Sports Illustrated every year puts out an article of how the first round of the past year's draft should have gone, based on the info we've learned from the season to date.  As Detroit fans, we should be proud to know that of the Lions draft last year (which I think we'd all agree has been largely successful so far), SI has declared that four players should have actually been first round picks.  Matthew Stafford of course was there (although they had him at no. 2, saying that Oher should have gone no. 1.  Hard to argue with that), and Brandon Pettigrew stayed put at no. 20.  But Louis Delmas cracked the first round, getting "picked" by the Broncos at 18, and surprise starter DeAndre Levy was "picked" at no. 30 by the Titans.  I know that media praise isn't nearly as satisfying as wins, but it's sure nice to see that with the benefit of hindsight, the Lions 2009 draft looks to have been one of the best in the league.

Here's the article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/12/15/redraft/index.html

This was Stafford's schtick on Letterman tonight.  I didn't think it was too funny, but judge for yourself.

Top 10 Thoughts to go through Matthew Stafford's mind on draft night.

10.) You don't often hear "Congratulations, you're going to Detroit".

9.) Why am I the only one who came to Radio City Music Hall dressed as a Rockette?

8.) If the Lions win one game this year, I'm a hero.

7.) Anybody dumps gatorade on me and I'll deck 'em.

6.) Holy crap, I think I just pulled a hamstring.

5.) I didn't think anything could top the excitement of Heide and Spencer getting married.

4.) Is it me or or is NFL commissioner Goodell look like a young Larry Hagman.

3.) Why am I here when I could be at that movie where Beyonce and that babe fight.

2.) Why does Jessica Simpson keep calling me.

1.)  I'd gladly go number 2 if it means not having to go on Letterman.

Or at least one possible reason.  I'm sorry I can't find the link to support the following argument, but it's late and I don't feel like looking too hard.

That said, I definitely read somewhere over the past month that Coach Schwartz (and most other coaches) were looking for three down players.  That is, defensive players who could stay on the field in running and passing downs.  The article made some sort of breakdown of the number of snaps a 2 down player vs. 3 down players actually plays over the course of the season, and it reveals that (surprise!), three down players, while they're paid about the same, play about 50% more snaps, thus making them a much better value.  Why do I mention this?  Because Rey Ma was the ultimate two down player.  GREAT against the run, suspect in coverage.  This from his Pro Football Weekly scouting report:

"Lacks lateral agility and is not fluid dropping in coverage.  Can be exposed in space...takes some questionable angles...did not play much man coverage and can be outquicked by fast backs."  Plus, regarding his maturity, it says that he "still requires extra monitoring and has shown questionable judgment.  Would be best in a strong locker room where teammates hold him accountable."

So that's two big strikes against him.  I guess the Lions figure that Delmas will help the run game and pass game, but ReyMa would only help the run game.  I'm not sure I 100% agree, but at least I understand.  Cunningham will never have to take Delmas off the field, but ReyMa would be sitting out any nickel or dime formation.  Ultimately, they couldn't rationalize a pick this high on a part time player.  Plus, I don't know for sure, but I would guess that the Lions do not have a particularly strong locker room to keep him in check.  Who would provide the veteran leadership?  Sims?  Hanson?  Seems unlikely.  I'm sad that we missed out on a potential defensive stud but I think it'll be OK in the end.

Here are Detroit's rankings in the entire league in interesting categories from last year:
Passing: The Lions were 29th in the league in passer rating.  30th in completion percentage.  27th in passing first downs.  They had the 5th most interceptions.  They actually had the 12th most plays of 20 yards or more (thank you, Megatron), but that just makes it so much more striking that they finished 24th in total passing yards.  
Defense: We all know how atrocious the defense was.  Dead last in yards allowed, points allowed, etc.  Of note, though, is that the Lions finished a respectable 16th in the league in sacks.  And, curiously, they forced the third most fumbles (and recovered the 2nd most).
What is my point?  The defense is clearly broken, but the passing game is also totally abysmal.  Bear in mind that we were playing from behind almost the whole season long and we still couldn't accumulate legit passing stats.  I love Aaron Curry.  I think he'll be a stud.  But a stud QB goes further towards fixing an offense than a stud MLB goes towards fixing a defense.  I know defense wins championships, but 100% of the time a QB is more important to a team than a MLB.  
In my ideal draft, they take Stafford first over all, an o-lineman with the 33rd pick, and every other selection is on defense.  Curry will be an excellent player, but he won't have the same effect on this team that Stafford would.  He may be better from day 1, but what about day 101?  Or 1001?  And, like I've said before, QB requires more time than any other position to develop.  Getting Stafford in the pipeline now means we can focus next year on the best available defensive talent.  Odds are that person will be more capable of starting from day one, meaning that 2010 we might actually have a shot.

Not to divert too much from the draft talk, but I want to point out how much I love the volume of new people who are visiting the site and posting and contributing.  As a Lion fan who doesn't live in Detroit, this is where I go to feel like a part of a community.

Now, that said, the draft is like our super bowl, so I understand why volume is at an all time high.  PLEASE!  Everyone!  Keep posting during the season!  Take part in live game threads and post links and put up commentary.  Last season it felt like the same 15 guys were making all the posts.  With any luck, this season we could have over 100!

I certainly was not amongst the first PoD regulars, but I'm not Johnny-come-lately to the site either.  All I want to say is that everyone has been awesome and opinionated.  Let's just hope this keeps up even after the hoopla surrounding the draft is over.

P.S.- I'm really warming up to Stafford.  Every quantifiable measure that we have he excels in.  He's smart, a good leader, and has a strong arm, and he wouldn't (shouldn't) play this year if Daunte is strong.  Plus, say what you will about his Georgia career, but he knows how to play in the clutch.  Do you guys remember his final game against MSU?  See the link below.  He struggled early, but made some key adjustments and was dominant in the second half.  The way I see it, QB takes longer to develop than any other position.  Might as well get one in the pipeline earlier so that we can legitimately compete in 2010 or 2011.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=290010127

Somebody finally wrote what many of us have been thinking.  Jamie Dukes from the NFL network proposed that the Lions would benefit hugely from signing Mike Vick as soon as they're legally able to.  His point centers around the fact that Vick is instant offense (if he's in shape, which is no guarantee), he controls the ball which helps the defense, and he'd be a major draw.

Look, I'm a dog owner, and I think that what Vick did was absolutely reprehensible.  He deserves to rot and suffer for an extended period of time.  That said, I think everyone deserves a chance to recover from rock bottom.  Honestly, where else to do that than on the Lions?  It would justify our not drafting Stafford (although I'm personally torn on the Stafford decision), plus our o-line would look better by comparison if the d-line has prepare for a Vick-led offense.  He has a cannon for an arm, so CJ would love him.  Plus, CJ is the perfect WR for a slightly inaccurate QB anyways.  If nothing else, it should be worth a tryout, right?  The Lions are officially beggars in the NFL, and I'm pretty sure they can't afford to be choosers.  Right?

What are your thoughts?

Here's a link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Dukes-The-answer-for-the-Lions-is-Vick?urn=nfl,156948