What the Detroit Lions Need To Do to Help Matthew Stafford in 2010

After watching the highlights of the Lions-Browns game, I am even more impressed with the way Matthew Stafford has blossomed into an NFL quarterback.  He has the potential to become the best Lions quarterback since Bobby Layne.  

His tough as nails bravado in avoiding the trainers during Cleveland’s ill-advised timeout at the end of the game is the stuff legends are made of.  

However one thinks the offense performed last week, there still is a ton of work that needs to be done in order to make the Lions a contending football team.  But what the Cleveland game showed was the potential of how good the Lions could be.

I have written many columns, posts, and comments stating my feelings on which side of the ball the Lions need to concentrate in the upcoming draft.  I generally ignore the free agent market since the Lions have never really had good luck with free agents.

But I am convinced that taking an elite left tackle and moving Jeff Backus inside to left guard will give the Lions a very solid offensive line, one that will allow a running game to develop as well as protect Matthew Stafford.

Last week’s game did open my eyes to the many deficiencies Detroit has on the defensive side of the ball.  The Lions only got one sack on Brady Quinn and zero turnovers while giving up 439 total yards.  Granted, Cleveland’s defense wasn’t much better as they gave up 473 total yards and got only one sack on Stafford, but they also got two interceptions.

How on earth did Brady Quinn do so well in this game?  Up until the Detroit game, he had never thrown for more than 239 yards or more than two touchdowns in a game.  And here he lights up the Lions defense for 304 yards and four TDs.

So what to do?  I’m sure that many fans out there that want Martin Mayhew to trade away the No. 1 pick for multiple picks in later rounds.  The Lions just might finish 3-13 this year if they can luck their way into one more win.  Their best shot could be Thanksgiving Day against the Packers.  If Stafford and Calvin Johnson can play well and the team can carry the momentum from the Browns game, they just might win on Thanksgiving for the first time since they beat the Packers back in 2003 with a score of 22-13.

After that, their best shots for securing a win are against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 27th or at home against the Chicago Bears Jan. 3rd. 

With three wins, I figure the Lions to be somewhere between the fourth and eighth pick for the 2010 draft.  That's still a good position to draft an elite left tackle, and the Lions should have a shot at picking one of these three:

(I did all of my research at www.walterfootball.com ) 

Bruce Campbell, Maryland — 6'7", 310 lbs.   A dominate player who could be the first left tackle taken.  However, teams might shy away from his history of minor injuries, with his most recent being a possible MCR tear from beating Clemson 24-21.  The Lions would do well to check into just how "minor" these injuries have been.

Bryan Bulanga, Iowa — 6'6", 312 lbs .  A very athletic left tackle from a program known for producing high quality offensive linemen.  That alone should tell you that he would have superior footwork over Jeff Backus.  He did miss three games this year, but that was due to an undisclosed illness rather than an injury. 

Ciron Black, LSU — 6'5", 320 lbs .  Walter Football has him going early in the second round, but he could possibly be the fourth left tackle to be taken in the first round. He’s started all 39 games for LSU and, for his size, he is a tremendous athlete.

Besides the Lions, Seattle, San Francisco, and Green Bay all need a left tackle. Walter Football has the Lions going after Russell Okung out of Oklahoma State. However, since he’s played right tackle for most of his college career, the Lions don’t have the time for him to make the adjustment.

In the second and third rounds, the Lions need to concentrate solely on defense.  There have been cases made for getting a shutdown corner or a pass rushing defensive end, but the most glaring need is inside at defensive tackle.  Ndamukong Suh is an absolute stud, but even if the Lions had him targeted in the first round, there is little chance they would get him.  Tampa Bay is playing out the string and will more than likely have the first pick in the draft that they will use to take Suh.

The Lions should target one of these three defensive tackles:

Vince Oghonaase, Duke — 6'6", 310 lbs.   He is not just 310 lbs of fat sitting in the middle.  He made 51 tackles, nine of those for losses, and had six sacks as a junior.  His body fat percentage is low and he’s more than a simple huge run-stuffer.

Boo Robinson, Wake Forest — 6'2", 326 lbs .  More of a nose tackle, I’m not sure how well Robinson would fit in Detroit’s 4-3 defense, but a player of this size and ability is hard to ignore.  He could be key to improving the Lions run defense.

Arthur Jones, Syracuse — 6'4", 294 lbs.   A tad light at defensive tackle for my taste, but it’s hard to ignore his 60 tackles (13 of them for losses) and 3.5 sacks.  In 2008, he had an impressive 17.5 tackles for loss, so that tells you that he has a motor that just won’t quit.

In the third round, Detroit should seek that shutdown corner to help safety Louis Delmas in the secondary.  I would like to see the Lions go after a CB with some height to match up against the bigger and stronger wide receivers.

Kyle Wilson, Boise State — 5'10", 187 lbs .  He broke up 10 passes and intercepted five more.  A big plus for him is his return game, as he scored three times on punt returns and averaged 14.2 yards per return. 

Stephan Virgil, Virginia Tech — 5'11", 186 lbs .  A player that can be all over the field, he tallied 43 tackles, six interceptions, and four broken up passes.  Virgil can be a difference maker as he showed in Virginia Tech's game against Nebraska where he returned a fumble for a touchdown, blocked an extra point and returned it to score two points, and blocked a punt for a safety for another two points.  

Walter Thurmond, Oregon — 6'0", 185 lbs.   Thurmond played through injures in 2009 and despite that, he still had 66 tackles, five interceptions, and eight passes broken up.  If he can heal, he could be a steal for the Lions in round three.

In the fourth round, the Lions need to get some help for Kevin Smith at running back.  Aaron Brown might be the answer here, but he’s played sporadically.  I’d like to see him get some more playing time.  Detroit will need to add depth, and I see one player that could be a spark in certain situations:

Noel Devine, West Virginia — 5'8", 175 lbs .  Devine is small, but he's fast.  He’s averaged 6.2 yards per carry as well as 8.2 yards per catch coming out of the backfield.  He’s viewed as a Darren Sproles type of player, and at 5'8", a defense could lose sight of him very easily.  He’s also capable of returning kicks, which is another area that the Lions desperately need help.

As for picks in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, Detroit should focus on the best available athlete regardless of the position being played.  I’d even like to see them go for a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson.  Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt haven’t impressed me in their attempts to take any heat off CJ.  Brandon Pettigrew has improved every week, and catching the winning touchdown pass from Stafford last week has to make him feel as though he can be a big-time tight end.  

Demaryius Thomas out of Georgia Tech wouldn’t be a bad pick.  At 6'3", 229 lbs, he runs a slow 40 (4.60), but he’s a monster target that caught 24 balls for 536 yards and three TDs in five games.  If wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson can hone his route running abilities, the Lions could have a diamond in the rough with Thomas.

Another route to take would be to pick a true return specialist if the Lions stay with defense in the fourth round.  They could look at LSU’s Trindon Holliday, who will be the fastest player at the combine.  Clocked at 4.25, teams are going to have to hurry to catch this guy.  But at 5'5" and 161 lbs., he won’t be of use anywhere else except as a kick returner.

I have to believe the Lions aren’t that far away.  If they can get that big left tackle and move Backus inside, they will have a fairly impressive offensive line with only one used draft pick.  There are some that will be concerned that too much money will be tied up on one side of the ball, but in this case, I think it would be justified.  

For years, the Lions have been attempting to create a contending football team with duct tape, chicken wire, and spackle, and it just hasn’t worked.  They must commit to building from the draft and I firmly believe the direction I have laid out will get Detroit to contend for the NFC North title in 2010.

Call me crazy, but I think it can be done.

Salud!