The NFL draft is three months away, and I'm already exhausted from the endless hot air of what the Lions MUST do with their early picks.How can there be any absolutes before next month's combine in Indianapolis and the individual workouts?
They MUST take an offensive lineman, they CAN'T take a quarterback.
How can anybody logically suggest on Jan. 26 that any prospect is clearly the best overall, regardless of position, before the evaluative process has begun?
They CAN'T.
A football doctorate isn't required for appreciating the value of an excellent offensive line. You must dominate at the point of attack. But those who adamantly insist that the Lions' surest path toward respectability is stockpiling an offensive line with first- and second-round draft picks should look at the starting offensive lines of the Super Bowl participants -- Pittsburgh and Arizona.
There is one first-round draft pick -- Arizona right tackle Levi Brown, selected fifth overall in 2007.
There is one second-round pick -- Cardinals right guard Deuce Lutui was the 41st player selected in 2006.
There are two starters who went undrafted -- Arizona center Lyle Sendlein and Pittsburgh right guard Darnell Stapleton -- and three others who were sixth-round selections.
Look at what arguably are the three best offensive lines during the regular season when factoring in two important criteria: NFL rank in rushing offense and fewest sacks allowed.
Atlanta, Tennessee and Carolina were the highest-ranked offensive lines applying the above-mentioned parameters. The Falcons used a first-round and second-round pick on the left side of the offensive line. But their center (Todd McClure) and right tackle and right guard (Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl) were either taken in the seventh round or were undrafted free agents.
The highest-drafted player on the Titans' starting offensive line was left tackle Michael Roos, a second-round selection. But he plays beside a guard (Eugene Amano) drafted by Tennessee in the seventh round.
The Panthers' offensive line resembles the Lions' in that they have dual first-round picks at tackle (Jordan Gross and rookie Jeff Otah) and a second-round choice at center (Ryan Kalil).
But all similarities end there because Carolina invested high draft choices on linemen who are ... good.
The true measure of a front office's capacity for talent evaluation is finding those quality interior linemen deep into the draft. That was the Lions' biggest personnel failure during the Matt Millen error, excuse me, era.
And that's where general manager Martin Mayhew can best separate himself from his notorious predecessor. Can he alleviate the public trauma of potentially not selecting Alabama left tackle Andre Smith with the first overall selection by striking second-day drafting gold?
The fallacy in the search for the No. 1 pick overall is this misguided notion of a "safe choice." There is no such sanctuary when you're possibly committing as much as $34 million in up-front rookie signing bonus money.
Should the Lions deem Smith the most worthy of the first selection overall, he had better quickly become the second coming of Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden. That's the only way the Lions could fiscally justify jettisoning current left tackle Jeff Backus, taking a sizable and immediate salary cap hit if Backus couldn't adapt to playing guard.
The Lions could have three first-round choices on the offensive line, making them the exception rather than the NFL rule. And they've never been too successful in that role.
But they have sufficient time before rendering any final judgments. Let them use it.
Mock drafts in January should be mocked.
The only thing the Lions MUST do is get players -- at every position.
The first overall pick will take care of itself, whether it's Smith, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez or possibly a pass rusher who is flying beneath the drafting radar. But building the right offensive line usually requires using the entire draft.
--- DREW SHARP / Free Press
They MUST take an offensive lineman, they CAN'T take a quarterback.
How can anybody logically suggest on Jan. 26 that any prospect is clearly the best overall, regardless of position, before the evaluative process has begun?
They CAN'T.
A football doctorate isn't required for appreciating the value of an excellent offensive line. You must dominate at the point of attack. But those who adamantly insist that the Lions' surest path toward respectability is stockpiling an offensive line with first- and second-round draft picks should look at the starting offensive lines of the Super Bowl participants -- Pittsburgh and Arizona.
There is one first-round draft pick -- Arizona right tackle Levi Brown, selected fifth overall in 2007.
There is one second-round pick -- Cardinals right guard Deuce Lutui was the 41st player selected in 2006.
There are two starters who went undrafted -- Arizona center Lyle Sendlein and Pittsburgh right guard Darnell Stapleton -- and three others who were sixth-round selections.
Look at what arguably are the three best offensive lines during the regular season when factoring in two important criteria: NFL rank in rushing offense and fewest sacks allowed.
Atlanta, Tennessee and Carolina were the highest-ranked offensive lines applying the above-mentioned parameters. The Falcons used a first-round and second-round pick on the left side of the offensive line. But their center (Todd McClure) and right tackle and right guard (Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl) were either taken in the seventh round or were undrafted free agents.
The highest-drafted player on the Titans' starting offensive line was left tackle Michael Roos, a second-round selection. But he plays beside a guard (Eugene Amano) drafted by Tennessee in the seventh round.
The Panthers' offensive line resembles the Lions' in that they have dual first-round picks at tackle (Jordan Gross and rookie Jeff Otah) and a second-round choice at center (Ryan Kalil).
But all similarities end there because Carolina invested high draft choices on linemen who are ... good.
The true measure of a front office's capacity for talent evaluation is finding those quality interior linemen deep into the draft. That was the Lions' biggest personnel failure during the Matt Millen error, excuse me, era.
And that's where general manager Martin Mayhew can best separate himself from his notorious predecessor. Can he alleviate the public trauma of potentially not selecting Alabama left tackle Andre Smith with the first overall selection by striking second-day drafting gold?
The fallacy in the search for the No. 1 pick overall is this misguided notion of a "safe choice." There is no such sanctuary when you're possibly committing as much as $34 million in up-front rookie signing bonus money.
Should the Lions deem Smith the most worthy of the first selection overall, he had better quickly become the second coming of Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden. That's the only way the Lions could fiscally justify jettisoning current left tackle Jeff Backus, taking a sizable and immediate salary cap hit if Backus couldn't adapt to playing guard.
The Lions could have three first-round choices on the offensive line, making them the exception rather than the NFL rule. And they've never been too successful in that role.
But they have sufficient time before rendering any final judgments. Let them use it.
Mock drafts in January should be mocked.
The only thing the Lions MUST do is get players -- at every position.
The first overall pick will take care of itself, whether it's Smith, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez or possibly a pass rusher who is flying beneath the drafting radar. But building the right offensive line usually requires using the entire draft.
--- DREW SHARP / Free Press
