Detroit Lions Training Camp 2011: Grading the Draft Class So Far

After my prediction about rookies a few days ago, this might be in slightly bad taste.

After all, that article assumed the Lions' top three rookies would be shoo-ins for the Lions' final 53-man roster, and its publication preceded Mikel Leshoure's season-ending injury by about eight hours.

I'm not superstitious, but I'll knock on some wood as I write this just in case, because I'm still looking at the rookies.

The Lions don't have a particularly large rookie class, which is why it is important that each pick bring appropriate value. Lately, the only thing the Lions' 2011 draft class has been adding value to is sports medicine practitioners.

But how bad is it, exactly? Is it time to hit the panic button with the majority of the draft class out of action?

I'm not going to lie, the Lions aren't in the best situation as far as their draft class is concerned. But they're not in the worst, either, and the draft class doesn't need to be a trio of Pro Bowlers immediately for the Lions to succeed.

So with that in mind, here are the grades for the Lions' draft class thus far.

Nick Fairley

Nick Fairley was, for a while, the most devastating injury the Lions had. His foot injury put him in a walking boot and will keep him out of action for most or all of the preseason.

Before his injury, however, Fairley was showing well in camp. Many of the questions about his work ethic were about to be answered, and it seemed he fit in as well as a rookie can in the first week of camp.

The foot injury is going to limit Fairley's growth in camp, but since it was relatively unlikely (and unnecessary) that Fairley was going to earn a starting job over Corey Williams immediately, there is still plenty of time for Fairley to come along as the season progresses.

The Lions have to expect big things from Fairley, but they don't have to expect them immediately. Fairley's injury is a setback, and it certainly lowers his grade where it pertains to training camp, but his expectations for his career, and even this season, should remain high.

And hey, it could be worse. The Lions could have drafted Prince Amukamara.

Training Camp Grade: C-

Titus Young

Of the Lions' gimpy draft picks, Titus Young's injury is the least severe and the most upsetting.

Young's pulled hamstring is not something that's going to keep him down all year, but it's also something that could easily have been avoided with proper conditioning.

Young suffered a hamstring injury on the first practice of the year, so it's hard to make any sort of determination as to his effectiveness based on half a practice.

What I can determine is that Young was clearly not prepared for the season if he popped a hammy while running a route.

It is fortunate that Young's injury is minor, and it's most likely that he'll take a season or two to truly ease into the offense whether he's healthy or not (very rarely does a rookie receiver light it up; even Calvin Johnson was held under 50 catches in 2007).

Still, the nature of Young's injury may mean nothing, but it could signal that the lockout had some negative effects on Young's preparation.

At least, we should hope it's because of the lockout.

Training Camp Grade: D-

Mikel Leshoure

Mikel Leshoure's season-ending (and perhaps career-altering) injury is a gut punch to the Lions, especially because of the questions that surrounded him.

Leshoure was easily the most controversial pick of the Lions' 2011 draft, since the Lions gave up a third and fourth-round pick to get him. He was going to have a lot of critics to silence, and now he's going to have to wait an entire season before he can even show his moves in a preseason game.

Leshoure's injury isn't his fault, and he actually seemed to be running well in the time he did have with the team. And I'm not here to speculate on his chances for a comeback, though I admit an Achilles tear is probably the worst thing that could have happened to him as a running back.

Ultimately, his camp progress is as follows: He looked good, and now it doesn't matter.

Training Camp Grade: D

Doug Hogue

Doug Hogue's prospects of playing a major role in the Lions' 2011 defense were slim to begin with. Then the team went out and overhauled the linebacker position and all but ruled Hogue right out.

Hogue, at this point, needs to focus on two things. One is learning his position. Hogue played only two years of linebacker at Syracuse, and those are the only two years he's spent on defense at all. The Lions drafted him because he's athletically gifted, but he needs coaching, polish and time.

That's why Hogue needs to also focus on special teams, so he can make the roster and hang around with the club long enough to get a good look at the linebacker position.

Because of Hogue's athletic talents, he is tailor-made for kick coverage teams while he figures out how to play defense at the pro level.

So far, it seems he's doing both. He has a long way to go on defense, but his special teams play has caught some attention. He'll need it if he's going to get a look on a team that suddenly looks stacked at the linebacker position.

The good news is, if Hogue makes the squad, he'll have veterans and coaches galore to help him along in his development. He just has to put in the effort and do it.

Training Camp Grade: B+

Johnny Culbreath

The one guy on this list who is not only not suffering from an injury, but benefiting from them.

I can't say whether Culbreath is pleased with the outcome (if you ask, he'll probably say he doesn't care), but there can be no doubt that Culbreath has made the most of his opportunities with a large portion of the Lions' starting line out.

Now, Culbreath looked exactly like a seventh-round rookie should when practicing against the first team. Occasionally brilliant, occasionally lost, always raw.

Still, it can't be denied that he has gotten more looks than he normally would, given the amount of salary sunk into his position than most other players.

Culbreath won't be near contributing in 2011, and he might even need another year in 2012 before he really gets it. But his physical tools are there, so all he has to do is learn.

By most accounts, he's "so far, so good" in the learning department, and unless he starts blowing people away, he's probably looking at the practice squad. But that's not a bad place to start for a seventh-rounder.

Training Camp Grade: C+