Lions on the pathway towards success thanks to young draft prospects

by Dillon Cooper

The 2008 NFL season was a memorable one, for the 0-16 Detroit Lions. Nevertheless, Lion’s fans want the whole nation to forget what had just happened only four months prior to today. Fans are looking forward, and the only way to go is up. With the Lions at rock bottom, a complete reload was to be in order. Changing the team’s logo and uniforms was a start for the team that has called Detroit home since 1930. But probably the most important piece of the puzzle for the Lions was that they had the number one pick in the 2009 NFL draft!

Now that the Bobby Layne curse has been lifted upon the ill-talented Lions, and fittingly after fifty years the last year would be the team’s worst record in franchise history, the organization couldn’t be happier with three of the first 33 possible picks, and five of the first 82; needless to say the odds were stacked favoring Detroit. With many talks circulating and rumors taking life about who would go where and who could slip and what-not, all was put to a halt last Friday as the Lions signed a young quarterback out of Georgia by the name of Matthew Stafford to be the first pick in the draft. His contract gave him more guaranteed money than anyone in the history of the game, $41.7 million. The exact amount isn’t quite sure but he could make as much as $78 million in six years, thus (hopefully) ending the search for a impact QB that Detroit has been long waiting for

The Lions followed up the Stafford pick by drafting in many positions of need, including two tight ends (Brandon Pettigrew from Oklahoma State in the first round, and Dan Gronkowski from Maryland in the 7th). The Lions also picked up a local boy in Western Michigan safety Louis Delmas, and a Midwestern star from Penn State in WR/KR Derrick Williams. Others that were drafted by the Detroit Lions include Deandre Levy a 6’2’’ 236 pound outside linebacker from cheese country (Wisconsin), hoping to turn him into a middle linebacker; Sammie Hill a defensive tackle from tiny Stillwater University, who was picked up in the fourth round; Aaron Brown, a talented running back from TCU; Lydon Murtha, a Cornhusker from Nebraska who plays tackle; and a California boy, Zack Follett, who is a skilled outside linebacker.

All-in-all the Lions look like a team on the rise. I am not predicting a playoff berth or a division championship in the notoriously weak NFC North, but there is always a chance and there is always a chance for the Lions to defend their crown and have the number one pick in the 2010 NFL draft. But let’s hope that déjà vu doesn’t take its toll on the young, new Detroit Lions!