the Detroit Lions this year. They need the closest thing to a sure thing as they can get. Andre Smith could be Orlando Pace or he could be Robert Gallery. If you are going to pay him that type of money, you better be pretty sure which one he is going to be.

Wake Forest's linebacker Aaron Curry is also a possibility. He has all the intangibles and seems to be a surefire star in the making. He is gaining momentum with every passing day.

The Lions have two picks in the first twenty, and they must get them both right. They have a small margin of error here because their fans are looking for a sign that the nightmare of last season is ready to be erased. It is not an enviable position to be in either because this years pool of talent is not as deep as in years past. There is talent but there isn't that one guy that grabs you and makes you think "he's the one".

That said, however, I do have one piece of advice for the Lions: Do not draft Michael Crabtree. I am pretty sure that would be the wrong way to go.