Lions Wrap Up '09 Draft with Another TE

by Sean Yuille on Apr 26, 2009 7:47 PM EDT in NFL Draft

With the 255th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Lions selected Maryland tight end Dan Gronkowski, the second TE picked by Detroit this weekend. Here is a quick look at the kind of player Gronkowski is:

Compares To: STEVE HEIDEN, Cleveland -- Like Heiden, Gronkowski's athleticism fails to translate to the football field. He has impressive timed speed, but lumbers getting off the line of scrimmage, negating his effectiveness on intermediate patterns. He is a physical blocker with good hands for the short-area tosses, but anything outside of controlled routes makes him a liability.

And with that, I am taking a much needed break. I'll have a recap of day two of the draft up sometime tonight and will start to take a closer look at each of the Lions' picks next week (probably after I'm done with my last exam on Tuesday). In the meantime, you can take a look at all of the Lions' picks below.

LIONS' 2009 DRAFT PICKS
Rd.	#	Player	Pos.	College
1	1	Matthew Stafford	QB	Georgia
1	20	Brandon Pettigrew	TE	Oklahoma St.
2	33	Louis Delmas	S	Western Mich.
3	76	DeAndre Levy	LB	Wisconsin
3	82	Derrick Williams	WR	Penn State
4	115	Sammie Lee Hill	DT	Stillman
6	192	Aaron Brown	RB	TCU
7	228	Lydon Murtha	OT	Nebraska
7	235	Zack Follett	LB	California
7	255	Dan Gronkowski	TE	Maryland

Thanks to everyone that checked out the site this weekend and participated in the open threads. There were 5-6,000 new comments just in the open threads alone, which is a truly amazing statistic. I can't wait to see what open threads are like during games next season. Thanks again and GO LIONS!

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+1 Good luck on the final exam

by Runnin' Rebel on Apr 26, 2009 7:55 PM EDT reply actions

Yes Thank You

I’m fairly new to the board and appreciate all of the work that you’ve put into the site. Good Luck on your exams!

by tmane333 on Apr 26, 2009 8:00 PM EDT reply actions

Welcome to thePOD tmane333

by Runnin' Rebel on Apr 26, 2009 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions

why draft another tight end...

when dannell ellerbe is on the board?

by bighitter5 on Apr 26, 2009 8:01 PM EDT reply actions

why 2 te's...

Gronkowski can help out with the blocking, freeing up Pettigrew to roam over the middle.

by Wizzers on Apr 26, 2009 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I will say this

If Lions fans were looking for the Lions to make them happy, they have another thing coming. I believe it was a solid draft and the 2 TE’s well can we say we even had above average te’s. There both big solid blockers which helps the run in 2 TE sets. My favorite pick i believe was Follett dropping to us in the 7th. I believe if Murtha is trained up, he could be a solid lineman. We’re preparing for the future and now i believe we dont have to address QB, FS, TE and OLB as huge needs next draft

by Liontotheextreme on Apr 26, 2009 8:06 PM EDT reply actions

Were they even trying on the last pick?

They already took a tight end, did they really need another, especially in the 7th round?

by Ryan Weiss on Apr 26, 2009 8:06 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for everything Sean

you did a fantastic job this weekend, I can’t wait for the game threads in the fall.

by handsomerob1 on Apr 26, 2009 8:39 PM EDT reply actions

well...

I see one starter on that list and its a position I didnt even think about addressing in the first round… I know Pettigrew is sweet but when has a TE ever won a game? Name one please??

by I3usdriver on Apr 26, 2009 9:13 PM EDT reply actions

Tony Gonzolaz I would say has won some games for KC, and Shokey back in NYG.
Look at what he gives you. HIs name might not be the target for every play, but he offers a great blocker for Smith, and another pass target that is going to have to be covered well. Just gave out RBs relief, and the QG will have valid side and short range options. I like the guy now. He’s another big target that has to be addressed by the defense. Can’t say that about Gains or our other TEs in recent years.

by Bnick1026 on Apr 26, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I also would think Shannon Sharpe won games for the Broncos

2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).

by Hyperion Ecta on Apr 27, 2009 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Dallas Clark is the man dude. TEs get lined up with OLBs and whatnot, good matchups, and great for finding soft spots in zones. Plus hes a third tackle on the O line.

by BIGWalt2990 on Apr 27, 2009 7:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Great job, Sean

good luck with the exam, dude

by JazzyBBP on Apr 26, 2009 9:20 PM EDT reply actions

Haters

I think Mayhew did an ok job with his first draft. There was so much pressure on him to do perfectly, and I think nothing he would have done would have made everyone happy. Had he drafted OL after OL, people would have been mad. I think we are better than were before the draft. We could be Oakland for God sake…

by lions3867 on Apr 26, 2009 9:29 PM EDT reply actions

How many games did Oakland win last year?

I think the majority of the fans would have been happy with Stafford, Jerry, ReyMa, and two OL taken in the third round. I know I wouldn’t have any complaints, and I’m still not a fan of the Stafford pick. Frankly, the way this thing went today makes the whole draft look like a debacle and anything short of Stafford leading them to an eventual Super Bowl will probably will probably reinforce that. Thanks for puttin this thing together though Sean, it was great getting to read everybodies reactions even if the vast majority of them expressed dissapointment.

by Mushy on Apr 26, 2009 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Gronk

I really think yall picked up Gronk bc hes a huge blocking TE, where as Pettigrew is more apt to catch the ball. If anything they might be thinking to convert him into a guard, but in the very least he’ll help keep Matt on his feet.

by stlterp on Apr 27, 2009 8:06 AM EDT reply actions