The State of the Lion's Draft, Post-Combine
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This is the first in a series of posts regarding the Lion's Draft Picks:
The combine brought many interesting results. Michael Huff and Vernon Davis were absolutely dominant both in the 40 and during the position drills. They were workout wonders. Both are once-in-a-decade athletes at their respective positions. Chad Jackson busted off a blazing 4.32, placing himself directly aside Santonio Holmes in a fight to become the first receiver taken. Jay Cutler continued to be steady in his moevment up every team's draft board. He exhibited noteworthy velocity (61 mph), speed (4.77), and strength. In fact, he set the combine QB record with 23 reps at 225. Ohio State Safety Donte Whitner also single-handedly made himself millions on Tuesday. He rolled off a 4.40 and 18 bench reps. His performance dwarfed that of Ko Simpson, the previously regarded #2 Safety in the field to Michael Huff. Whitner is now solidly in the first round, likely at 19 to San Diego.
Most interesting is the Lion's draft pick. It seems that picks one through eight could fall into one of many scenarios. Regardless of the eight previous picks, in each situation someone will undoubtedly "fall" to the Lions. At this point, there are a few near certainties. Reggie Bush (RB), Matt Leinart (QB), Jay Cutler (QB), D'Brickashaw Ferguson (OT), Mario Williams (DE), and AJ Hawk (OLB) will not be available. This leaves Vernon Davis (TE), Michael Huff (S), Haloti Ngata (DT), and Vince Young (QB) as available possibilities at the ninth pick:
(1) Vince Young slips through the cracks. Vince Young has lacked guidance during this pre-draft timeframe. He has not surrounded himself around experienced agents or advisers. This has costed him greatly. He posted an abyssmal 6/50 on the Wonderlic Basic Skills exam. Upon retaking it, he still managed only 16. His IQ is in the neighborhood of Forrest Gump. Nevertheless, his football acumen appears virtually off the charts. Not only is he a leader on the field, but he has the ability to read defenses and make plays with his legs should all else fail. Let us not forget that he single-handedly dismantled the USC Dynasty. If Vince Young is available at 9, he will not be available at 10. The Lions will have advantageously taken stock in Vince Young's slide from the elite prospects. Ultimately, what happens on the field matters most. Unorthodox delivery or not, the man torched the Big 12 to the tune of 51 points/game last season. His delivery can be adjusted to the point where he could take over games just as he did in college. Be very happy if this scenario occurs. I can't see Al Davis passing on a 6'5" 235 QB with 4.45 speed at #7, but I would not be shocked if Vince Young feel to the Lions.
(2) Michael Huff falls. After his dominating combine workout, I would be surprised if this happened. At the same time, I would not be floored. Only San Francisco has a primary need in the secondary among the eight teams picking above the Lions, but they are said to be totally enamored with AJ Hawk. Assuming the Packers take Mario Williams at #5, AJ Hawk will be the 49ers pick, and Michael Huff will have fallen. A 6'0" 204 Safety with 4.35 speed would be well accepted to line-up along side Kennoy Kennedy in the defensive backfield. Huff has the ability to match up against 90% of the receivers in the league in man coverage. He had extensive experience locking down #1 receivers while lining up at corner when the situation called for it in college. This is ideal for Rod Marinelli's timely, aggressive defensive scheme. Blitzes can attack the opposition from virtually any angle, leaving Huff on an island without apprehension. The guy is a ball hawk with less size, but more speed and coverage ability than Shaun Taylor. He is a true talent.
{To understand the following two scenarios better, please read this. Should neither Young nor Huff fall to the Lions, Vernon Davis and Haloti Ngata would be the best players available. Without moving down, the Lions would take Winston Justice and the picks immediately following would look like this:
9 - Lions - Winston Justice, OT
10 - Cardinals - Vernon Davis, TE
11 - Rams - Haloti Ngata, DT
12 - Browns - Tamba Hali - DE
Given that sequence, the following analysis should make more sense as to just why St. Louis and Cleveland would want to move up to grab the guy they covet}
(3) Vernon Davis slides. As enticing as another receiver would be (and Vernon Davis is enticing), the Lions would have to make a move here. True, Vernon Davis is a 6'4"/262/4.38 monster with a 42" vertical to boot. However, he is simply not a need at the moment. The Rams would love to have Vernon Davis at 11. However, the Arizona Cardinals are very likely use their cap space and acquire one of the free agent Running Backs that are certain to be available. At that point, Vernon Davis would be a perfect fit at 10. He would give Kurt Warner one more weapon, potentially shocking his skills back into the MVP paradigm. In other words, the Rams -who covet Davis more than anyone- would have to trade up over the Cardinals to get their guy. At this point, the Lions slip back to 11 and nab the guy they are in most need of: Winston Justice. Justice is big and very athletic, so much so that he is capabale of being molded into either a LT or RT. Few athletes possess such versatility. He is the clear-cut #2 O-Line prospect in the draft class, and he would be welcome with open arms by the Lion's faithful. For trading down, the Lions can acquire more picks to bolster the line even more during the later rounds.
(4) Haloti Ngata is there. It is well documented that Haloti Ngata is the best Nose Tackle prospect in years. He has both the size to stuff the run and the quickness to disrupt the quarterback while defending the pass. It is also well documented that the Browns and Romeo Crennel would love to have Ngata as the fulcrum for their defensive attack. Should the Bills pass on Ngata, the Browns will be rumaging everything they can to grab him. They know that Saint Louis would take him in a heatbeat since their most pressing needs are on the defensive side of the ball and Ngata would be hands down the best defender available. Regardless, the Browns would be more than willing to jump to 9 to grab him. Conversely, the Lions would be more than willing to drop from 9 to 12, since Winston Justice makes much more sense there. At #9, he would be a bit of a reach.
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Summary:
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Given the state of the draft at the moment, the Lions are in a win-win scenario regardless of outcome. Should either of the Longhorn standout's Michael Huff or Vince Young fall, the Lions can snatch them up unreluctantly. If they are both gone, they will have the luxury of fancying offers for either Ngata or Davis (since both will have fallen). They can take the best one, move down to either #11 or #12, and draft former USC Trojan standout Winston Justice for good value. Sadly, I would not put it past Matt Millen to authoritatively demand the selection of Vernon Davis over the likes of a Michael Huff come draft day. Davis is the fastest, quickest, strongest, and most explosive TE in combine history. Be forewarned, and bring the tissues with you April 29th -just in case. Nevertheless, options appear plentiful and desirable for the Lions. I expect them to end up with either a Longhorn at #9 or the Trojan tackle at #11/12.
Home
This is the first in a series of posts regarding the Lion's Draft Picks:
The combine brought many interesting results. Michael Huff and Vernon Davis were absolutely dominant both in the 40 and during the position drills. They were workout wonders. Both are once-in-a-decade athletes at their respective positions. Chad Jackson busted off a blazing 4.32, placing himself directly aside Santonio Holmes in a fight to become the first receiver taken. Jay Cutler continued to be steady in his moevment up every team's draft board. He exhibited noteworthy velocity (61 mph), speed (4.77), and strength. In fact, he set the combine QB record with 23 reps at 225. Ohio State Safety Donte Whitner also single-handedly made himself millions on Tuesday. He rolled off a 4.40 and 18 bench reps. His performance dwarfed that of Ko Simpson, the previously regarded #2 Safety in the field to Michael Huff. Whitner is now solidly in the first round, likely at 19 to San Diego.
Most interesting is the Lion's draft pick. It seems that picks one through eight could fall into one of many scenarios. Regardless of the eight previous picks, in each situation someone will undoubtedly "fall" to the Lions. At this point, there are a few near certainties. Reggie Bush (RB), Matt Leinart (QB), Jay Cutler (QB), D'Brickashaw Ferguson (OT), Mario Williams (DE), and AJ Hawk (OLB) will not be available. This leaves Vernon Davis (TE), Michael Huff (S), Haloti Ngata (DT), and Vince Young (QB) as available possibilities at the ninth pick:
(1) Vince Young slips through the cracks. Vince Young has lacked guidance during this pre-draft timeframe. He has not surrounded himself around experienced agents or advisers. This has costed him greatly. He posted an abyssmal 6/50 on the Wonderlic Basic Skills exam. Upon retaking it, he still managed only 16. His IQ is in the neighborhood of Forrest Gump. Nevertheless, his football acumen appears virtually off the charts. Not only is he a leader on the field, but he has the ability to read defenses and make plays with his legs should all else fail. Let us not forget that he single-handedly dismantled the USC Dynasty. If Vince Young is available at 9, he will not be available at 10. The Lions will have advantageously taken stock in Vince Young's slide from the elite prospects. Ultimately, what happens on the field matters most. Unorthodox delivery or not, the man torched the Big 12 to the tune of 51 points/game last season. His delivery can be adjusted to the point where he could take over games just as he did in college. Be very happy if this scenario occurs. I can't see Al Davis passing on a 6'5" 235 QB with 4.45 speed at #7, but I would not be shocked if Vince Young feel to the Lions.
(2) Michael Huff falls. After his dominating combine workout, I would be surprised if this happened. At the same time, I would not be floored. Only San Francisco has a primary need in the secondary among the eight teams picking above the Lions, but they are said to be totally enamored with AJ Hawk. Assuming the Packers take Mario Williams at #5, AJ Hawk will be the 49ers pick, and Michael Huff will have fallen. A 6'0" 204 Safety with 4.35 speed would be well accepted to line-up along side Kennoy Kennedy in the defensive backfield. Huff has the ability to match up against 90% of the receivers in the league in man coverage. He had extensive experience locking down #1 receivers while lining up at corner when the situation called for it in college. This is ideal for Rod Marinelli's timely, aggressive defensive scheme. Blitzes can attack the opposition from virtually any angle, leaving Huff on an island without apprehension. The guy is a ball hawk with less size, but more speed and coverage ability than Shaun Taylor. He is a true talent.
{To understand the following two scenarios better, please read this. Should neither Young nor Huff fall to the Lions, Vernon Davis and Haloti Ngata would be the best players available. Without moving down, the Lions would take Winston Justice and the picks immediately following would look like this:
9 - Lions - Winston Justice, OT
10 - Cardinals - Vernon Davis, TE
11 - Rams - Haloti Ngata, DT
12 - Browns - Tamba Hali - DE
Given that sequence, the following analysis should make more sense as to just why St. Louis and Cleveland would want to move up to grab the guy they covet}
(3) Vernon Davis slides. As enticing as another receiver would be (and Vernon Davis is enticing), the Lions would have to make a move here. True, Vernon Davis is a 6'4"/262/4.38 monster with a 42" vertical to boot. However, he is simply not a need at the moment. The Rams would love to have Vernon Davis at 11. However, the Arizona Cardinals are very likely use their cap space and acquire one of the free agent Running Backs that are certain to be available. At that point, Vernon Davis would be a perfect fit at 10. He would give Kurt Warner one more weapon, potentially shocking his skills back into the MVP paradigm. In other words, the Rams -who covet Davis more than anyone- would have to trade up over the Cardinals to get their guy. At this point, the Lions slip back to 11 and nab the guy they are in most need of: Winston Justice. Justice is big and very athletic, so much so that he is capabale of being molded into either a LT or RT. Few athletes possess such versatility. He is the clear-cut #2 O-Line prospect in the draft class, and he would be welcome with open arms by the Lion's faithful. For trading down, the Lions can acquire more picks to bolster the line even more during the later rounds.
(4) Haloti Ngata is there. It is well documented that Haloti Ngata is the best Nose Tackle prospect in years. He has both the size to stuff the run and the quickness to disrupt the quarterback while defending the pass. It is also well documented that the Browns and Romeo Crennel would love to have Ngata as the fulcrum for their defensive attack. Should the Bills pass on Ngata, the Browns will be rumaging everything they can to grab him. They know that Saint Louis would take him in a heatbeat since their most pressing needs are on the defensive side of the ball and Ngata would be hands down the best defender available. Regardless, the Browns would be more than willing to jump to 9 to grab him. Conversely, the Lions would be more than willing to drop from 9 to 12, since Winston Justice makes much more sense there. At #9, he would be a bit of a reach.
--------
Summary:
--------
Given the state of the draft at the moment, the Lions are in a win-win scenario regardless of outcome. Should either of the Longhorn standout's Michael Huff or Vince Young fall, the Lions can snatch them up unreluctantly. If they are both gone, they will have the luxury of fancying offers for either Ngata or Davis (since both will have fallen). They can take the best one, move down to either #11 or #12, and draft former USC Trojan standout Winston Justice for good value. Sadly, I would not put it past Matt Millen to authoritatively demand the selection of Vernon Davis over the likes of a Michael Huff come draft day. Davis is the fastest, quickest, strongest, and most explosive TE in combine history. Be forewarned, and bring the tissues with you April 29th -just in case. Nevertheless, options appear plentiful and desirable for the Lions. I expect them to end up with either a Longhorn at #9 or the Trojan tackle at #11/12.
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