Sunday, April 27, 2008 | Posted by Os Davis

Incredible, just incredible ... surely the reaction in Michigan is the same after the whirlwind weekend. No matter how often you go back and look at the Detroit Lions’ picks during the NFL draft, one thought comes to mind, echoing like the vast expanses of an empty Ford Field right around playoff time: “Holy flippin’ s---, s---, s---. They got it right, -ight, -ight. Can this really be, be, Matt Millen’s Detroit Lions, -ions, -ions?”

Somehow, after coach Rod Marinelli’s tell-all visit to a Detroit radio program, after Millen’s nearly incomprehensible statements about what the Lions would do during the draft, after a thousand mock drafts had the Lions picking up a halfback in the first round, they got it right.

The Lions drafted for need. The Lions traded up correctly to get the guy they wanted. The Lions managed to avoid picking up a flashy wide receiver based on athleticism and irresistibility (OK, until Round 5 at least). The Lions did well.

Apologies for the bald-faced coming-to-grips style here, but this draft class has to be the most tantalizing, the most strictly optimistic, bit of roster supplementing since the Motor City invited Barry Sanders to town in 1989.

Round 1 set the tone for the Lions; Marinelli somehow managed to convince Millen that the No. 1 priority was the offensive line (imagine that) and brought Gosder Cherilus aboard. Though more highly regarded Jeff Otah was still available to Detroit at No. 17, the Lions brain trust decided to lean on scouts’ knowledge and go with Cherilus.

In both pre- and post-draft analysis, the Cherilus/Otah choice was thought a bit of a coin flip: Both are reckoned to be raw talents most effective against the run. While the official RealFootball365.com draft live blogger reckoned that Cherilus is the more polished, this writer is down with the mainstream in liking Otah. (Sorry, boss.) No matter: In Marinelli’s world, character and work ethic are all important; Lions backers will have to trust that Detroit intelligence got the book on Cherilus correct.

That bit of speculation out of the system, the Lions frankly kicked some butt and took names – four names they’ve probably coveted since February – in the second and third rounds.

First came linebacker Jordon Dizon at No. 45. Not only was Dizon one of the top players available at that point, but he was on the Lions’ shortlist as well. The four-year starter and former safety at the University of Colorado, the Dizon pick reflects Marinelli’s choice of Ernie Sims in 2006 as an ultra-quick, slightly small defender born to drop back and play the Tampa 2. Lions fans went to bed happy on Saturday night ...

... and got their Sunday kicked off beautifully when their boys traded up for the third round’s first choice. No team can resist the skill-position players forever, it seems, and the Lions were naturally no exception. However, in waiting for Kevin Smith, Millen and company showed admirable restraint.

Surely, given the problems with Tatum Bell’s dissatisfaction in 2007, would team morale have gone through the floor had Millen been allowed to jump at, say, Jonathan Stewart. (Maybe the Carolina Panthers unwittingly did the Motor City a favor at No. 13, eh?)

In the lead-up to the draft, Millen and Marinelli declared their philosophy would involve taking players relatively early who needed “coaching up.” Smith is the sort of player they were thinking to be sure; if the Lions play their cards right, Smith won’t see the majority of carries in 2008, but he'll be ready to go in 2009 when Bell jumps into free agency. (Does the drafting of Kevin Smith mean Detroit also gets Jay and Silent Bob on the sideline?)

It got better and better for Detroit thereafter – and we all know that’s a phrase rarely written in conjunction with the ‘00s Lions. At Nos. 87 and 92 came Andre Fluellen and Cliff Avril. Both were heavily courted by the Lions pre-draft and, while Avril is more clearly recognized as the potential steal – most had him going in Round 2 – the underrated Fluellen could immediately become a presence in the middle of the field, just as at Florida State.

You've gotta love Jerome Felton going to the Lions in Round 5, too. Out of Furman, Felton was one of six fullbacks invited to the combine and the biggest of the lot at 6 feet, 247 pounds. Here’s a guarantee: Felton will be starting in Week 1 and may become Tatum Bell’s best buddy before the season ends. Of all the swell additions Detroit made on the weekend, Felton may be the single longest-lasting.

And unbelievably, the sobriety lasted to the end of Sunday. In Landon Cohen and Caleb Campbell, the Lions may have taken a couple of guys who sound more like front-office accountants, but both the DT and the safety are known for stopping the run -- evidence that Marinelli actually does have a game plan for the likes of this pair. If not, maybe he’ll just have ‘em balancing the books vis-à-vis all that dead salary-cap space the Lions are still toting around.

Oh yes, that receiver: Moore, Kenneth Moore, a former Wake Forest Demon Deacon. After approximately half a century of drafting hyped-up WRs, the Lions still currently possess only three viable targets for Jon Kitna -- Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson and Mike Furrey. Unlike the other flashmongers for whom Millen has shown profound weakness over the decade, Moore is simply an all-around solid presence who contributed to Wake’s special teams – probably where he’ll find himself on opening day. If you were told before the draft that the Lions would pick a wideout to be starting in September, would you have believed it was a good thing? It is.

Kudos to Millen, Marinelli and the rest. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to help my family prepare for a world in which the Detroit Lions could make a legitimate playoff run. Or the apocalypse. Whichever comes first.

Happy to admit when we're blown away throughout the year at RealFootball365.com

Happy to admit when we're blown away throughout the year at RealFootball365.com.

Be the first to comment on this article!   New user?  Sign Up!