Why Matthew Stafford Will Be the No. 1 Pick

The Lions will take Matthew Stafford. The last few days show their plan. 

The Lions trading Jon Kitna to Dallas for cornerback Anthony Henry is sign number one. The big sign came when they let Houston get Dan Orlovsky, who many think was the best QB they had.

They are left with Drew Stanton, a second round pick out of Michigan State. He's a mobile QB who can pass decently but is most definitely not who the Lions need.

The most likely starter this year will be Daunte Culpepper. He can move in the pocket and has an arm to make deep passes. We saw that a lot this year when he would throw deep to Calvin Johnson. The Lions would have won five or six games with him leading this year if he had known the plays. The games he played in he had two wrist pads with the plays on them.

So it is very clear they will take Georgia's Matthew Stafford with the first round pick. Stafford can play and is a good leader. He isn't a big runner, but he can get yards if he has to. He threw for 3,459 yards and 25 TDs with a 153.54 rating. In 2007 he threw for 2,523 yards and 19 TDs with a 128.92 rating. In 2006 he threw for only 1,749 yards and seven touchdowns with a 108.99 rating.

His stats show he gets better every year and will bring success to the Lions.

Most likely the Lions will start him this season. The smart thing to do is let him play only a few games, maybe four or five this season, and let Daunte Culpepper start while they break in Stafford.

The other first round pick, No. 20 acquired from Dallas for Roy Williams, will go toward or should go for a offensive lineman like Jason Smith of Baylor or Duke Robinson of Oklahoma, or a defensive lineman like B.J. Raji of Boston College or Peria Jerry of Ole Miss.