Where Are They Now: Martin Mayhew's Detroit Lions Draft Picks
by Sean Yuille on Sep 5, 2011 8:01 AM EDT
in NFL Draft
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PrintMartin Mayhew has been the Detroit Lions general manager for three NFL drafts. This means by now we have learned quite a bit about how his first class has panned out, and we are continuing to get a better idea of how his second class is performing. The jury is out on his most recent class of picks considering none of them have played in a regular season game, but we do already know that two of the players in the 2011 class won't play any games this year.
With this year's roster cuts now behind us, I figured now would be a good time to take a look back at where all of Mayhew's picks -- ones still with the Lions and ones elsewhere or without a job -- are right now. Let's start with the 2009 class. (Note: Overall pick number is in parentheses.)
2009
QB Matthew Stafford (1) - When the 2011 season opens, Stafford will be the Lions' starting quarterback. If he can stay healthy, 2011 could be his breakout year.
TE Brandon Pettigrew (20) - The only player selected with picks from the Roy Williams trade that is still on the roster, Pettigrew is slated to be the Lions' starting tight end when the upcoming season begins.
S Louis Delmas (33) - Delmas is once again going to be one of the starting safeties and one of the leaders in the Lions' secondary.
LB DeAndre Levy (76) - After starting at middle linebacker last year, Levy is expected to start at outside linebacker this year with Stephen Tulloch joining the team.
WR Derrick Williams (82) - Mayhew's streak of drafting starters came to an end with his second third-round selection of 2009. Williams was released on Saturday by the Lions after never really panning out as a receiver or returner.
DT Sammie Hill (115) - Hill is one of the many reasons why the Lions' defensive line depth is so great. He is not a starter, but he is an important part of the rotation and could someday take over for Corey Williams in the starting lineup.
RB Aaron Brown (192) - Like Williams, Brown was acquired with a pick from the Roy Williams trade. Also like Williams, Brown is no longer on the team. He survived Saturday's cuts, but he was let go on Sunday after the Lions claimed Keiland Williams off waivers.
OT Lydon Murtha (228) - Murtha was signed off the Lions practice squad by the Miami Dolphins in 2009. He played in one game that year and made eight appearances (and four starts) last season. On Saturday, the Dolphins placed him on injured reserve.
LB Zack Follett (235) - Follett was released shortly after the NFL lockout ended earlier this summer. He has not been signed by another team and is likely done with football due to the neck injury he suffered last season.
TE Dan Gronkowski (255) - The Lions dealt Gronkowski to the Denver Broncos around this time last year in exchange for Alphonso Smith. On Saturday, Gronkowski was cut by the Broncos.
2010
DT Ndamukong Suh (2) - Suh is not just a starter for the Lions, he's one of the best defensive players in the league despite only having one season under his belt.
RB Jahvid Best (30) - Although he has dealt with injury issues, Best is returning as the starting running back for the Lions.
S Amari Spievey (66) - Originally drafted as a cornerback, Spievey switched to safety last season and developed at a quick pace. He is expected to start alongside Delmas at safety this upcoming season.
OT Jason Fox (128) - Fox spent 2010 recovering from an injury he suffered in college, and he spent most of the preseason this year recovering from a foot injury. He has developed quite well in spite of the injuries and is set to be one of the Lions' backups at offensive tackle once healthy.
DE Willie Young (213) - Young has quickly gone from a raw talent to a talented backup on the Lions defensive line. He looked great in this year's preseason and will be part of the rotation at defensive end this upcoming season.
WR Tim Toone (255) - 2010's Mr. Irrelevant spent last year on the practice squad. He was released by the Lions during the final round of cuts on Saturday, and right now it doesn't look like he will return as a member of the practice squad this year.
2011
DT Nick Fairley (13) - After breaking his foot early on during training camp, Fairley has spent the last month trying to get healthy. It seems unlikely he will be ready to go for Sunday's season opener, but once he returns he will be join the already talented rotation of players at defensive tackle.
WR Titus Young (44) - It seems like Young is finally healthy after being plagued by a hamstring injury for the majority of training camp. If he can stay healthy, Young will be the Lions' third receiver.
RB Mikel Leshoure (57) - Leshoure went down with an Achilles injury early on in camp and is out for the season. Hopefully he will be able to recover from the injury and return next year as a key contributor on offense.
LB Doug Hogue (157) - Hogue survived the roster cuts despite being behind a number of players on the depth chart at linebacker. Chances are he will spend most of the 2011 season on the sideline barring injuries to other linebackers. This was expected, though, as Hogue did just convert from running back to linebacker a couple years ago in college.
OT Johnny Culbreath (209) - Despite being very raw, Culbreath showed promise during the 2011 preseason. Unfortunately, he was placed on injured reserve on Saturday due to what has been described as an illness or medical condition. It's not clear what specifically the issue is, but Culbreath is out for the season.
To recap, Mayhew has made 21 picks for the Lions over the last three drafts. Of those 21 players, 13 are currently on the 53-man roster. Seven of the 13 players on the 53-man roster are projected to be starters this upcoming season. The other six are expected to be key rotational players or backups.
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The Only Pick He has missed on is D-Will
All other picks that aren’t on the team were late round players and aren’t expected to be starters.
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B minus
Drafting a RB and a WR in each draft, none of which have contributed to the level where they were drafted, while bypassing the needs on the O-line. Mid-round OG and C were available and Mayhew went with skill position players. I gave it a B- because of potential, but based on actual performance it’s more like a C+ trending up.
Little Harsh But I Understand
Aaron Brown was never brought in to be a starter,he was a 6th rounder. DWill came in to be the #2 WR and Return man. Best just hasn’t exploided yet/
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Fortunately, Mayhew drafts for value, not need.
In his first two years’ drafts, Mayhew picked 10 players in the first four rounds. Seven are starters (Stafford, Pettigrew, Delmas, Levy, Suh, Best, Spievey). Two fourth-rounders are important backups (Hill and Fox). One was a bust (Derrick Williams). Mayhew’s doing a lot better than B- in terms of building a talented football team through the draft. If you measure by whether he drafts the positions that you want him to draft though, and not by whether he’s drafting good football players, then you can really give him whatever grade you want.
Hey that's a timeout, I can play right? yeah, get me--get the F-- Help me up...I can throw the ball if you need me to throw the ball...
Negative ghost rider
You can not grade on potential. If we are being honest you have to grade on performance. To be fair I think after this year it will look more like an “A” but so far with injuries to Stafford, Pettigrew, Delmas and Best it’s looking like a B- up to this point. The fact that Fairley and Young have missed most of training camp and Leshoure is out for the year only makes this harder to grade. I know we can not predict injuries but up to this point if his picks are not scoring touchdowns, making sacks, interceptions or stopping a 3rd and 1, then they are not contributing.
Like it or not when you turn in your mid-term exam the professor doesn’t take into consideration that you have the potention to cure cancer. He grades based on performance, and so far in my opinion he rates a B-.
If you grade on performance, sure I can agree with that
Drafting a RB and a WR in each draft, none of which have contributed to the level where they were drafted, while bypassing the needs on the O-line. Mid-round OG and C were available and Mayhew went with skill position players.
It sounded like you were grading by what position Mayhew drafted, not how they actually performed. If you want to measure by contribution on the field, I can agree with that.
But saying Mayhew should draft this position in this round and that position in that round isn’t at all how he operates.
Hey that's a timeout, I can play right? yeah, get me--get the F-- Help me up...I can throw the ball if you need me to throw the ball...
yeah
if you’re strictly grading on performance, it’s still too early to even fairly grade the 2008 class, let alone 2009 (and obviously you can’t 2010…). So I will render your grades mute then…early grade evaluation are always a combo of performance and projection (how they seem to be trending – taking practices and injuries, etc. into account)
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I give him a B- too
He has not cured any lepers, risen from the dead and here I am drinking water instead of wine.
Mayhew is average at best.
by gco18 on Sep 5, 2011 10:35 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
No.
"I'm glad they made Flintstone's vitamins because I used to watch The Flintstones and go, "Man I bet you if I ate that dude, I would be healthy."
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Hello everyone and fuck Mark Sanchez count: 18
no +more
Do you have a sense of the track record for other GMs in the past three drafts???
People act like you have to hit on everyone, when in reality, NO ONE hits on them all. The Pats have had a worse track record in this same time span as us, but they’re still looked at as being great drafters…
The Dis-Assembly Line - The unofficial, official name for the next best D-line in football.
the pats remind me of the wings in the draft sense.They pick up vets through trades and such that want to play for a perennial playoff team.Never have super high draft picks and wait for their high draft picks to be “over-ripe”.
I never wanna draft like that
As rames said it hasn’t worked out so well recently. At some point you just gotta stop bullshitting and pick the BPA.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Neither has picking up the BPA.Sometimes especially when you have good scouting the BPA can be in later rounds , they may be a bit more of a project but not everyone gets a free ride to a top 30 school.Hence them dropping further and not standing out as much.The red wings have capitalized on that mindset alone.Now im not saying the lions HAVE to be that way I’m just saying its proven to work.
I just disagree
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. In 2009 the Patriots had the 23rd pick in the 1st round. They traded back to 26th with the Ravens, pick 23 would go on to become Michael Oher. Sitting at the 26th pick they decide to trade back again with Greenbay for the 41st and 73rd and 83rd picks. Pick 26 would go on to become Clay Matthews. ISo now you’ve already passed on those 2(bullshitting) and with the 34th pich looking for a FS to complement Meriweather(who they drafted and just cut) they took Patrick Chung. The guy that went right before him Louis Delmas. They go on to pick Ron Brace 40th and and Darius Butler 41st. I think their way of drafting is kinda flawed.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Forgive all the mistakes, just tryna get it all out.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
good point
The Dis-Assembly Line - The unofficial, official name for the next best D-line in football.
Number one I think we are gonna learn a couple things about mr delmas this year..possibly unfortunate I really dont think he’s all hes made out to be.But again i see your point, and maybe Im wrong I could be comparing apples to oranges as in the nfl and nhl,two completely different sports and skill sets.But i will say this cam newton being the best player available….I wouldnt pick him ever.(or being projected as the BPA). The obvious problem here is taking a gamble and finding out what you are going to get.you cant predict if a player is going to be a bust because the nfl itself is an enormous uncertainty.You could have a player on top of his game one day and then on IR for two seasons and never produce again.I’m saying more than anything there’s always another side.
That's cool, we'll just have to disagree
And you hinted at it, Cam Newton was not the BPA, he was the BTSA. Best ticket seller available.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
We stayed put
Got our QB, got him a weapon, got the best safety in that draft, a starting linebacker, and rotational DT. I’d say BPA has worked pretty damn well, and what they do is overrated because they lucked out on Tom Brady.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions
"Missing out on great picks" is a criticism that can only be made in hindsight.
First, you have no idea that Belicheck would have taken any of those players with the 23rd or 26th picks. He has his own agenda, and it’s not going to be based on who we think were good choices 3 years later.
Second, they don’t always turn out the way everyone thinks. Matthews of course is huge but would not be such a good fit in a 4-3. Oher has not lived up to his potential, although that’s probably because they were trying to shoehorn him into LT, when RT is probably more natural for him. And you can’t say at this point that Chung was a bad pick.
And “lucking out on Tom Brady” is only good to a limited extent. They couldn’t win 14 games in 2010 if they didn’t have a good team around him. Hell, you could say the same thing about the Packers lucking into Aaron Rodgers and being able to keep him tucked away for three years.
No slogans. Just win!!!
Yes I do know if he would have taken them or not.
He had those picks and he didn’t take them, so the answer is no. Michael’s original post states that he couldn’t wait till we started drafting like New England. My point is that the way New England drafts is overrated. This is about hindsight, you don’t draft for the fuck of it, you draft for impact players. Michael Oher is an impact player, Clay Matthews is an impact player and New England has played a 3-4 for the last decade. There are those who don’t like Delmas, but he plays the same position as Chung and he’s been a lot better than him to this point in their careers. As far as Brady goes, I said that not to stress that they didn’t do a good job plucking him out but rather that people are all too quick to bow at BB feet for that pick. My overall point is BPA works.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Who's to say he would have spent those picks on Oher or Clay?
There’s no law that says Clay Matthews had to be the 26th pick that year.
that doesn't change the FACT that they passed on extraordinary talent
who care what they would have done, the “greatest drafting team ever” has passed on pro bowl talent time and time again to get decent players…it’s a good point.
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Every team passes on extraordinary talent
Whether they make a pick or they trade down. You can argue that they passed on players in favor of players who didn’t do as much, but hindsight’s 20/20.
Yeah we get it, higdsight
But Ron Brace is no longer on the team, Darius Butler is just hanging on and to this point Chung has been a special teamer and spot starter who is penciled in to finally start this year. Since when did the point of the draft stop being about getting the guy who is better 3 yeras down the line. THAT’S WHY YOU DRAFT. The Pats just changed to a 4-3 to accommodate their new DL. If they had Mayo and Matthews they could’ve kept the 3-4 and would have a pass rush. They messed up, I’m just sayin, stop slobbing them down.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
But how did they mess up?
Could you have sat there on draft day that year and said, “Yep, 3 years down the road Clay Matthews or Jerod Mayo will be better than Butler, Brace, and Chung combined.”?
Their job is to evaluate and pick the best talent they can in the draft
Can you say Ron Brace, Butler or Chung are better players than Clay Matthews, Michael Oher or Louis for that matter? If their draft philosophy was so great why did they not pick one of those players?
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I understand what you're saying
They aren’t fortune tellers, I really do get it. But there are reasons why Oher and Matthews were drafted that high and why their pick weren’t. those guys had greater value then, and it turns out they have greater value now. So in a way you could say, “if we take this guy we can make him a pro bowler” whereas these guys may turn out decent.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Let me be more correct here cause i honestly just read how i posted earlier I dont want to draft the same way as them I’m just tired of having high round picks because of poor seasons. They do well with what they have pickwise.when you are a perennial winner you arent going to have the kind of options carolina or well..us.
Are you serious? Lol
You started this debate for NOTHING? Haha, that’s wonderful. Btw I still stand by what I say, they don’t do as well as you think in the draft.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions
And believe me I think New Englands defense will be 100% proof of what you are saying this year.They suck and unless fat albert and fat wilfork turn into the unstopable blob they are what i like to call “fucked”.kinda like uofm with rich rod great offense but NO defense at all
Swift redemption
Fat Albert and Fat Wilfork……classic lol. Then disses Rich Rod, you’re alright in my book.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd encourage anyone who really feels strongly about New Englands drafts
Check out Mynfldraft.com. They have a pretty large draft archive, go back and check out some of those “great” Patriot drafts. I think some people would be suprised by how little they’ve gotten out of the last 4 or 5 years.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Uh
You can’t draft like that in the NFL because we don’t draft 17-18 year olds with an elaborate minor league system at our disposal. The Redwings and NHL teams can wait 5-6 years. You’d be fired for thinking you can afford that in the NFL.
The Lions strategy has been just fine.
by Hussein Beydoun on Sep 5, 2011 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
The Pats drafting lol
They attempt to gain as many picks as possible then hope for the best. It’s worked for them to an extent but because they drafted Brady who I still think is overrated (he’s above average but he’s not god) doing this that their drafting geniuses. It’s very blatant they get as many picks as possible and go for the players who cost less and possibly have more potential. I like the way we’re drafting fuck that bullshit.
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Average?
He has completely turned this franchise from worst in the league to playoff contender in less than 3 years. I was unaware than an average GM could do that.
by NewSchoolLionFan on Sep 5, 2011 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions
you guys
might have missed the slightest hint of sarcasm in that post.
Probably
I don’t always pick that up the best. Especially when its about the lions as I so frequently have to jump to their defense when talking with friends and family. That’s why I resort from name calling. Lol
by NewSchoolLionFan on Sep 5, 2011 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions
c'mon there are 3 jesus references! you should have gone to church during the 0-16 season because you can't go now.
of course i was being sarcastic. i love mayhew.
now, this is without any studying at all, but there is only one GM that i MIGHT like better, and that’s the Ravens dude. Every time I like a player it seems they end up on the Ravens.
Mayhew has done an absolutely incredible job. A++
by redwingxviii on Sep 5, 2011 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Ozzie Newsome
His motto is “The right player at the right price”. I would say Martin is trying to emulate this.
"Common Sense, isn't" Solomon Short
by YpsilantiJeff on Sep 5, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
One can only hope
He’s doing a simply capital job up to this point, wouldnt you say?
"Common Sense, isn't" Solomon Short
by YpsilantiJeff on Sep 5, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
can't say that before the season he starts in regards to Titus!!!
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Wouldnt it help to show these mid level talents that were waiting to be drafted but we passed on them???
Drafting a RB and a WR in each draft, none of which have contributed to the level where they were drafted, while bypassing the needs on the O-line. Mid-round OG and C were available
I mean Derrick Williams was talking 82nd overall and then the next offensive lineman wasnt taken until pick 106 Jonathan Luigs and then Rich Ohrnberger G at pick 123. So where was this available talent that we missed out on??? sure mike wallace was taken like 3 or 4 picks after D wheelz but you dont want skill guys cause thats ignoring the line. Pick 106 and 123 were 4th round by the way.
Matthew Stafford, Quarterback: a man barely alive, Gentlemen we can rebuild him, We have the technology, We have the capability to make the worlds first bionic QB, Matthew Stafford will be that man, Better than he was before
Better, Stronger, Faster
also in researching that 2009
Korvey Irvin was taken 11 picks after Derrick Williams, so our scouts must have great memories to track guys back like that and remember something good about the guy
Matthew Stafford, Quarterback: a man barely alive, Gentlemen we can rebuild him, We have the technology, We have the capability to make the worlds first bionic QB, Matthew Stafford will be that man, Better than he was before
Better, Stronger, Faster
nice job sean
Oh, and I guess u did pretty well too martin
by Scotty G on Sep 5, 2011 9:02 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Trades
I think it’s fair to include the acquisition of Lawerence Jackson, Chris Houston, and Rob Sims into the draft debate. All were acquired for low level picks who would struggle to contribute anyway. Great finds, the kind of pick ups that analysts praise New England for making.
Chris B
+ Shawn Hill
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That's some A++ drafting compared to whats his name...
"To achieve victory, we must mass our forces at the hub of all power and movement, the enemies center of gravity." -Carl von Clausewitz
Staff
He stays healthy, I’ll give Martin an A+. Remember we wanted Curry that year…
You wanted Curry that year lol
I was shaking my head all April that year. Lb number 1 overall? S….M….H
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
I give him a B+ for the drafting
Most of the picks he made that didn’t pan out were late ones with exception to D will. Then if you factor in the trades he made with some of these picks and I’d bump it up to an A-
Watching #49 was a blast but now it's time for some #53
by TheForceOfFollett on Sep 5, 2011 11:07 AM EDT reply actions
B-? Average at best?
Are people just trying to find something negative to say to temper expectations? It’s ok to give credit where credit is due.
2009 – First 4 picks are all starters and Stafford is poised to take the league by storm. In fact, none have reached their full potential yet. 5 of the first 6 picks would be starters there was enough room on the line for Sammie Lee Hill, who has been sensational in a part-time role. The rest of the draft picks at least made it out of camp – Aaron Brown and Zack Follett sticking for so long makes them worth their draft position.
2010 – First 3 picks are starters, Jason Fox is setting up nicely as our top backup at OT so we’ll see how he develops, and for a 7th round pick Willie Young has exceeded all expectations by sticking on the roster – and may be developing into more than just a prospect soon enough.
2011 – Nothing to write here until they actually play a year or two, but it’s worth noting that Hogue and Culbreath both made it out of camp, so that’s good to hear.
Having 13 of 21(+Culbreath) draft picks on your roster is a pretty big deal, especially when most seem like longterm contributors. You can nitpick about Best’s impact or Stafford being unproven or any number of things, but facts are facts and all of these will be leading the way for the Lions this year. Considering it typically takes 3 or 4 years to truly flesh out a draft class, the fact that Detroit has seen so much early return on their 2009 and 2010 drafts is promising.
Mayhew has done an A-grade job. Deal with it.
by Hussein Beydoun on Sep 5, 2011 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Yeah agreed.
Mayhews drafting has been A matieral so far. B+ at the lowest.
The fact tha all first rounders are stil on the team and are starters, thats big…(supposed draft guru Cotls GM Bill Polian has missed on 2 of his last 3 first rounders) Also, finding players who can contribute from te 2nd and 3rd roundsare key, hes done that well enough. Players who can make the team, add depth and even contribute in the later rounds, hes got a few of those as well.
eah he missed on D-will but that was the 2nd 4th rounder that year..and Aaron Brown will prolly find himself on someoenes squad, or someones practice squad at least
Go Blue!
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by dezznutz1001 on Sep 5, 2011 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Truth be told, the only guy he completely whiffed on was D Will
Gronk was a contributor to this team but we had so much depth at TE we really didn’t have a role for him, then he turned him into A Smith. Follett was a major special teams player and a guy who started the season last year, his neck injury is what did him in. You can’t hold that against Mayhew. We let Murtha get away, but injury aside he’s a contributor for Miami. Toone was Mr. Irrelevant, that pick is a complete flyer with NO expectations. Lastly AB played well enough to make this roster, we just dropped him in favor of a pontential better fit in Williams. Legit franchise caliber Qb, 1 of the best Dt’s in football, pro bowl calibur TE and 1 of the better young FS in the Nfl. Mayhew is doing a phenomenal job but I’ll give him a A-, looking forward to the 09 guys reaching their potential and we still gotta see the 2011 class.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
You also have to look at the player's situtation
When you take a look at the players who did not stay with the team you have to consider the reason before you grade Mayhew on the pick. There is a difference between a bust and bad luck. Does anyone consider Follett a bust pick because he was almost paralyzed and had to give up football?
Follett – Had to quit football due to a scary hit that left him in danger of being permanently paralyzed if he continued playing
Murtha – Stolen from our practice squad because we didn’t have enough room on the roster for another developmental player at that time.
Gronkowski – Traded to Denver for a starting CB because you can’t afford to keep 4 talented TEs on a roster of 53.
When you look at this you see 3 “busts” out of 21 picks (D Williams, A Brown, T Toone). I don’t even consider Aaron Brown a bust. Its not that he’s a failure, he just got caught in a numbers game. If we were allowed 54 or 55 guys on our roster he would still be a Lion.
No GM is going to be perfect. I think 18/21 for an 85.7% success rate is pretty damn good. Grade: A
Does anyone consider Follett a bust pick because he was almost paralyzed and had to give up football?
I think you’ll have a hard time finding anybody here who thinks that.
That goddamn Okra and beans got you Oprah in jeans. Seems to me a little lean cuisine, wouldn't hurt much- Agh don't touch! -Obie Trice
Considering how late he was drafted
The fact that he even was a starting linebacker should not make him a bust. IMO you can’t call any player drafted in the 5th 6th and 7th rounds a bust. Every year those players get cut and none of them are suppose to be starters. So no Follett is not a bust by anymeans.
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PCP 4 LIFE
I don't even think players in those rounds are expected to contribute
Willie Young developmental DE a year ago, now he’s the backup RE haha. It’s almost comical, I think credit has to go to the coaching staff too. It’s one thing to draft the talent, but the coaches are turning these guys into pros.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah Coaches play a huge part
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This is how I see it
Picks Round 1-3 = If they don’t pan out there busts
Picks Round 4-5= If they don’t contribute it sucks but its not that bad
Picks Round 6-7= If they play great, if not oh well.
Just My 2 Cents
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We still suckin em up baby!!!!
cmccosky Chris McCosky
Reports out of Oakland, Lions sign CB Walter McFadden. Practice squad guy.
.Does your momma have a Big Ass like your head?
For comparisons sake
I don’t want to look at teams 2010 drafts since it’s still way too early to pass judgement. Even 2009 is a little too early, but you can get a pretty good sense of where Detroit stacks up against some of the elite teams in the league.
New England – Patrick Chung, Sebastian Vollmer and Julian Edelman panned out relative to their draft position. Darius Butler is falling behind on the depth chart. Everyone else is a bust or insignificant. 12 picks, 3 panned out(2/8 if you look at rounds 1-5)
Indianapolis – Donald Brown, Fili Moala and Jerraud Powers all have started and all were picked in the first 3 rounds. Problem is they all suck(especially Fili). Austin Collie is the one selection that truly worked out for them. The jury is still out on Brown, but for now, let’s say they were 2/8(they got their starting punter, woo!)
Pittsburgh – Ziggy Hood has been a decent starter as a first rounder, akin to Brandon Pettigrew. Mike Wallace has obviously been awesome. Based on the first 5 rounds, though, they missed on their 4 other picks. 2/6
NY Giants – They had 7 picks in the first 5 rounds, hitting on Hakeem Nicks, with William Beatty set to start his first full season at LT and Travis Beckum being a decent receiving TE. 3/7
It’s nitpicking, but it should reveal to you that Detroit had just as good – if not a much better performance than some of the premier teams in the league in the 2009 draft. Getting anything more than 3 contributors in one draft is a luxury. The Lions hit bigtime on 5, and the other picks latched on with us or other teams in some way for at least one other year. That’s a colossal achievement.
by Hussein Beydoun on Sep 5, 2011 2:38 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
For me, I am going to look at each pick, rather than just the percentages
I feel that the first four rounds are more important to hit on than the later rounds, therefor I am going to look at this a bit differently.
2009
QB Matthew Stafford (1): The only thing holding this guy back is fluke injuries. He had no history of them so I cannot put that on Mayhew. Grade A
TE Brandon Pettigrew (20): Not only a starting caliber player but one of the most complete starting tight ends in the league. Grade A
S Louis Delmas (33): A starting caliber safety though I feel the Lions fans tend to over rate him. For some reason they seem to think he is the next Polomalu or Reed, in actuality he might be the next Dawkins. Either way that is still an A grade on this pick for me.
LB DeAndre Levy (76): A good quality starting LB that can play any of the positions. Grade A
WR Derrick Williams (82): Never made any significant impact as a depth receiver or special teams player. Grade F
DT Sammie Hill (115): A starter on many teams, currently depth due to amazing talent in front of him. Grade A.
RB Aaron Brown (192): See Derrick Williams. Busts at this point in the draft do not get graded as harshly by me. Grade D.
OT Lydon Murtha (228): Tried to sneak him on the practice squad and he was poached by another team. Grade C.
LB Zack Follett (235): A special teams stud and potential quality depth player who had his career cut short by injury. Due to the fact that he had a college history with the same injury that ended his career the grade drops a little for me, grade B.
TE Dan Gronkowski (255): Hung around on the roster as a fringe player who was traded for a starting nickel last year. Even if Phonz ends up panning out into only a depth player this is still amazing value for a pick this late in the draft, grade A.
Overall 2009 Grades A, A, A, A, F, A, D, C, B, A.
2009 cumulative GPA: 3.0
2010
DT Ndamukong Suh (2): No words necessary, grade A.
RB Jahvid Best (30): The potential is there for at least a C or B grade, but at this point so is there potential for a D or F.
S Amari Spievey (66): Good coaching is likely to turn a D or F into an A or B here but it is too early to tell.
OT Jason Fox (128): Linemen take time to develop unless they are a freak like Jake Long, Steve Hutchenson or Maurkice Pouncy. Given the position of the pick this looks like a potential C, B or A grade but we need more time to tell.
DE Willie Young (213): This late round flier has all the indications of a hit, and possibly a big one. I am leaning towards an A with this one but again it is just too soon to pen that one in ink.
WR Tim Toone (255): Practice squad guy who could never really make the transition form small school to big game. If not for the additions of Stovall and Davis along with the better physical attributes of Hughes he would likely be signed to our practice squad. I can’t grade too harshly here, more a victim of circumstance than a bust, grade C.
Overall worst potential 2010 grades: A, F, B, C, A, C
Overall best potential 2010 grades: A, B, A, A, A, C
Cumulative 2010 GPA: 2.5 to 3.5
2011 is just way to early to even speculate.
Overall cumulative combined 2009-1010 GPA: 2.8125 to 3.1875
So I can see him somewhere in the B- to B range, just shy of B+. That being said though I would wager that if I graded ever GM in the League there would be no A or A- grade, perhaps Ted Thompson with the Packers. But once you get past him I think Martin Mayhew is as good or better than any GM in the league. I think I can settle for the 2nd best GM in the NFL working for the Lions.
Ndamukong Suh - Bringing 50's football back to Motown!
by Evilsmurf on Sep 5, 2011 6:09 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Damn Evil, you came and put everybodies post into 1 extremely large one lol.
by fiendishdr.wu on Sep 5, 2011 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Heh Ironically I did not read all the comments, now that I go up and skim you have a point there
Though I think some of my take is a bit different. Mainly the whole potential grades and actually breaking it down to a GPA based on each pick.
Ndamukong Suh - Bringing 50's football back to Motown!
A++
Our starting QB, RB, TE, LG, DT, DT, MLB, CB, FS
and
Our backup QB, TE, LT, DE, DE, DT, DT, CB
were all procured using the picks from the 09-10 drafts.
9 starters and 8 backups. i defy you to show me a team who has fared better for those two drafts.
I think that Seattle has a lot of starters from their draft, does that make them a good team or their GM great?
IMO you have to look at the starters and talent level versus the rest of the league, we have been improving so Mayhew gets my general approval, but A++ is way over the top.
Ndamukong Suh - Bringing 50's football back to Motown!
Seahawks
drafted 6 starters with their 09-10 picks (discounting ‘11 because it’s way too early to judge)
But if you want to talk about having both quantity and quality:
Stafford, Best, Pettigrew, Sims, Suh, Williams, Levy, Houston, Delmas, Speivey
greatly dwarf the production and potential (imo) of
Okung, Unger, Curry, E. Thomas, Chancellor, Thurmond III
aside from unearthing a Tom Brady-type gem, you really can’t do a whole lot better than that with your picks.
Love what Mayhew has done for this team...
Draft
09 Starters:
Staff Petti Delmas and Levy with SLH being a big part of the rotation.
10 Starters:
Suh Best Spievey
Trades 10:
Hill Sims Phonz Scheffler and Houston.
9 starters the best backup qb in the game and you could actually count Schef as a starter. Phonz is a ball hawk and i believe will lead the NFL in INTs this year and a massive mountain of a man that just plugs the hole every down in SLH.
We cant be sure what the 11 DP s will do and we will have to wait an entire year to see ML make an impact. But i think its safe to say that Nick Titus and Mikell will all leave there mark in the game. I also have to believe we got a gem in Culbreathe but time will tell.
Overall Grade A+++ a + for each year he has been in charge.
" Maybe for a writer...but i am sure most of you can tell i am not a writer". det32
by SmittyJ on Sep 5, 2011 11:34 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I'm not complaining
It’s still pretty early going, but there is massive amounts of potential, and I mean massive. So far, there hasn’t been many wasted selections which is a change of pace for us.
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