2011 Draft: Detroit Lions

Should be a quick one today, with only five players taken by the Lions.

Starting in round one with Nick Fairley, defensive tackle, Auburn. And of course the big question surrounding Fairley, some might even say plaguing him, has been whether Fairley is a one hit wonder or not. Having put on a great performance in 2010, will that carry over to the NFL or did he just luck out for that one year?

I'm pretty convinced by Fairley to be honest. Pick a game, almost any game from last year, and what you'll see is Nick Fairley causing havoc against some of the best teams in the country. He is a real danger man in the middle. To shut him up teams often had to resort to using two and sometimes three people to block him.

Blocking Fairley one on one was a risk. You might get away with it for a few snaps, but eventually you had to know that he was going to beat your guard or your center in a single block and make it deep into the backfield. And boy, did he ever spend some time in peoples backfields.

Ok, that sounded wrong.

Anyway, Fairley has a lot of strength. His initial move off the snap is incredibly fast and powerful. He uses his hands ok, but he'll need a bit of work in that regard at the next level. It tends to not matter so much though because his burst off the line is critical. If he can catch a guard on the shoulder as opposed to head on, then he often has the raw strength and speed to work his way into the backfield regardless of what the guard has to say about the matter.

Once in the backfield his speed over short distances often prevails, getting in the quarterbacks face or wrapping up the running back before he has a chance to really get going. If Fairley does have one major fault it's that his short range speed seems to drain the "desire" tank quite quickly. If the play spills to the edge, Fairley often is one of the last in pursuit.

But despite that minor setback, his raw talent makes him incredibly attractive as a prospect for the Lions. Teamed up in the middle with Ndamukong Suh, with Kyle Vanden Bosch on one side and Cliff Avril on the other, that Lions D-line just became a really tough proposition for their opponents this year. The thinking is likely along the lines that pressure generated up front will make it a little easier on the secondary this year.

If Fairley can help what was already a well developing D-line to start getting to the quarterback on a more regular basis (and quicker) it will force quarterbacks to hurry and get the ball out of their hands early, hopefully throwing off their accuracy a little. With any luck (for Lions fans at least) that'll provide their pass defense with a chance to actually make some plays.

Next up, the first of two second round picks was Titus Young, wide receiver, Boise State. Now originally I was a bit of a Titus Young fan. But lately that opinion is starting to slide. It's not the fact that he comes across as a cocky little bastard, although he does. That in itself is not always a bad thing (only when cockiness becomes complacency).

Rather the issue is one related to hands, route technique and work rate. I'll pick up the last one first (with me?) because it's something that really bugs me. You can tell when Boise is about to run a play where Young is not the number one or two guy, because he literally jogs off the line. I'm not even joking, or exaggerating. In fact, "jogging" might be giving Young too much credit. Perhaps slowly trundling off the line might do it more justice.

That really annoys me. You have to make the defense think on every play that you are a danger to them. You have to make the corner, the nearest linebacker and the safety to your side all think that at any second you might make a break and speed on by them. Otherwise you're just making their decision making cycle so much easier.

That safety who might otherwise have come all the way across to the sideline to cover you can now turn and take an angle across the field to go and chase down that running play which is headed in the opposite direction. What might have been a touchdown now becomes a 40 yard gain. That can make all the difference in a tight game in the NFL.

Related to the effort problem is his blocking, both on run plays and screen plays. Simply put, Young doesn't block. He kind of shields. It's more like watching a defender in basketball as opposed to a committed NFL blocker. There was even a screen play where he let a defender run right by him, while he just stared at the guy. What he didn't realise was that the ball carrier was dancing around behind him and having beaten one man was then promptly tackled from behind by the guy that Young was supposed to block.

Now, route technique. Or as I like to call it, lack of route technique. He doesn't have much awareness of the defender and the leverage the defender is using against him (inside vs. outside etc). His adjustments to the coverage are sloppy at best and he has a really nasty tendency to false step at the start of his route. He has speed, but he doesn't make the most of it with his breaks, which are often slow and highly telegraphed.

Have you guessed yet which group I coached last?

Finally we have hands. Previously I'd seen a lot of good in Young. There are certainly some great catches on tape, including one handers. But having taken a more extensive and laborious look there are some worrying points to pick up. There are quite a lot of drops. Quite a lot. His use of the hands is generally ok when the ball is coming over his head except that he sometimes has the reverse problem to Braylon Edwards, in that Edwards has a tendency to hold his hands too close to his face, while Young tends to hold them too far away from his body.

When catching flatter passes, ones that come at him more at head height and that he's looking straight at, he has a tendency to open his hands too much. Typically you want the tips of your thumbs and the tips of your fingers to be almost touching, but Young prefers the approach of keeping his hands wide and trying to time the catch perfectly. There is a good reason why not many people do this, namely that it's bloody difficult to pull off on a consistent basis.

Honestly speaking, I don't know what I saw in Young first time round. Yes, he does sometimes have those highlight reel catches. Yes, he does sometimes display great agility with the ball in his hands. But personally I think I'd rather have Austin Pettis from Boise, which is saying something (though Pettis is growing on me the more I watch Boise).

Next up up in round two was Mikel Leshoure, running back, Illinois. I was a little surprised by this, given that Detroit traded up last year to get their hands on Jahvid Best, but I guess two backs are better than one so there we go.

And Leshoure is a good back. He's sometimes is a little indecisive in short yardage, probably as a function of wanting to look for the big play, but other than that he usually has a good feel and vision for holes around the line. He has quick feet and is pretty strong for a back. Normally when Leshoure meets a defender he drops his shoulder and gives as good as gets, driving his feet all the way through for extra yards, which is such an under rated skill.

In the passing game he has pretty good hands and his route running is about average. He blocks well when called upon. In fact, Leshoure is one of the few backs (including the NFL) who can block "properly", that is to say that he stands up and uses technique to defeat his man, instead of constantly trying to dive at the guys feet and cut him.

Overall Leshoure is one of the better backs in the draft this year. Will he be another Chris Johnson? No. He's not really what you would call home run hitter, mainly because he lacks a bit of speed in the open field. But his quality throughout every phase of his game is very useful and you can see him being a solid contributor for many years on this Lions team. He should compliment the speed and explosiveness of Best well, being more of a head on, tough style runner who can give you consistent yards and occasionally big plays.

Next the Lions had to wait until the fifth round, where they took Doug Hogue, Linebacker, from Syracuse. Otherwise known as "Doug ho-God do I have to watch anymore of this?"

He has flashes of speed which sometimes find him in the backfield making the tackle, but you really have to work hard to notice when Hogue actually makes a difference to a game. He just doesn't do a lot. Occasionally he fills in the running game, but overall he's a spectator not a play maker. Might have a future as a weak linebacker in the Lions 4-3, but don't count on it. Could be gone by the end of camp.

After Hogue, Lions fans had to wait with unbearable anticipation until the seventh round to see who their team would take next, and it was..... Johnny Culbreath, offensive tackle, South Carolina state. The question you're probably asking is; who? And the answer is; I have no idea! Seriously. I haven't seen so much as a second on Culbreath and so I can't say a thing I'm afraid.

In conclusion then, the Lions draft was... ok. I remember it being better, largely because I remember Young being better than what I've seen recently. I think everyone is hoping that he'll be the perfect partner to Calvin Johnson, but I'm really not sure. I just think he'll lack the consistency to really take that kind of role. Add on the Hogue and Culbreath picks and it doesn't pan out all that well.

But then Nick Fairley and Mikel Leshoure offer hope. Fairley might just have been the player with the most legitimate claim to have been the number one overall pick, so I think the Lions got a great deal at 13th overall. Leshoure will add a measure of stability to that offense and may even be able to help better at keeping Matthew Stafford upright this year.

So positives and negatives. I think if the Lions are going to make a splash this year though, it'll be their veterans who'll have to dig deep and make it happen. Suh needs to have another good year. And Stafford needs to stay healthy for more than about 3 games.

Next year I can see an O-line blitz coming for the Lions.

2011 NFL Draft: Defensive Linemen

I'll get round to the D-linemen in a bit.

But first I want to tackle an issue that keeps raising it's head as part of the ongoing labor dispute between the artists formerly known as the NFLPA and the NFL. It's the idea that the NFL is a monopoly.

Now my understanding of Monopoly is that you have complete control over some resource - knowledge or bread for example - or you have complete control over the means of delivery such as a pipeline for oil for example. From this we get the phrase "to monopolise" a commodity.

But here's the thing; we have the Arena Football League and the United Football League currently in operation. Alright so one league only has like four teams and the other is an indoor league, and they're certainly not on the scale of the NFL. But the point is players have a choice coming out of college. If Von Miller wants, there is nothing to stop him ignoring the NFL team that eventually drafts him and signing with a UFL team. If Peyton Manning wanted to, there would be nothing to stop him (as a free agent) from signing with an Arena team.

The only reason that no player will sign for those leagues unless it's a last resort is because they know that the NFL pays much better. That's not a monopoly. It's not exactly the widest of choices, but it's by no means a monopoly.

What is also starting to bug me is this question "Where are all the practice squad and backup players?" Do these guys not understand that any court ruling in favour of the players that threatens the salary cap will leave them absolutely shafted? There is almost no chance that these players - who make up the majority of those affected - will get a good deal out of this. Sure Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will benefit from a player friendly deal such as "true" free agency, but the players at the bottom of the pile won't. The only thing that surprises me more than their lack of understanding is that the league hasn't latched onto this and gone after the little fish, failing to realise that they could be the key to breaking the back of the "union".

Anyway, onto (finally) my take on the D-line class for this years draft. Once you've seen the size of this lot you'll understand why it took so long to watch all the tape;

- Nick Fairley. Let's start with someone controversial shall we. The case with Fairley is simple; he had a great year, but is he a one season wonder? Well, I've watched some of his games and I'm pretty convinced by what I see on the field. I had the same worry as mentioned above about him being a one hit wonder, but then I remembered the lesson of Jason Pierre-Paul from last year. I was also a little worried that it might have just been his size and power compared to college linemen, but then I remembered the lesson of Ndamukong Suh from last year. On that note, I'm backing Fairely to do well. I think...

- Marcel Dareus. Talking of comparisons to Suh, it's Marcel Dareus. Quick feet, quick hands, keeps his head up and is alert to what's happening in front of him. Might not be as strong as someone like Suh, but possibly a little more versatile. I like him.

- Da'Quan Bowers. Plays pretty smart, aware of reverses and things like that, pretty quick and pursues well. He has some nice moves in the open field at times. But here's the thing. Sometimes he seems to get stuck to blockers like he was glued to them. I just worry that Bowers is one of those guys who only makes plays when you let him, as opposed to forcing the issue himself.

- Robert Quinn. Fast, reasonably strong, sometimes can get great leverage positions on linemen. But I'm not sold. He has off the field issues stemming from an incident involving him and some fellow team mates taking jewellery and trips from agents, which he then lied about to investigators, and then tried to dodge around during a public interview at the combine where he claimed he didn't realise what was happening. He's only played two seasons of football and hasn't played at all in the last year. I'm also concerned that he inflated his stats in a game against Virginia, which isn't truly representative of how he'll perform at the next level. Sorry, but wouldn't touch him. Let someone else take the risk.

- Cameron Jordan. Not bad at all. Pretty strong and very relentless in pursuit, but spent a lot of time in college getting double teamed. The fact that he did so well in spite of that tells you a lot, but it's still a little risky. Might fall as a result.

- Aldon Smith. There's going to be a lot of fans who don't follow the college game going "who?". Smith isn't getting much attention which surprises me, because I came away very impressed from watching his tape. quick, very hard working, technically very sound in terms of hands and footwork and tracks well across the field from sideline to sideline. Expect good things for Mr. Smith.

- Adrian Clayborn. Strong, quick, sheds blocks beautifully. I think the term I would use is block destruction. Technique is very sound and he rides the hip of blockers going away from him very well. Sneaking suspicion he may just be the best D-linemen in the draft this year, so odd that he's not getting more attention. Keep an eye out for Clayborn and hope that he's coming to a city near you.

- Ryan Kerrigan. Pretty quick, gets a great burst of speed going at the snap. Has good use of the hands and at times looks like he has the decision making skills of a seasoned pro D-linemen. Very good. Very impressed.

- J.J. Watt. Incredible speed off the snap. Just ridiculous for a man of his size. Has nice moves and chases every play hard. Tackles well and isn't afraid to put his head in harms way for his team. It's that explosive start that sets everything up though. Will likely do well in the league.

- Corey Liuget. Pretty strong and occasionally gets some nice leverage on O-linemen. Sheds one on one blocks pretty well, but not really mobile enough. Keeps getting caught up in the wash around the line of scrimmage.

- Cameron Heyward. Quite strong and occasionally flashes some good technique, but all too often seems to be running around flapping his arms and not contributing much. Too inconsistent I feel.

- Drake Nevis. Great speed for his size. Powerful. Uses his hands very well. A great all round inside linemen. Could be the next B.J. Raji.

- Allen Bailey. Pretty quick kid, but only ever seems to have an impact when he's left unblocked. Otherwise has a tendency to just run around ineffectually.

- Stephen Paea. The strength he displayed at the combine (I think it was 49 reps of 225 lbs) is for real. Sometimes he'll just barely get a hand on a running back and yet bring them crashing to the ground. Quick and has pretty good technique. All that helps him to shed blocks. Might slip down because people think he's just a workout warrior, but that's a big mistake. I'm going to put my neck on the line and say he's a worthy first round talent.

- Muhammad Wilkerson. Was very impressed at the combine with Wilkerson. Less impressed now. All hype, no action. If I wasn't specifically watching him I'd barely notice he was on the field.

- Justin Houston. Not exactly what you would call technically gifted. But has speed to burn. Will likely fit in very well as a 3-4 pass rushing outside linebacker, but will need to work a lot on his run technique.

- Sam Acho. Boring film. Nothing remarkable.

- Christian Ballard. Uses an unconventional four point stance, but whatever works for him I guess (it does!). He gets great leverage on a consistent basis, driving up under the pads of the O-line. Great footwork. Keeps his head up and his eyes on the play, staying aware of everything happening in front of him. Drives hard. Excellent linemen.

- Marvin Austin. One of the fellow team mates of Richard Quinn caught up in the same scandal and was indeed kicked off the team as a result. On film he looks like an excellent inside linemen, but how much will the absence from action affect him? Sorry but wouldn't take the risk. If he goes undrafted then definitely give him a shot in camp.

- Phil Taylor. Demonstrated a lot of strength at times, but that only made what often followed all the more frustrating. He would get caught on a block and just give up. No pursuit. Lacks that relentless drive that is so essential.

- Jurrell Casey. Watched about 30 snaps then got bored of watching him get blocked. Might have gone on to take over the game single handed, but I doubt it.

- Brooks Reed. Had a great combine in the drills by my measure and plays like a classic 4-3 DE. But seems to get sacks more through fortune and not endeavour (when QB steps up for example). Works hard though, so maybe it's simply a case of getting his just rewards? I'll have to have another look later, possibly after the draft. Tentatively going to suggest he might be sneaky bargain.

- Jabaal Sheard. Character question over involvement in a fight, but appears to have eaten humble pie over that issue and put it behind him. Otherwise strong, quick, has fantastic technique, and pursues hard. Might end up slipping quite a way because of the character issue and end up as an absolute bargain. Will make an excellent NFL DE if he pays attention and puts the work in.

- Chris Carter. Very quick and agile. Gets a great body lean "turning the corner" on an offensive tackle. Not the strongest or most technically sound. Reminds me a lot of DeMarcus Ware, but perhaps not quite on that level.

- Cliff Matthews. Pretty quick, technique is not bad, a good tackler and chases plays well. Maybe more of a low round prospect.

- Terrell McClain. For his size has impressive speed and agility. Not a bad late round pick.

- Dontay Moch. Very quick and has plenty of energy for bounding around the field, but not all that strong. Another who will be more suited as an outside linebacker in a 3-4.

Right, that's that lot then. Two things though just quickly. I was gonna look at Jeremy Beal, but given that he spent most of his time in an upright stance, I'll cover him in the linebackers post. And then there is Miami Hurricanes running back Damien Berry.

I didn't cover him in my post on running backs, because I've only just stumbled across him. He was pretty darn quick and had some nice open field moves, especially when getting downfield as a receiver so might be one to consider.

Next up for me is the Linebackers, which I hope to have posted by Sunday night. There's quite a few names to look at...