Why the Detroit Lions' 2009 Draft Is Bound To Disappoint Fans

After my latest attempt at warding off Matt Stafford from the Detroit Lions, I faced some stiff opposition on the idea that QB is not the way to go with this year’s first overall pick.

It was then that I realized how disappointing the 2009 NFL Draft is going to be.

Some people are pulling for Stafford to go first overall. If it’s anybody else, disappointment.

Some are pulling for Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe or another LT. Anybody else, disappointment.

A minority are still pulling for the Lions to draft Aaron Curry. They’ll likely be disappointed.

Typical of Detroit Lions luck, we are heading into the draft with deep divisions on who to take first overall. There is no “can’t miss” prospect, no “no-brainer” picks, no easy calls. There are several schools of thought on how to handle this year’s draft, and all of them appear equally valid.

Only one of them will play out. Subscribers to the other ideas will inevitably be let down, and that disappointment will likely intensify as the Lions trudge through what will undoubtedly be another difficult season.

The NFL Draft has long been seen as the preeminent symbol of sports parity. The NFL is perhaps the league with the most parity in all of North American sports, and all too often, one great draft is the difference between last place in the division and an improbable run to the playoffs.

Teams like the 2008 Arizona Cardinals remind us of that parity, and teams like the 2008 Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins show us what one good draft can do, even for a bad team.

Lions fans, do yourselves a favor and think small for now. This isn’t a team that can be fixed in a single season. Delusions of grandeur will only hurt you in the long run.

It doesn’t matter if Stafford is a test-tube culture made from Tom Brady and Peyton Manning’s DNA, and it doesn’t matter if Smith (or Monroe) is the second coming of Orlando Pace.

It doesn’t matter if every last one of the Lions’ draft picks is a hit and a regular starter. The Lions have more gaping holes than they have draft picks to fill them, and only a handful of starters on the team that would be starters anywhere else in the NFL.

The 2007 Cardinals and Dolphins, while bad, were not bad on the level that the Lions were in 2008. Those teams had building blocks in place, strengths to draw off of while the weaknesses were addressed through the draft and free agency.

The Lions were a team in shambles, comprised of Kevin Smith, Calvin Johnson, Ernie Sims, Jason Hanson, and a collection of glorified second-stringers and practice squad guys.

Head Coach Jim Schwartz and GM Martin Mayhew have done everything they can to address team needs (read: every position), and I’m impressed with their efforts so far.

Pulling any value at all out of Jon Kitna was a plus, and getting a starting secondary player is even more so. Every position on the defense has been addressed in the best way possible: cheap, solid, and under the radar, Patriots-style.

So yes, the 2009 Detroit Lions will be better. We will win a few games, and that will be an improvement over last season. Last year’s rookies need to know what it feels like to win a game in the NFL. That psychological boost alone will improve the culture of the team.

But be patient, Lion Nation. Don’t look for a miracle turnaround in 2009, this isn’t that story. I know that sounds pessimistic, but the way I see it, if you’re reading this, you’re either a sadist or you’re still a Lions fan.

If you’re a sadist, enjoy a good laugh on us. We've earned it.

If you’re still a Lions fan, though, then one virtue you’re not lacking in is patience. So revel in the little things for now.

Watch the tackling get a little bit better. Opposing receivers get a little less open. Opposing running backs see a little less daylight. Kevin Smith get a little stronger. The offensive line get a little less leaky. The Lions’ loss count get a little lower.

It will take time, but soon enough, it will be a little less disappointing to be a Lions fan.

Dean Holden is the "Voice of the Lions" on NFLTouchdown.com. Check it out for in-depth analysis on the Lions and all 31 other NFL teams.