2011 NFL Draft: The Detroit Lions Shake Up the Motor City Faithful

Shock and awe.

The 2011 NFL Draft has come and gone.  The surprises were all over and started out Thursday evening with mock drafts being shattered within a matter of moments.  After the first five routine picks, the Atlanta Falcons gave up a king's ransom in order to acquire Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones.

From that moment on, the draft would never be the same. 

No. 13 Overall Draft Pick Nick Fairley, DT Auburn

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NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 28: Nick Fairley, #13 overall pick by the Detriot Lions, holds up a jersey during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

As the draft approached pick No. 13, the Lions fans had hopes of an impact player to help out on the defensive side.

The Lions had a huge needs at Cornerback and Outside Linebacker, but there were few players worth taking at 13 overall just to fill a need.

While a player such as Prince Amukamara would have filled the bill at cornerback, he wasn't the right fit in the eyes of GM Martin Mayhew.  

When one of the most dominating football players in the draft is available, you jump at the chance to draft him.  That's just what the Detroit Lions did with their first round pick with Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

It's hard to believe a top-five talent like Fairley was available as late as he was but that is just good fortune for the Motor City organization.

Lions Receive Praise from Analysts for DT Nick Fairley

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DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 12: Louis Delmas #26 of the Detroit Lions leaves the field celebrating a 7-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers on December 12, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Here is some of the feedback that has been going around in regards to the Detroit Lions selection of DT Nick Fairley:

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.:

What he brings: There are times on film when Fairley looks like he should be the No. 1 pick. He can explode off the ball, get into the backfield and bring ball carriers down as a run defender, and was the best interior pass rusher in the country last year because of his initial quickness and violent hands. The concern is his inconsistent motor. Fairley will face much more talented interior offensive linemen at the next level and won't be able to skate by on natural ability. He is boom-or-bust, but worth the risk at this point.  How he fits: This certainly looks like a value pick because this is not a great need. The Lions' best unit is the defensive line lead by Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril but obviously Fairley was too good to pass up. The Lions love to play a lot of games up front with loops and one-gap penetrating schemes and this gives them tremendous versatility with three dominating defensive tackles. As talented as Fairley is, he will be surrounded by a group of guys who will force him to play on every down. This could become one of the most productive units in the NFL. COLDHARDFOOTBALLFACTS.COM: The Lions may have landed great value with Fairley at the No. 13 pick. He was the top defender on the national champion Auburn defense and a true train-wrecker of an interior lineman. He chalked up 11.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 2010, incredible numbers for a DT—better than many of the pure pass rushers in the draft, including several taken ahead of him. His stock appeared to drop in recent weeks over questions about work ethic. But if he lives up to the potential, the Lions will have the NFL's deadliest combination of young defensive linemen with Fairley and last year's No. 1, Ndamukong Suh. CBSSPORTS.COM's Pete Prisco: This is a steal. He was the top player on my board. Now he plays next to Suh. Good luck handling that tandem for years to come.

Detroit Lions Head Coach Thrilled with First Round Selection.

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 26: Coach Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Miami, Florida. The Lions defeated the Dolphins 34-27. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz had to be thrilled to gain another big body to fill out the defensive line.  Here is what he had to say about Fairley, as reported on the Detroit News website:

"He fits very well in our scheme," Schwartz said. "Defensive line is a position that's an impact position. We saw somebody in our division take a quarterback (Thursday) and the other two teams in our division have good quarterbacks. I think we made their day a little bit worse when we drafted Nick."

Detroit Lions Rated No. 1 Amongst Final NFL Draft Grades

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NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Mel Kiper, Chris Mortensen and Keyshawn Johnson broadcast for ESPN during the 2007 NFL Draft on April 28, 2007 at Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ESPN NFL Draft Mel Kiper Jr. guru gave out his final grades for each of the teams in the draft and to the surprise of many, the Detroit Lions rated the highest.

Here is what Mel Kiper Jr. had to say about the No. 1 class of the Detroit Lions:

"Detroit hit home runs all over in terms of value, but the question is whether the Lions did enough to help the talent level in a way that can further conceal weaknesses.

For example, Fairley at No. 13 is perhaps the steal of the draft—imagine what the Lions can do up front now—but will the pass rush now be so good that it can mask the personnel issues that dot the secondary?

Leshoure adds more potency at running back, but can this offensive line open enough holes? The Lions should be concerned about how well they can block in both the run and passing games, and didn't get an offensive lineman until No. 209 overall. Matthew Stafford's health is such a huge concern.

But even after those questions, the value was outstanding. Fairley, Young, Leshoure and even Hogue could have gone earlier. Is it possible to love a Detroit draft when the Lions didn't add major help at cornerback or offensive tackle? Ask me after free agency, I guess."

VALUE GRADE:  A+

FINAL GRADE:    A-