Saturday evening marked the end of the Detroit Lions' 2011 NFL Draft, and as usual, there was plenty of controversy to go around.
Most of that controversy centered around Day 2 of the draft, in which the Lions' front office ignored pleas to upgrade an underrated offensive line and developing-but-porous back seven.
Instead, they took some highly-rated skill position players, the kinds that probably brought the word "Millen" to mind in many a Lions fan.
The Lions' draft, on the surface, smells of a failure to address glaring needs while strengthening positions that didn't need it.
In reality, it is a reflection of a front office sticking to a long-term plan. Let me provide some perspective.
Before the draft, there was exactly one position that was completely set from top to bottom and wouldn't take an upgrade. That position was quarterback, and we found out just how deep it was last year.
Generally, at the quarterback position, you want three players: a quality starter, a veteran backup and a project third-stringer. Injuries derailed the hierarchy a bit, but Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill, and Drew Stanton filled those roles appropriately, and all of them won games for Detroit in 2010.
But what about the other positions on the team?
Jahvid Best was never going to be a feature back who carries the ball 25 times a game. He's an explosive runner who can change the pace and break a huge play, but he's not the guy you want on third and three. The Lions had no interior rushing attack in 2010, which allowed defenses to contain Best and key on pass rushing.
Maurice Morris is not the answer in terms of a power complement to Best. He's a reliable reserve player, not a starter.
Mikel Leshoure is the answer. Leshoure is the guy you want on third and three, but he's equally valuable on first and 10. Want to consistently pick up four to six yards on first down? He's how you do it, and he'll get you an extra 20 or 30 once in a while, as well.
Running back position: Complete.
Angry about Titus Young?
Why? Who did you want to be the Lions' third receiver? Did you want another season of Bryant Johnson or Derrick Williams? You're looking at the 2011 version of DeSean Jackson, and you're saying no?
See, picking a wide receiver is only a bad idea if the team doesn't need a wide receiver.
Don't think they needed a third receiver? Last year, there were only 21 passes caught by a wide receiver other than Calvin Johnson or Nate Burleson. Bryant Johnson pulled down 18, Derrick Williams three.
And Burleson missed two games with an injury (Johnson missed the final game of the season, as well).
The Lions were able to cover for that by giving lots of looks to TEs and RBs, but if there was anything going more than 15 yards deep, everybody knew it was to Calvin.
Now, finally the Lions have a legitimate deep threat to take some of the heat off of Calvin (or at worst, to benefit from the heat he does get).
Wide receiver position: Complete.
Defensive tackle was considered a position of strength, and for good reason, Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams and Sammie Hill all performed well on the line last year.
Of course, Suh ended up playing more than 90 percent of the snaps because the team had to hide Andre Fluellen on the corner of the bench. This is counter to what Jim Schwartz likes to do in his defense, which is rotate quality linemen in and out to keep everybody's legs fresh.
Nick Fairley rounds out that defensive line group in a big way. He was the best player on some boards, and the Lions got him at bargain placement.
Defensive tackle: Complete.
As far as Doug Hogue in the fifth round and Johnny Culbreath in the seventh, they're not there to complete any positions. They're there to give a team depth, specialists or projects for future development.
Hogue and Culbreath fit into that last category. Both are projects with enormous athletic ability, but they need lots of polish. More notably, they fit the positions considered the Lions' biggest "needs" this season.
Hogue is a converted running back who has only been playing linebacker for two years. As he learns the position, he will improve drastically.
Culbreath is a big-bodied lineman who can theoretically play either tackle or guard position. He may be destined for the "Jason Fox" treatment, where he spends the 2011 season in a combination of the weight room and the practice field, but if he learns to put his size to good use, he'll be a seventh-round pick who sticks around for a while.
Maybe it's the Honolulu blue-tinted glasses, but I think this is exactly how a draft should go. The Lions could have reached to fill linebacker and cornerback positions with average players, but they instead decided to pick players they thought would be studs down the road (Fairley, Young, and Leshoure all have rookie Pro Bowl potential).
The only way this draft could possibly have been better is if they had more picks. But when you consider that a number of 2011 draft picks are responsible for acquiring Shaun Hill, Chris Houston and Lawrence Jackson, missing a sixth here and a seventh there doesn't seem so bad.
Especially considering the Lions just went from one position not needing an upgrade to four.
Grade: A
Ray allen kendrick Perkins Rajon Rondo Glen Davis Nate Robinson Paul Fiercer
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