Detroit Lions: Beer Thinker's Early Draft Picks and Free Agent Possibilties

I hesitated to write this article due to the NFL CBA talks not being finalized.  Too many uncertainties to consider.  Will there be a lockout?  Will there be a reasonable rookie salary cap?  Will new free agent rules affect who is able to sign and who is not?

Since it has been a slow news day in and around Lion land; since I haven't written a darn thing in about two weeks, I thought what the heck.  Last time I did this, it generated a lot of discussion which I really like to see.

The Lions have, as of right now, one pick in each of the seven rounds.  There top needs are, in no particular order, cornerback, linebacker, left/right tackle, center, strong safety and a power running back.

For each round, I am giving three options for each round. 

Let the discussion begin!

Round 1:

1.  Cornerback—Brandon Harris:  Harris is a player.  He produces and plays with the confidence you want out of your cornerback.  He's great at run support and can take on a block.  Receivers have a tough time getting separation and college offensive coordinators have avoided him.  He broke up 15 passes last year to go along with six tackles for loss.

2.  Linebacker—Akeem Ayers:  What isn't there to like about this guy?  He can drop in coverage, play the run and is super competitive on the field.  At 6'4", 252 pounds with 4.6/40 speed, he'll be able to handle just about anything that comes his way.

3.  Linebacker—Bruce Carter:  Big hitter with great range and athletic ability.  Better speed than Ayers, but is also 15 pounds lighter.  May need to beef up a bit, but worth consideration.

A lot of speculation is going around that the Lions will be taking LB Akeem Ayers with their pick at No. 13.  My feeling is that there is a lot of good talent in the later rounds for linebackers.  With the secondary needing some serious help, my gut tells me they better go with a cornerback.

Figure on Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara being gone by the time Lions get to pick.  Both are Top five to ten picks and teams such as Denver and Dallas have needs at the corner position.

Round 2:

1.  Linebacker—Mason Carter:  Solid, solid, solid.  He has the physical talent to play in the NFL.  He had 85 tackles last year and broke up six passes.  He's got a good nose for the ball and great instincts.

2. Left Tackle—Derek Sherrod.  Jeff Backus did put in a solid campaign last year but the Lions have to have someone waiting in the wings.  With Cherilus not living up to his potential after three years, Lions would do well to take Sherrod here. Allow him to get some game experience at right tackle and then take over left tackle in 2012.  He's a monster at 6'6" and 312 pounds with very long arms at 35-1/2 inches.  Good footwork and hand extension, he moves well laterally and has good range.

3.  Safety—Quinton Carter:  Good in coverage and tackles well.  88 tackles, five passes broken up and four interceptions in 2009.

Round 3:

1.  RB - John Clay—The Lions need a big power running back for goal line situations and a different change of pace for Jahvid Best.  Clay fits the bill at 6'1", 248 pounds.  At Wisconsin, he ran for 1,517 yards, scored 18 touchdowns and averaged 5.3 yards per carry.

2.  Center—Jake Kirkpatrick:  Dominc Raiola is a gutty player, but is all too often overpowered.  Jake Kirkpatrick never played a down of football until his senior year of high school.  An outstanding athlete, he walked into the weight room of his high school in Texas and said he wanted to play.  Many of the coaches laughed until Kirkpatrick bench pressed 285 pounds and outjumped most of the other players.  Stuff that legends are made of and the Lions need a legend at center.  He started at left tackle for the TCU Horned Frogs, but when they moved him inside to center, his talents really came out.  A steal if the Lions can get him here.

3.  Safety—DeAndre McDaniel:  McDaniels is a great athlete who can play either safety position.  He was rated to go in the first round earlier, but didn't play like a first rounder in 2010.  If he can regain his confidence and play like he did in 2009, when he intercepted eight passes, had 98 tackles and two sacks, the Lions would have another special player to go along with Louis Delmas.

Round 4:

1.  Linebacker—Lawerence Wilson:  Underrated linebacker with good instincts and solid sideline-to-sideline range.  In 2009, he collected 140 tackles and five sacks for the Connecticut Huskies.  Solid choice here for a second outside linebacker to go along with either Ayers or Carter

2.  Center—Tim Barnes:  Tim Barnes, at 300 pounds and 6'4" would get better leverage than the 6'1" (if he's lucky) Raiola.  Barnes has great leadership skills and has the skills to be an immediate starter. He could be the anchor their offensive line needs for the next 10 seasons.

 3.  QB—Ricky Stanzi:  If the Lions don't keep Drew Stanton, they need to find a developmental QB for third string duty behind Stafford and Hill.  Stanzi fits the bill nicely and would be less expensive than attempting to find a QB off of the free agent trash heap.  He may not impress anyone with his physical tools, but he is an intelligent quarterback with great accuracy and a high football IQ.  He has good passing skills and a strong arm.  Good project for Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan and QB Coach Todd Dowling.

Round 5:

1. Fullback—Stanley Havili:  Nothing against Jerome Felton, but there is a need to add depth here.  Jake Nordin has been on the injured reserve since Week five of last season.  In two seasons, he has two receptions for 26 yards and no rushing attempts.  If Felton goes down, the Lions could be in trouble here.  Havili would help alleviate any issues here.  He's a great weapon out of the backfield as he had 22 catches for 298 yards in 2009 for USC.

2.  DE/DT—Cedric Thorton:  When you have a chance to add depth to an already strong component, you do it.  Thorton can play either DE or DT, so there is some versatility here.  He is a small-school sleeper that could return huge dividends.  And you know he'll be playing with a sizable chip on his shoulder to prove he belongs in the NFL.  Hungry players are the best to have on the D-line.

3.  Guard—DeMarcus Love:  Stephen Peterman has got to be replaced.  Too many dumb penalties for my liking.  Love would fill the bill nicely.  He doesn't have the skill to play tackle, but his size (6'5", 315 pounds) would slow down those big inside defensive tackles to give Stafford some time in the pocket.

Round 6:

1.  Wide Receiver—Terrance Toliver:  Bryant Johnson has not met expectations of the third wide receiver.  Granted he may not get as many balls thrown to him, but he's got to catch the ones that come to him and Johnson has not done that on a consistent basis.  At 6'5" and 206 pounds, Toliver would be an excellent mix to go along with Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson.  It would give the Lions another tall receiver to go along with CJ, and can also be the possession receiver behind Burleson.  I really like big, strong and tall receivers as they give the QB so much more chances to complete the pass than the speedy, small wideouts.

2.  Safety—Chris Rucker:  Played corner at Michigan State, but in the NFL he will be better suited to be a free safety.  He broke up seven passes and was voted as an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.  His stock may have dropped a touch as he was part of a 10-player suspension due to an on-campus fight.  But football players have done far worse things than fight and it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

3  Defensive Tackle—Chris Neild:  He is listed as a nose tackle, but rated as a sixth round pick, Neild would be more than happy to play in a 4-3 scheme.  He's very effective against the run and at 6'2", 313 pounds, would be a space eater.

Round 7:

1.  Kicker—Alex Henry:  There is no one that I admire more than Jason Hanson.  Heading into his 20th season with the Lions, he has lost little in leg strength and accuracy.  But at 40-years-old, he could be breaking down as he sustained some injuries last year.  While David Raymer came in and did a great job; can he fulfill the legacy of kickers that Eddie Murray and Hanson have created since 1980?  Alex Henry could.  He converted 24-of-28 in 2009, hitting 7-of-8 from 40-49 yards and 2-of-5 from 50-plus yards.

2.  DE/DT—David Carter:  Another opportunity to add depth.  Was third on UCLA with 3.5 sacks and his 41 tackles as a defensive lineman ranked first.  At 6'5" and 297 pounds with a 5.04/40 time, he has the height to knock down passes and the speed to get after the QB.

3.  Linebacker—Brian Rolle:  He may have to play strong safety in the NFL, but he could be a backup linebacker on the weakside, and be a special teams demon which is always needed.

Free Agents Possibilities:

Quarterback—Matt Leinart: If the Lions choose to go via free agency for their third-string quarterback, Leinart just might want to come to the Lions and work with Scott Linehan and Todd Dowling.  He's lost all kinds of confidence.  If the Lions can reclimate him, he could be a great assett as a third-string or for trade bait after the 2011 season.

Linebacker—Paul Posluszny: The Lions should have drafted this guy in 2007—wait, Millen was there so you know that wasn't gonna happen.  With a stronger D-Line than the Bills have, Posluszny wouldn't have to play through blockers a lot.  He can drop back more on coverage and is a very smart, instinctual linebacker.  Reminds me a bit of the great Chris Speilman

Wide Receiver—Early Doucet: As with drafting Toliver, Doucet would provide better stability than Bryant Johnson.  Though not as tall as Toliver, Doucet has Reggie Wayne capabilities and would do nicely in the slot position.

As always, this is strictly based on instinct.  All of the information on draft picks came from Walter Football, free agent information from NFL.com and ESPN.

If the Lions can have a good draft and pick up some solid free agents, there is no reason for them not to have a stellar year.