Just over three months.
Mel Kiper’s first mock draft is up. Here are picks 1-16:
1 Detroit Matthew Stafford QB Georgia
2 St. Louis Andre Smith OT Alabama
3 Kansas City Mark Sanchez QB USC
4 Seattle Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech
5 Cleveland Aaron Curry LB Wake Forest
6 Cincinnati Jason Smith OT Baylor
7 Oakland Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri
8 Jacksonville Eugene Monroe OT Virginia
9 Green Bay Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio St.
10 San Francisco Aaron Maybin DE/OLB Penn St.
11 Buffalo Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma St.
12 Denver B.J. Raji DT Boston College
13 Washington Brian Orakpo DE Texas
14 New Orleans Vontae Davis CB Illinois
15 Houston Everette Brown DE Florida St.
16 San Diego Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia
If the Lions take Stafford, I’ll cry. If they take Maluaga that high, I’ll cry harder (but not much).
There has to be a better QB out there than Stafford. I’d look for him, or trade the pick and hope to get one of the Big 12 gunslingers next year. Better yet, start to build a tough offensive line, then you can plug in any number of mid level quarterbacks and still see an improvement. Maybe Andre Smith with the first pick?
I’ve got no problem with Stafford, I just have a problem with taking a quarterback that high unless it’s a can’t-miss prospect.
Get a quarterback in the second or (preferably) the third if there’s something there that you just can’t say no to.
I would love Andre Smith with the first pick. Can we package the 20th pick and the first in the second round to trade up and B.J. Raji and a 4th? After that, I’d be happy. Get defensive depth after that.
With this draft, the Lions need to grab a starter on both lines. Nothing less will be acceptable.
Also, stop slurping the Big XII’s quarterbacks. It only leads you to heartbreak.