Undrafted free agents

Undrafted free agents who have reportedly signed with the Detroit Lions:

WR Darrell Blackman, North Carolina state
Not too tall (5-10), but ran 4.55 and 4.45 in the 40. Elusive in the open field. Main asset is as a return specialist, but could be an option down the road as a slot receiver. Needs to work on routes and blocking and isn't a deep threat in the passing game. Has has some injury issues, but none too major. Has some RB experience.
Projection: Could make the team or practice squad as a returner. Not much of an option as a WR at this point, but could develop. An excellent gamble on a UDFA.


S Bobbie Williams, Bethune-Cookman
Has solid NFL size for a safety at 6-0, 214 and ran the 40 in 4.54. Has a little kic return experience. Finished career with 187 tackles (7.5 for losses), 12 pass breakups, 15 interceptions, two forced fumbles, one blocked kick. A tough run defender and a big hitter capable of holding his own in zone coverage but he'll have problems in man coverage. Was projected as a seventh-round pick.
Projection: If Kalvin Pearson's legal problems force him out and Caleb Campbell and Greg Blue is moved to LB, Williams has a shot. Otherwise, the numbers work against him, and he'd be playing in camp to make the practice squad, which is a very real possibility.


QB Eric Sanders, North Iowa
Three-plus-year starter at UNI, he completed 75.2 percent of his passes (2,842 yards, 17 TD, 6 INT) as a senior, 67.9 as a junior (1,934, 15, 7) and 68.3 as a sophomore (2,929, 23, 5). Also started 7 games as a freshman (1,307, 15, 5). Ran for 1172 yards and 13 TDs. Ran a West Coast system at North Iowa, which accounts for the high completion percentage. Lacks ideal size (6-1, 200), has average speed (4.80-40) and arm strength isn't standout.
Projection: Since the Lions don't run the WCO, it's curious why they signed this particular QB, other than to have another arm in camp.

RB Allen Ervin, Lambuth
Small-college runner who put up big numbers. Measured up at 5-11, 224 and ran a 4.57 in the 40 with 23 reps of 225, 37-inch vertical and 10-8 broadjump. Led the NAIA in all-purpose yardage. Impressed scouts with his toughness between tackles and breakaway speed. Needs more moves. Mike Mayock listed him among his top three draft snubs.
Projection: Doesn't have much of a shot, unless injuries hit in training camp. Could be a practice squad candidate.

QB Mark Nicolet, Hillsdale
Has decent measurables (6-foot-2, 220, 4.75 in 40). Can scramble well. Threw for 3,335 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior.
Projection: Not gonna make it.

LB Tyronne Pruitt, Boston College
A teammate of Lions first-round pick Gosder Cherilus at BC, Pruitt is 5-11, 222. He didn't stand out a lot at BC and isn't a top-notch athlete. Had only 40 tackles (30 solo) as a senior for the Eagles. Most memorable moment was recovering an on-side kick against Virginia Tech to set up BC's game-winning TD in a 14-10 victory.
Projection: No shot.

SS Vince Gliatta, Youngstown State
6-1, 220-pound free safety was a second-team Gateway Conference pick after notching 66 tackles (41 solo, 10.5 for loss), two sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interceptions. Also returned a blocked punt for a TD. Former QB who transferred from Penn State. Tough and showed good instincts. Not a burner.
Projection: Practice squad at best.

LB Brian Bradford, Towson
Recorded 328 tackles at Towson. A smart, instinctive football player who rarely takes a false step to the ball. Lacks great size (6-2, 235) and strength, but knows how to play this game well and is very tough. Finished second in FCS with 149 tackles as a senior. Added 13.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, an interception and a blocked field goal in 11 games.
Projection: Has plenty of competition at LB, but could be a surprise. Likely a practice squad contender.

LS Jonathan Weeks, Baylor
Team captain at Baylor, which was 3-8 last year. Only 5-foot-10, but stout at 258 pounds. Four-year starter at long snapper for the Bears. Former walk-on who worked his way into a scholarship, then was picked as a captain by his teammates.
Projection: Insurance for Don Muhlbach.

Lions eschew glamour picks for actual football players

Matt Millen may be happy with a little criticism this time around.
So many people are not happy with Detroit’s draft — and that’s not a bad thing.
As Lions fans recall, far too many people were happy with the glamour picks Millen made instead of getting real football players. At the same time, Green Bay fans were disappointed by Ted Thompson’s no-name picks.
Look how that turned out.
With or without Brett Favre, the Packers are the class of the NFC North, rivaled only by the resurgent Minnesota Vikings. Detroit has a condo in the basement and the lease doesn’t run out soon enough.
Thompson didn’t make popular picks, but they worked out more often than not. Millen seemed to try to appease the fans more than the coaching staff.
The Packers are so set they only signed one free agent this off-season. One!!!
The Lions, meanwhile, are left desperately trying to fill void after void through free agency, often because high draft picks didn’t pan out (i.e., Joey Harrington, Boss Bailey, Teddy Lehman, any number of wide receivers) or their talent was outweighed by other negative factors (that means you, Shaun Rogers and Mike Williams).
Millen seems relegated to errand boy for Rod Marinelli, and the "Millen-elli" picks have been much better than those by Millen alone. The coach tells him what players he wants and Millen’s only job is to get in the vicinity so Marinelli can make the pick.
That’s why you aren’t seeing the glamour picks.
Marinelli wants players who live, breathe and eat football. Players who are mean, and guys with character (with the exception of new addition and recently arrested Kalvin Pearson).
Gosder Cherilus, Jordon Dizon and the rest of the Lions’ draft fits that mold. No character red flags. No pot smokers. No bums who eat their way out of the league.
And who doesn’t like the name "Gosder"? Reminds you of a demon from Ghostbusters. Maybe he can stay out of the fridge better than Rogers.
Detroit’s defense was abysmal last year. Peyton Manning played more defense.
The secondary was addressed primarily in free agency with Dwight Smith and Brian Kelly signed and starting corner Leigh Bodden acquired in the trade that unloaded Rogers’ lazy bum on the Browns.
The defensive line — which lost its biggest impact player in Rogers — will have three new faces from the draft, including a pair of third-round picks.
Linebacker was partially handled through the draft and part in free agency. After dumping their own busts in Bailey and Lehman, reclamation projects Alfred Fincher, Gilbert Gardner and Buster Davis — all picked in the third round or higher by other teams, then let go — have been brought in to compete. Second-round pick Dizon has a very good shot at starting early.
Popular picks don’t necessarily make good picks.
Just ask all the so-called experts who gave Millen good grades on his drafts when he was selecting glam guys like Charles Rogers, Harrington, Williams and Bailey.

Who to draft?

The Detroit Lions haven't gotten to the point where it can simply draft the best player available.
That's the reward for drafting well; you don't have massive holes to fill down the road.
Like every year, the Lions have massive holes to fill.

Positions of need, ranked in order:

1) Linebacker: A starting trio of Paris Lenon, Ernie Sims and Alex Lewis simply will not do in the NFL. Sims is great, but past that the rest is simply "meh". Lenon lacks burst. He defends the run fairly well, but isn't the free-ranging MLB the Cover 2 needs. Lewis simply can't be counted on. He's always hurt, and has been inconsistent when he does play. After those three, you've got reclamation projects in buster high picks Alfred Fincher, Buster Davis and Gilbert Gardner, plus Anthony Cannon. There is potential in this group, but Rod Marinelli is all about production, and aside from Sims, none of these guys have consistently gotten it done on the NFL level.
Picks: Penn State MLB Dan Connor would be a reach in the first round, so the Lions may have to wait to address their biggest need until the second round, unless they trade down. Jerod Mayo could be the pick if the Lions stay at No. 15. Curtis Lofton would have to fall to reach Detroit's current pick in the second, but Shawn Crable could be there in the second or third.

2) Defensive line: As it sits right now, your starting front four for the Honolulu Blue and Silver woudl be DeWayne White and Ikaika Alama-Francis at end and Corey Redding and Chuck Darby at tackle. IAF clearly has the potential to start in the NFL, but is he ready? Not quite yet. Darby is a solid vet, but counting on a 32-year-old injury-prone journeyman to start is risky, even if you know him well. The backups at end are Corey Smith and Jared DeVries, with Shaun Cody and Langston Moore at DT. A decent group, but not standout. And the Cover 2 needs a consistent push from the front four. Will Langston Moore and Darby provide that push up the middle? Will Cody ever live up to his draft status? This unit needs at least one more body who WILL get to the quarterback. Not just somebody who has potential.
Picks: Detroit could benefit from DE Quentin Groves' falling stock and move around in the second to get him.

3) Offensive line: Shocking, I know. The Lions haven't drafted an offensive lineman in the first round since Jeff Backus. And that turned out well. The team has an above-average left tackle being paid like one of the best in the game. The time has come for Millen to address the line with something other than band-aids and invest in the trenches. See what Bill Parcells is doing in Miami? He knows what he's doing, Matt. You build a team from the lines out, not around wide receivers and quarterbacks. Edwin Mulitalo isn't getting any younger and George Foster isn't getting any smarter. The Lions' line got Kitna nearly killed last year, and the biggest off-season addition is a guy who wasn't even in the league last year? C'mon. Detroit must pick a lineman in the first three rounds.
Picks: With their multiple third-round picks, the Lions could go for Kansas OT Anthony Collins, Nebraska OT Carl Nicks or Oregon State OG Roy Shuening or Pitt OG Mike McGlynn. Shuening and McGlynn are maulers that Marinelli will love.

4) Runningback: All the Mendenhall talk is rediculous. Put together a line first, and any semi-decent RB can run for 1,000 yards. In a draft deep at RB, there's absolutely no need to go after one in the first two rounds. on the other hand, nobody is impressed by a RB committee of Tatum Bell, oft-injured Brian Calhoun and Aveion Cason, either. Detroit will have to pick one, but it shouldn't be too early.
Picks: In the third round, fast backs Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte and Kevin Smith should be there. Forte may be the best fit to complement Bell.

5) Special teams: Even when the Lions were God-awful, they could rest their hats on their special teams. Guys like Mel Gray, Desmond Howard and Eddie Drummond at least gave them a shot at staying in a game they otherwise didn't deserve to be in. This current Detroit Lions group could use that luxury of a big-play threat on special teams, as well as some improved blocking and coverage. Detroit's special teams have slipped dramatically over the past couple years. Look for a wide receiver or cornerback with exceptional return skills to be taken in the middle or late rounds.

6) Tight End: Look for Detroit to draft a TE in the later rounds. They've been searching for a solid TE for years, and when they found one in Dan Campbell, he suddenly gets hurt. Campbell's injury status makes him a guy you can't cound on it 2008-09. Anything he adds is gravy. That makes it Michael Gaines, Casey FitzSimmons guys like Sean McHugh and journeyman blocker John Owens. When they draft a TE, it'll be a big one, like Tennessee's Brad Cottom (6-7, 277; if they go TE in 3rd round), Toledo's Chris Hopkins (6-5, 273; 5th-6th rounds), West Texas A&M's Kolo Kapanui (6-3, 271; 7th round) or SE Missouri State's Joe Tuineau (6-7, 288; free agent) to aid in the power running game that Marinelli wants.
Pick: If Cottom is there in the fourth round, Detroit should snap him up.

7) Quarterback: Don't let the re-signing of Dan Orlovsky fool anybody into thinking the Lions wouldn't look at another QB. With Jon Kitna getting up there and Drew Stanton showing once again that he can't healthy, if a QB slips into the middle rounds the draft, don't be surprised if the Lions bite. Orlovsky is on a one-year deal, so letting him go doesn't cost Detroit a thing.

8) Defensive secondary: Miraculously, this now seems to be the strength of this year's Lions defense. Don't rejoice quite yet. The other units could stink if not addressed, so it's by default. But the addition of Leigh Bodden and Brian Kelly at corner and Dwight Smith at safety give the Lions not only depth, but flexibility at those positions. With D. Smith, Gerald Alexander and Daniel Bullocks, the Lions have three safeties they can count on to cover tight ends and backs out of the backfield; something Kenoy Kennedy couldn't be counted on for. And with depth at CB in the likes of Travis Fisher, Stanley Wilson and Keith Smith and at safety in Greg Blue, the unit looks solid on paper. But don't rule out a CB selection yet. If the right someone falls, Marinelli could be hard-pressed to turn down a CB in the second round.

9) Wide Receiver: The one position that is fairly settled, aside from all the trade rumors surrounding Roy Williams and Shaun McDonald. Going to a more run-based offense makes a well-paid fourth WR a luxury the Lions don't need, so McDonald could be an ex-Lion by the weekend. I doubt Roy is going anywhere. If the Lions can get some draft picks to actually pan out so they don't carry so much dead cap space, then paying him what he's worth isn't going to be a problem. The cap is only going up, so the space will be there. Detroit might take a flier on a WR late, but likely only if he has return capabilities.

Lions mock:
Round, player, position, college
1) Jerod Mayo, ILB, Tennessee
2) Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn
3a) Matt Forte, RB, Tulane
3b) Carl Nicks, OT, Nebraska or Anthony Collins, OT, Kansas
4) Brad Cottom, TE, Tennessee
5) Dexter Jackson, WR/KR, Appalachian State
6) Gary Guyton, OLB, Georgia Tech
7) Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State