It took until the seventh-round, but the Lions finally drafted an offensive lineman. With the 228th pick of the draft, the Lions selected Nebraska offensive tackle Lydon Murtha. Here is some info on Murtha from NFL.com:
Positives: Prototypical height for right tackle spot. Short steps and quick set-up in pass protection. Uses his length and kick-slide to stone outside pass rush moves. Comes out of his stance adequately, and can get movement in short-yardage situations. Sustains blocks inside through the whistle. Latches onto defenders at second level. Can get the inside shoulder of tackles to keep them from run plays going away from him. Sells the bootleg.
Negatives: Stiff in the upper body. Lacks the foot speed to recover on inside moves. Inconsistent speed to get to the second level; lumbers on some plays and looks fluid on others. Overextends when pass rushers free themselves after the initial blow. Slow and ineffective on cut blocks, whether on the line or trying to reach a blitzer on the outside. Needs better second effort if quarterback scrambles away from him. Injury history is a major issue.
I wish the Lions wouldn't have waited so long to pick up an OL, but I'm just glad they did at all. I was seriously beginning to think that the Lions forgot about the O-line.
One position they haven't forgotten about is outside linebacker, as the Lions just drafted another one with the 235th pick. His name is Zack Follett and he played for Cal. It appears that he is a great special teams player based on this scouting report from NFL.com:
Compares To: LARRY IZZO, New York Jets -- Like Izzo, Follett plays like a UFC champion - packs a wallop, but boy can he get out of control. He will at least buy himself time in the NFL based on his stellar special teams play and also as a situational player to disrupt the backfield, but there are a lot of holes in his game, especially in pass coverage. He will likely be on the draft board much longer than most experts predict.
The Lions have one pick left in the '09 draft, the 255th overall selection.