Martin Mayhew | Detroit Lions Tickets

Lions luncheon features hearty roars of hope, expectations

Rod Beard/ The Detroit News

Detroit— Amid an 11-year playoff drought, the Lions are looking to capitalize on last season’s momentum — four straight season-ending victories — and the enthusiasm created by three exhibition wins.

And it showed Wednesday.

More than 1,000 Lions fans got up close and personal with the players and coaches at Ford Field for the 15th annual Kickoff Luncheon, hosted by the Detroit Economic Club.

Each player was introduced, and several individual awards were given to the standout players from last year’s 6-10 season.

President Tom Lewand, who has been with the Lions 17 years, reflected on how the team has improved and the talent he and general manager Martin Mayhew have assembled.

“We’ve never had (10) guys that all 31 teams would trade their eye tooth for and we wouldn’t give up for anything,” Lewand said. “That tells you something about where we’ve been, but more importantly, where we’re going.”

The Lions are two years removed from the only 0-16 season in history, but during that time, they’ve turned from laughingstock to contender.

“We all hear the expectations — we welcome the expectations — but it gets under my skin when I hear them couched (in certain ways),” Lewand said. “People who were starting to say positive things were saying, ‘We’re starting to buy what the Lions are selling.’

“If there’s one thing that Detroiters don’t do, it’s fooling anybody. They show up, they work hard and they expect good results.”

After a 34-10 exhibition victory over the Patriots last weekend, many national pundits lauded the Lions as a surprise team.

“Where we’re going to go as a team is a tribute to the hard work of this team,” coach Jim Schwartz said. “When your best players are also your hardest-working players, it makes it easier for the coaches and other 80 guys on the roster to fall in line.”

Schwartz also applauded the fans for their support — including selling out that exhibition game, and sellouts in all but one of last season’s home games.

“We need to make it where selling out a game isn’t a big announcement or something that gets on the news — it’s understood,” Schwartz said.

Before the program, there was moment of silence in honor of longtime Booth Newspapers Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski, who died Monday.

rod.beard@detnews.com

Matthew Stafford, Lions are back; team goes to work on free agents

Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Allen Park — Quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and linebacker Ashlee Palmer were among the first Lions players to arrive at the practice facility Tuesday.

Players are allowed in to workout at the facility Tuesday and Wednesday. Training camp will open Thursday with the first official practice set for Friday.

“It’s great to be back,” Stafford said. “It’s nice see all the coaches, the team personnel and the other players again. I can’t wait to get started.”

Stafford said he poked his head upstairs, but with the mad free-agency scramble on, neither coach Jim Schwartz nor general manager Martin Mayhew had much time to chat.

“It’s going to be a pretty wild, crazy week,” Stafford said. “But I’m excited about the year. I feel like we are in a good position. We’ve got a lot of guys coming back who understand the system. Obviously, we have a lot of young guys to catch-up and get going, but other than that, we feel pretty good about where we are.”

Among the other Lions at the facility Tuesday were defensive end Cliff Avril, running back Jahvid Best, kicker Dave Rayner and offensive linemen Jeff Backus, Dominic Raiola and Stephen Peterman.

“The players have been ready,” Vanden Bosch said. “The thing we emphasized to all players (during the lockout) was to stay ready. We have a short amount of time, a small window, to come together quickly. We need to get the new guys up to speed. We need to get the guys who were here last year back up to speed and we need to form as a team. That’s quite a challenge in such a short amount of time.”

Mayhew was busy signing undrafted free agents to fill out the 90-man training camp roster.

Among those he has or is expected to sign:

* Receiver-returner Jared Jenkins, Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

* Tight end-fullback Preston Dial, Alabama.

* Linebacker Dejuan Fulghum, Texas Southern.

* Linebacker Quentin Davie, Northwestern.

* Receiver Keith Smith, Purdue.

* Linebacker Cobrani Mixon, Kent State.

* Punter Ryan Donahue, Iowa.

* Safety Ricardo Silva, Hampton.

* Receiver Marcus Harris, Murray State.

Lions still looking to fill vital roster spots

Chris McCosky/ The Detroit News

Allen Park— This is a big week — possibly a make-or-break week — for the NFL. If there is to be at least a two-week free-agency period with training camp starting on time at the beginning of August — meaning if the NFL year is to start July 18 — the framework for a new collective bargaining agreement should be all but in place by the end of the week.

According to ESPN and the Associated Press, talks between the owners and players are set to resume today in New York City. After a brief bump in the road last week, it seems like progress is being made toward a deal.

So let’s be optimistic and start looking toward that free-agency period for the Lions. There’s little mystery about where they will be looking — cornerback and linebacker.

General manager Martin Mayhew made it clear during the draft, when he did not address those needs, that he felt he could better upgrade those positions through free agency or trades.

For the sake of discussion, here are five free agents at both positions that the Lions might have some interest in once the doors open on free agency.

Cornerbacks

1. Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland: You have to list him first because he will be, arguably, the most coveted free agent on the market, and also the most expensive. But the odds of the Lions winning this sweepstakes seem long.

The Eagles and Cowboys are expected to make a run at him.

He turns 30 Wednesday, but he’s considered to be the best cover corner in the game.

His stated intention is to land on a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Lions might be poised to end their playoff drought next season, but adding Asomugha alone won’t make them Super Bowl contenders, and his price tag might prevent the Lions from filling some other holes.

2. Johnathan Joseph, Cincinnati: This might be a more realistic option. He’s going to command about $8 million per year, according to ESPN’s John Clayton, which is no bargain but far less than Asomugha.

Plus, Joseph is 27 and isn’t far behind Asomugha in terms of his shutdown abilities on the edge. He has 14 interceptions in his career, three last season in 12 games.

Joseph might have more suitors than Asomugha, because he’s perceived to be more accessible. The Bengals won’t go out without a fight, and the Texans, Seahawks, Redskins, Buccaneers, Eagles and Cowboys could be in the mix.

3. Chris Houston, Detroit: It’s not completely clear how much the Lions want to re-sign Houston. They liked him, for sure, but they didn’t offer him an extension last season. They were hoping they could get him on another one-year deal to take a longer look before committing to him long-term.

But, he was their best corner last season and unless they strike it rich with one of the free agents previously mentioned, they will have to woo him back.

4. Chris Carr, Baltimore: The Lions made a run at him before last season. He’s 28 and has been a steady, if not spectacular, player for seven seasons.

He doesn’t have the size (5-foot-11, 180) that Mayhew likes at corner, but he plays with the aggression and toughness that the GM covets.

5. Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh: Three years ago, maybe, this guy would have been at the top of the wish list for a lot of teams. But he’s 31 now; still productive, but clearly, he’ll be negotiating his last big contract.

But at 6-2, 195, he has the size the Lions want at corner and he has shown throughout his career that he is an above-average cover man.

The question is, does he have three good years left? Two?

Linebackers

1. Stephen Tulloch, Tennessee: He has a history with coach Jim Schwartz. He has an expressed fondness for the Lions’ aggressive style of defense and he has said he’d love to play behind the Lions’ talented defensive front.

He might be the most underrated linebacker in the game; for sure, he’s the most anonymous guy who’s made 281 tackles the last two seasons, and he’s still just 26.

He’s a middle linebacker, though. So to sign him would mean moving DeAndre Levy to weak-side linebacker. It’s a position that Levy played at Wisconsin and one he said he wouldn’t mind going back to at the professional level, but the Lions are reluctant to move him out of the middle.

2. Ben Leber, Minnesota: He’s a little bit older (32) but has been a consistently productive outside linebacker for 10 seasons.

It seems like Leber expects an address change next season. Here’s what he told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

“The reality is if they (Vikings) were really, really wanting me back, then maybe something would have been said before the lockout. I had a good meeting with coach (Leslie) Frazier and (vice president of player personnel Rick) Spielman at the end of the year. Each side expressed how much I’d like to be here and finish my career here.

“I am hopeful and hope that I can come back and be a Viking again. But I’m also a realist, and I’ve been through this process before. It’s not always up to you, and you have to be willing to move on.”

3. Kirk Morrison, Jacksonville: He’s 29 and coming off his least productive year. After averaging more than 130 tackles for six years with the Raiders, he had 89 tackles for the Jags.

But he’s still considered one of the best and most durable middle linebackers available. He’s played in 95 straight games.

There’s a good chance Jacksonville will work hard to keep him.

4. Thomas Howard, Oakland: Howard lost his starting outside linebacker spot last season to Quentin Groves, but he is a player a lot of scouts believe is ready to break out.

He’s just 27 and had a three-year stretch — from 2007-2009 — when he started and produced 106, 96 and 97 tackles.

He would be a lower-profile signing than somebody like Tulloch, or even Tampa Bay middle linebacker Barrett Ruud, who has been mentioned as a player of interest for the Lions, but he would also be a lot more affordable — especially if the Lions spend big to get a corner.

5. Thomas Davis, Carolina: Interesting case here. A first-round pick in 2005 and a productive player for a couple of years, but he tore his anterior cruciate ligament twice in a seven-month span and missed the entire 2010 season.

Dr. James Andrews, who performed both surgeries, said that he will be able to return to football this season. The question will be whether or not he regains the explosiveness he had before the injury.

If he does, there’s a lot of good football left him in.

He’s 28.

The Lions ‘D’

Where the Lions ranked in various defensive categories last season:

Scoring defense — 19th (23.1 points per game)

Total defense — 21st (343.6 yards per game)

Passing yards — 16th (218.6 per game)

Rushing yards — 24th (124.9 per game)

Sacks — Sixth (44 total)

Interceptions — Tied for 19th (14 total)

chris.mccosky@detnews.com

(313) 222-1489

Looking for a team, Dre Bly drops in on Lions workout

Chris McCosky / / The Detroit News

Beverly Hills — There was an old, familiar face at the Lions’ voluntary workout Wednesday.

Former Lion Dre Bly became the first cornerback to join the mini-camp, even though he is currently without a team.

“I am just trying to stay ready, just in case,” said Bly, who still resides in the area. “With the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) going on, you never know what’s going to happen. I’m just going to stay ready.”

Bly, a two-time Pro Bowler who will turn 34 on Sunday, did not play last season after being cut by the Lions on Sept. 4. He had been with the Lions from 2003-06 and was brought back to mentor a young secondary last summer.

Just as Bly appeared to have won the nickel back role, general manager Martin Mayhew had the opportunity to acquire a younger cornerback, Alphonso Smith, from Denver. Thus, Bly was released.

“I was out of town when I got released,” Bly said. “I went to the LSU-North Carolina game in Atlanta and I got a call from a scout, and then I talked to Martin. I never came back in to talk to the coaches. Usually you do that after you are released, but I was a little disappointed because I felt like it was the perfect situation for me.

“Being an older guy, a vet, I understood where I was at this stage of my career and I thought I’d be a good fit. I was excited to be back. So it was disappointing, but I understand that it’s a business. They went young. That’s what happened.”

Bly got a few calls after he was released and he worked out for the Giants, but nothing came of it.

“I miss the game because I still feel I can play,” said Bly, who hopes to get some offers once the lockout is settled. “Being out a full year is going to make it hard, but still, I didn’t take that pounding and I’ve been relatively healthy. I still feel I can play.”

The Lions, who had 31 players at the session Wednesday, will conclude the workouts Thursday.

John Niyo: Lions might strike lightning with Titus Young

John Niyo

Allen Park — Moments after the Lions drafted Boise State receiver Titus Young in the second round of the NFL draft Friday night, general manager Martin Mayhew called him “a stick of dynamite.”

Not long after, somebody decided to light the fuse on a guy who’s about to become a fan favorite in Detroit, whether Lions fans realize it or not.

He’s been called a poor man’s DeSean Jackson by at least one prominent draft analyst, as the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock compared him to Philadelphia’s dynamic Pro Bowl playmaker leading up to the draft. And not to be outdone, Lions coach Jim Schwartz even referred to him as “DeSean” by accident after responding to a question about that comparison Friday night.

But while that’s a heck of a compliment — and the Lions have been practically penniless when it comes to a No. 3 receiver the last couple of years — Young passionately and playfully took issue with it.

“I’ve never been another man’s nothing,” he said, laughing. “I’ve always known that I’ve been Titus Young from Day One. My mother named me Titus Demetrius Young. She didn’t name me nothing else. I know who I am and I know people compare you to people. But God made me to be me. He made me to be Titus Demetrius Young. You can compare me all you want to, but I’m no man’s poor man.”

And right there, man, I can tell you this: We in the local media were starting to realize we probably struck it rich with this pick.

Whether or not the Lions did, none of us can say for sure, obviously.

I actually liked the pick — more so than the trade up to snag Mikel Leshoure, though I didn’t have a huge problem with that, either — because it adds talent and addresses a glaring need. (And in case you didn’t notice, Bryant Johnson and Derrick Williams combined for a whopping 21 catches last season.)

Sure, there’s more glaring needs at linebacker and cornerback. But the best of the corners were off the market before the Lions picked Friday night. And if you hadn’t noticed by now, this draft class of linebackers is more than mildly underwhelming. (A linebacker from Michigan (!), Jonas Mouton, was a second-round pick.)

Just call him T.D.

Young, meanwhile, is anything but underwhelming. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder plays a little like Jackson, maybe, and in addition to his return ability, he could thrive in that role Schwartz envisions for him helping Nate Burleson help Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew, and vice versa. (Where will he play? “Where Calvin’s not,” Schwartz joked.) But he also smiles and laughs eerily like Desmond Howard — Young laughs a lot, too — and he talks a bit like Chad Ochocinco, which isn’t all bad.

But sorry for the interruption, Titus. Please continue that thought.

“Actually, my initials my whole life have been T.D. Young,” said Young, the youngest of five children — and the only boy — growing up in Los Angeles, where his parents, Richard and Teresa Young, are pastors. “So it’s been Titus Demetrius Young — Touchdown Young. So I just feel like football has been me ever since I was born. And now I can go play some more football in Dee-troit.”

He cackled as he put the emphasis on that last part, and he did so often Friday, enjoying this moment for all it’s worth. He even let out a little banshee cry at one point, as he talked about leaving behind the dominant program they’ve built on the Smurf Turf in Boise and joining the Lions, who haven’t made the playoffs since 1999.

“The green turf is gonna be a little bit of an adjustment for me,” Young said, “but I know the blue uniforms will keep me at home.”

And fittingly, at least the way Young sees it, Hall of Famer Barry Sanders was the one on the stage Friday in New York announcing his selection for the Lions.

“I know Barry Sanders,” said Young, who had his off-field struggles early at Boise State but rebounded well playing for a no-nonsense coaching staff. “I know a lot about him. He went to Detroit and he wanted to win. His whole thing was about winning. And unfortunately he wasn’t able to win as much as I believe that when I come in we’re going to be able to win.”

All of which brings him back to where he started in a 10-minute conversation that had everyone in stitches, even after he got choked with emotion and broke down in tears a couple of times.

Family ties

It turns out Young has family ties to Detroit, where his maternal grandfather lived. He hasn’t visited since his grandfather passed away in 1998, but he says he’s coming home.

“My roots are actually in Detroit,” Young said, when asked to explain the tears. “It’s just the emotion of I’m actually gonna be back in a family town. That’s my home now. I’m gonna take care of Detroit, and I know they’ll take care of me. And all this emotion is really just all the hard work and all this waiting and all this patience and having faith in the Lord and …”

And then he broke down again, just before he managed to crack another joke about his father being from Texas. (“So he’s probably a little upset I ain’t in Dallas,” Young laughed.)

“But the whole thing is just about winning,” he added. “I feel like we’re all gonna be winners in Detroit. Not just me — the community, the kids in Detroit, they’re gonna know that the Lions are here to stay. We ain’t just no anybody; we’re coming to play.”

john.niyo@detnews.com

twitter.com/JohnNiyo

Lynn Henning: Rest easy Lions fans, this front office has shown draft smarts

Lynn Henning

Allen Park— You can appreciate this about the Lions in the hours before this year’s NFL Draft begins.

No longer is it a simple, or melancholy, exercise studying their first-round options.

The new crew gets it. They have gotten it since Martin Mayhew, Shack Harris and Jim Schwartz began fusing minds and analyses in grabbing college players who would help make the Lions a flesh-and-blood NFL team.

Some folks are waiting before voting. They want to see more later-round success. That’s fair. But if you can pick with smarts in the early rounds, you’ll pick, over the long haul, deftly in the latter rounds.

It’s what happens early that most matters for any team, particularly one with the Marshall Plan-like reconstruction program the Lions have faced.

Matthew Stafford was the correct pick in 2009, as was their second first-rounder that year, Brandon Pettigrew. Ndamukong Suh was the right guy a year ago, and so, probably, was their decision to trade up and grab Jahvid Best.

Meanwhile, the Lions were at least competent with some later-hour picks in each draft — Louis Delmas, DeAndre Levy in 2009; Amari Spievey last year — just as they were shrewd in signing free agents the past two springs.

Common sense and good judgment

This newfangled NFL competency in the Lions’ chambers makes for a particularly gripping guessing game ahead of Thursday night’s first round.

There are now two spheres of thought in Allen Park, which is two more spheres than most of the Lions’ previous front-office regimes demonstrated over 40-plus years.

On one hand, they probably won’t miss if they go for the safe, healthy, talented guy who meets their specifications. There are lots of those available, whether it’s Prince Amukamara, who might help heal a generations-old wound in the Lions secondary, or Anthony Costanzo, the Boston College offensive tackle who could help gird a thin offensive line that won’t have Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola forever.

But what also happens when a front office has a modicum of savvy and confidence is that the brass isn’t afraid to make a risk-reward wager.

And there is your basis for taking a deep breath and rolling the dice on Da’Quan Bowers, the speedy defensive end from Clemson who would be the edge rusher the Lions ideally need if they intend to be anything more than a qualifier for the NFL playoffs.

“Calculated risks make sense,” Mayhew, the Lions general manager, said last week during a news conference at Lions headquarters, where the usual murkiness on draft plans was maintained to a spectacular degree.

The words “calculated risks” were thought — thought — to be a reference to Bowers, whom Mayhew acknowledged was “not in pristine physical condition,” owing to a knee problem that might require microfracture surgery.

It makes you wonder all the more what this consortium might be thinking. The Mayhew-Harris-Schwartz triumvirate (it’s nice that no one seems to care who gets the brunt of the credit on a front-office team that actually behaves like a team) has been proving why the NFL is a competent front office’s best friend.

The league rewards GMs, coaches, and personnel private eyes who demonstrate common sense and good judgment, not that either quality was on display here for the better part of 40-plus years.

The Lions’ new generals had a different plan: They would show competency. And so they delivered the makings of a competitive team last year, which wasn’t much of a surprise after their first two drafts and free-agent springs (following Mayhew’s shrewd trade of Roy Williams the previous autumn).

There was nothing hollow about that 6-10 record or those seven Lions losses by the whopping sum of 27 points. The team was much improved was moving within the area code of becoming a playoff team. Suddenly, foundational talent was being drafted and free agents were no longer the quizzical or gimmicky folks who once arrived at Allen Park for a long, lamentable autumn.

Or, put another way: Charles Rogers and Mike Williams would no more be picked by the new guys than Az-Zahir Hakim or Bill Schroeder would be signed to a nattily generous free-agent deal.

Play it safe or gamble?

So, what do the Lions do Thursday night?

It gets down to which of their two personas they’re going to assume.

If they go safe and steady, it figures be for a guy like Amukamara on defense when the Nebraska cornerback has no disqualifying physical or character hang-ups.

Or, maybe it goes like this: Considering Schwartz’s obvious plan to provide Stafford with all the help a draft and free agency could provide (Pettigrew, Best, Nate Burleson, etc.), it would seem feasible that he will want to dump a bit more concrete into Detroit’s offensive line, which makes Costanzo appealing.

But what if a team has progressed to a point where some derring-do can finally enter their draft psyche?

The Lions might have gotten to that stage in 2011. Getting the potential game-changing pass rusher, even if he won’t be ready to unleash Hades on opposing quarterbacks until next season, makes the Bowers selection doable.

Jimmy Smith, the Colorado cornerback? Another possibility, if the Lions decide the so-called character issues have been explained to their satisfaction.

But if you can take anything from their first two drafts, or anything from the fog Mayhew deliberately spewed last week, it’s this:

Whether they play it safe with a guy like Costanzo, or spin the wheel with Bowers, they’re going to end up with a terrific football player.

Those projections weren’t made in earlier years. They can be now, which is simply one more way of saying the Lions have at last rejoined the National Football League.

lynn.henning@detnews.com

Lions might gamble on strong defensive end class

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Fifth in a series of previews for the NFL draft.

Allen Park— Why in the world would the Lions draft a defensive end with the 13th overall in next week’s draft?

The defensive line, as a unit, was without question the strength of the defense last season and everybody is coming back. The ends are especially well-stocked with starters Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril, productive reserves Turk McBride and Lawrence Jackson, plus developing second-year end Willie Young.

No way the Lions use their first on a defensive lineman, right? Wrong.

“Sometimes when you add a player, it might not make sense on the face of it,” general manager Martin Mayhew said before the Combine in February. “But if you see what’s on the horizon and you look down the road and around the corner, it does make sense.”

All four primary defensive ends were injured at various times last season, and Vanden Bosch will be 33 and coming off neck surgery, so you can’t have enough talent there, especially when it is the foundation of your defensive scheme.

“That has to be the strength of our team in the future and it’s a big part of our defensive philosophy,” Mayhew said. “There are a lot of intriguing guys here (in the draft), a lot of good defensive ends and a lot of versatile guys who can play outside and rush from the inside. That is definitely an area we will look to address.”

The accumulation of talented defensive ends and, more specifically, pass rushers, is becoming a league-wide trend. Former coach and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden explains why.

“There is a premium on pass rush,” he said in a teleconference last week. “You don’t want to have to blitz five, six, seven guys to get there. You want to be able to get there with four, if you can for sure, and use seven men in coverage.”

That’s especially critical for the Lions, since they have had some well-documented deficiencies in the secondary over the years.

“Defensive ends are a premium in this draft,” Gruden said. “I think this is an outstanding class of defensive end. (Da’Quan) Bowers, providing his knee is healthy, and Robert Quinn at North Carolina, Aldon Smith is special at Missouri. I think J.J. Watt is a physical guy coming off the edge, like Ryan Kerrigan at Purdue. Adrian Clayborn has some excellent tape. There are a number of good pass rushers in this draft.”

The Lions have taken close looks at Smith, Bowers and Cal’s Cameron Jordan. Mayhew talked about Bowers, who led the nation in sacks, on Thursday.

“There is some concern about Bowers’ medical condition,” Mayhew said. “Our doctors have evaluated him and we don’t share that concern.”

Bowers had knee surgery in January and there have been conflicting reports about how ready he will be next season — and beyond.

“He’s not in pristine physical condition, according to our doctors,” Mayhew said. “But we are not concerned about his health in terms of playing football in the future.”

Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz have talked about having ends that are versatile enough to rush effectively from the inside and outside. Watt, Bowers and Smith certainly fit that bill, but there is a good chance none will be around by the time the Lions are set to pick.

Smith would be an intriguing choice. He’s only 21 and still raw. He likely wouldn’t make a huge impact next season, but Mayhew made it clear Thursday the draft is for the future.

Smith is listed at 263 pounds, but projects to play at 275 when he grows into his frame. Right now he can squat 700 pounds, so he’s explosive inside and outside.

The talent pool is deep enough that they could get a solid defensive end even in the second or third rounds.

“If you select well, the whole draft is pretty sound,” Mayhew said. “Defensive line is really deep and that’s good. We really have improved our football team by improving our defensive line, but we can still add to that group.”

By most accounts, the cream of the defensive tackle crop — Alabama’s Marcell Dareus, Auburn’s Nick Fairley and possibly Corey Liuget of Illinois — will be gone before the Lions pick.

Long time coming

Before drafting Ndamukong Suh last year, the Lions last took a defensive lineman with their first pick in the 1995 draft. The list:

2010: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (No. 2)

2009: QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia (No. 1)

2008: OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College (No. 17)

2007: WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech (No. 2)

2006: LB Ernie Sims, Florida State (No. 9)

2005: WR Mike Williams, Southern California (No. 10)

2004: WR Roy Williams, Texas (No. 7)

2003: WR Charles Rogers, Michigan State (No. 2)

2002: QB Joey Harrington, Oregon (No. 3)

2001: OT Jeff Backus, Michigan (No. 18)

2000: OT Stockar McDougle, Oklahoma (No. 20)

1999: LB Chris Claiborne, Southern California (No. 9)

1998: CB Terry Fair, Tennessee (No. 20)

1997: CB Bryant Westbrook, Texas (No. 5)

1996: LB Reggie Brown, Texas AM (No. 17)

1995: DT Luther Elliss, Utah (No. 20)

Top defensive ends J.J. Watt

6-6/292, Wisconsin

There doesn’t appear to be a weakness. He has an elite first step, quick, violent hands, great athleticism, can rush inside and on the edge and has uncanny timing on batting down passes.

Da’Quan Bowers

6-4/280, Clemson

The NCAA leader in sacks and tackles for loss has all the tools, power, strength, leverage. The only question is his surgically-repaired right knee. Teams are split on how long he will last.

Robert Quinn

6-4/265, North Carolina

He is smaller than the other elite players, but he’s faster (4.65 40) and more athletic. Some scouts think he’s too one-dimensional and raw. Others think he is a budding game-changer. Didn’t play last season.

Aldon Smith

6-4/263, Missouri

Scouts love his length, strength and power, but mostly they like his versatility. He is a beast of an inside rusher and explosive off the edge. He has excellent lateral movement, as well.

Cameron Jordon

6-4/283, California

Athletic and disruptive. Has a non-stop motor on the field. His happy-go-lucky demeanor masks a fierce competitiveness. He can play from a stance in a 4-3 or standing up in a 3-4.

Top defensive tackles Nick Fairley

6-3/291, Auburn

This is a mean, dynamic pass rusher with all the tools to be a Pro Bowler. But his bust potential is just as high. Concerns about his motivation and character persist.

Marcell Dareus

6-3/319, Alabama

Probably as complete and safe a top-three pick as there is in the draft. Will draw double-teams whether he plays in an odd or even front. Great power and strength, plus he is technically sound.

Corey Liuget

6-2/298, Illinois

There is concern about his weight, but his ability to penetrate at the point of attack is a perfect fit for a 4-3 system. Some worry he’s a one-year wonder.

Muhammad Wilkerson

6-4/315, Temple

Impressive at stacking and shedding blockers and finding the ball, but he’s raw. He will need a lot of help with technique. Hasn’t had to learn how to use his hands, which he’ll have to do.

Marvin Austin

6-1/309, North Carolina

Not NFL-ready, but he’s thick, ran a 4.83 with a Combine-best 1.64 10-yard split. But he is still a bit immature. High risk-reward quotient here. Like Quinn, he didn’t play last season.

NFL draft

When: April 28-30, Radio City Music Hall, New York

TV: April 28 and 30 on ESPN (8 p.m. and noon), April 29 on ESPN2 (6 p.m.); all rounds on NFL

Format

Round 1: 8 p.m. April 28

Rounds 2-3: 6 p.m. April 29

Rounds 4-7: noon April 30

Detroit News position previews for the NFL draft

chris.mccosky@detnews.com

(313) 222-1489

Lions’ draft backup plan could include UCLA’s Akeem Ayers

The Detroit News

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has always entered the draft with the thought of taking the best player available when it’s his time to hand in the draft card.

The best example of that was in 2008, when he picked tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the No. 20 overall pick when the Lions had pressing needs at other positions, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his “backup plans” for each team for April’s NFL draft Friday, and Kiper thinks the Lions could go a number of different ways with the No. 13 pick.

“Detroit really needs to get secondary help, but if (Prince) Amukamara is gone, they may feel like Colorado’s Jimmy Smith is a slight reach,” Kiper wrote. “But they need linebacking help too, and (Akeem) Ayers would fit. They could also consider a trade down to get better value with an offensive line pick.”

Character issues at question as Lions search for potential pick

NFL Combine

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Indianapolis — Would the Lions be interested in a self-proclaimed shut-down cornerback with the 13th overall pick in the draft? One who has great size (6-2 ¼, 211 pounds), good speed (ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash in Arizona last week), long reach (77 inches) and thrives on playing physical, press coverage?

One who was so respected in college that he was rarely thrown at? Even when he was matched against Georgia’s A.J. Green, one of the top receivers in the draft, he faced two passes and both were incomplete. One who was so respected that he was named first team All-Big 12 without intercepting a pass?

Of course they would.

Would they draft that same player if they learned he might have character issues; that he had minor brushes with the law and four positive drug tests early in his college career and questions about his work ethic? Would it be another red flag that he fired one agent and hired another before he has participated at the NFL scouting combine?

This is the dilemma when considering Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith. Physically, he is everything the Lions would want in a cornerback. But is he trustworthy for such a high pick?

“I know teams are going to ask me about that stuff and I am prepared to answer all their questions,” Smith said Sunday. “The sky is the limit for me as long as I do what I know I can do out there, especially in these combines. I think these interviews are going to make or break me.”

Smith will meet with 28 teams over the next two days. The Lions are expected to be among them. General manager Martin Mayhew, though not speaking directly about Smith, told reporters Friday that character issues weigh heavily in this process, but he prefers to make his own judgments.

“I learned a long time ago that you can’t judge a guy on a quote, on what a guy said or what you heard that he said,” Mayhew said. “If you don’t know the guy, you can’t judge him.”

In his media session Sunday, Smith was poised, extremely confident and forthright, often flashing an impish, Isiah Thomas-like grin.

“I’m a big, physical corner who loves to press,” he said. “I have great speed, great size and great ball skills. I am a shut-down corner.”

When asked if he also had great modesty, he flashed his Isiah grin and said, “Yeah, that’s in there somewhere.”

He didn’t hide from the character issues.

“I will tell the teams that I am a great person,” he said. “I was young when I got to college and I made some young mistakes. I grew as a person and as a football player.”

His brushes with the law came in his first three years at Colorado. They mostly involved alcohol. He was caught with a beer before his 18th birthday. He was also cited for being a minor in possession of alcohol his freshman year.

“I was a true freshman and it was the first day out of camp,” he said. “I walked outside (of a bar) with a red cup. It had nothing in it, but walking outside with a red cup is not OK in Boulder and I got popped. Just a lack of judgment.”

He was caught in a police raid on a campus bar in his junior year, when he hadn’t yet turned 21. There was also four positive drug tests.

“When I go before the teams I am just going to be honest,” he said. “I can only control what I can control. I went to college and made some mistakes when I was a young kid. I have definitely learned from them.”

The charges against his work ethic are baffling to him.

“I think I have a great work ethic,” he said. “I think my coaches would say the same thing about me. In the weight room (at Colorado) I hold most of the records for lifting weights and running. Every Friday we had competitive drills and I won every single Friday.”

He hired Colorado-based agent Peter Schaffer initially, but fired him and hired Drew Rosenhaus.

“I needed better representation,” he said. “It’s not that Peter Shaffer wasn’t a good agent, I just didn’t want him to represent me. I didn’t think he knew how to do what needed to be done for me. I don’t want to bash him, and I just needed to change.”

It would be a near-perfect scenario for the Lions if they could get an elite cornerback with the 13th pick. The consensus best corner in the draft is Louisiana State Patrick Peterson and he is expected to be one of the top three players off the board.

It could happen, though, that both Smith and Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara are available at 13, though most mock drafts presently have Amukamara going earlier. It would be a fascinating decision for the Lions to have to make.

Amukamara is shorter (6-0), though he is strong and plays just as physical at 206. He wouldn’t discuss his 40-yard dash time, but scouting reports call him quicker than he is fast — not a compliment.

His demeanor is completely different than Smith’s. At the podium Sunday, he was all business. When asked about those who doubt his speed, he said, “I think some people don’t know what they’re talking about and haven’t seen me on film,” he said. “I guess I will show them on Tuesday.”

He has been getting some tutoring from Lions tackle Ndamukong Suh, a former teammate at Nebraska — which explains his dead-serious approach.

“Yes, Suh has been giving me tips about this process,” Amukamara said. “He just told me to treat it as a business trip, which is what I’ve been doing. I am happy with that advice.”

Draft experts like NFL.com’s Mike Mayock and ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr., believe that Peterson and Amukamara are far and away the top two cornerback prospects in this draft. They believe there is a big gap between those two and the next tier, which features Smith and Miami’s Brandon Harris.

But for the Lions, it could come down to Amukamara and Smith. Amukamara would be the safe pick. It’s on Smith now to prove he’s the right pick.

chris.mccosky@detnews.com

(313) 222-1489

Lions’ DeAndre Levy has bevy of options

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Allen Park— In a perfect world, the Lions would lock in DeAndre Levy at middle linebacker and concentrate their offseason efforts toward filling the gaping holes at the two outside linebacker positions.

But, as Levy well knows, the world is anything but perfect. That’s why he is ready and willing to move back to outside linebacker.

“Whatever happens, I am willing to play any position,” he said while cleaning out his locker back on Jan. 3. “I am always ready. I know both positions and I have no preference.”

Levy, in his second year last season, certainly gave the Lions no reason to move him out of the middle. Once he got healthy, he validated the coaching staff’s belief that he could lead the defense.

In the team’s last four games, all wins, Levy delivered a game-saving interception against Green Bay, a winning pick-six at Miami, and a pair of 11-tackle performances at Tampa Bay and against Minnesota.

So why would the Lions consider moving Levy? Because the Lions presently have no true starter at either outside linebacker position and it’s possible that a quality middle linebacker will be easier to acquire than two outside linebackers.

Certainly there’s no guarantee the Lions will be able to acquire a middle linebacker, especially one who would be an upgrade from Levy, but it is one of the scenarios the Lions would consider.

Presently, the only outside linebackers on the roster are Bobby Carpenter, Ashlee Palmer and Caleb Campbell, none of whom the Lions consider a full-time starter. General manager Martin Mayhew said that two-year starter Julian Peterson would not be back. Opening-day starter Zach Follett’s career is in jeopardy because of the neck injury he sustained in Week 6. His replacement, Landon Johnson, is an unrestricted free agent.

Although neither Mayhew nor Schwartz will discuss the team’s offseason priorities, they will certainly look hard at linebackers, both inside and outside, in the draft (April 28-30) and when the free-agency period begins, which will be whenever a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

The consensus among draft experts, thus far, is that Von Miller of Texas AM and Akeem Ayers of UCLA are the top prospects at outside linebacker, and both are expected to be taken before the Lions pick at No. 13.

“We are going to take the best player available and you have to understand that, at that point, we’re talking about a group of players with a similar grade,” Mayhew said.

Most of the mock drafts have the Lions taking an offensive lineman at 13, validating Mayhew’s point.

But here’s another scenario that could impact Levy. What if Mayhew thinks the Lions can land a quality inside linebacker through free agency, somebody such as Tennessee’s Stephen Tulloch or Buffalo’s Paul Posluszny?

Would they not move Levy to the outside in that scenario? It’s something they would have to at least consider.

Like Schwartz said, the Lions believe that Levy is their guy at middle linebacker and they aren’t actively looking to move him. But the goal is to upgrade the entire linebacker unit, and if the best way to do that is to bring in another middle linebacker and move Levy to the outside, that’s what they will do.

Personnel dept.

The Lions have signed safety Erik Coleman , who was recently released by Atlanta.

chris.mccosky@detnews.com

(313) 222-1489