2010 Draft (Part 4)

Wow! What a round 1 that was. As expected the Rams drafted Sam Bradford, Quarterback. Also, as expected, the Lions drafted Ndamukong Suh, Defensive Tackle. From there as a Lion fan I had expected to watch the rest of the draft only to see who the Lions wouldn't be getting at 34 (2nd pick, round 2 on day 2). But Mayhew being Mayhew, he dialed up a move to ensure he got one of the other top tier guys on their board.

As the picks were taken in the late twenties the guys the Lions were likely hoping would make it to pick 34 started disappearing. Before long, there was the one left (I am assuming here), with little hope of him falling to pick 34. So in the most unlikely of moves, the Lions traded with the Minnesota Vikings to get Jahvid Best, running back. Now the reason that's so unusual is that they are a divisional rival. Divisional rivals agree to trades about as often as crop circles are admitted to be hoaxes (so perhaps they are not, huh?). Anyway, the Lions move up 4 spots to pick #30 in round 1 and give up to the Vikings the 214th pick in round 7 and agree to swap picks in the 4th round. In all likelihood, the cornerbacks that the Lions wanted were also wanted by the Vikings, so they weren't probably happy with what was left either. Still, you just don't normally trade with your division rivals.

So, the Lions lose a number of spots in round 4 but still have a round 4 pick (big whoop) and lose one of their 5 seventh round picks (another big whoop) to ensure they got their best player available while he is still available. Had Best made it to the end of round 1 (which isn't all that likely) there was likely to be a ton of offers for teams to move up to 33 tomorrow night to get him or someone else, and who that other team would want would not be known. The cost to the Lions to move up to 33 might easily have been more then the move to 30. It was a calculated and shrewd move. One I can agree with totally, even though I wanted the Lions to trade down in the 2nd round and take someone else. (That someone else may be there later, depending on how the draft goes from here.)

The Lions now have a true homerun threat at RB to platoon with the other running backs and the best defensive player in the draft (some say the decade) in Suh, and they have only started their work in the 2010 draft.

Makes me want tomorrow night to hurry up and get here.

Oh, and the best part of the picks, various individuals on various forums were so set against the Lions drafting anyone on offense that they will hate this pick, possibly forever, and yours truly gets to pick on them, forever. SWEEET!