Ok, so lets say we draft Suh. Regardless of how our corners are or anything, how good do you consider our d-line now?

I like Suh and McCoy just about as much as anybody but how many high caliber 4-3 DTs either big name FAs or draft picks have won Super Bowls since the salary cap was instituted? Off the top of my head all I can think of is Sapp. The Ravens had one of the dest defenses ever with Siragusa and Adams and then surrounded them with playmakers. I wouldn't be distraught if they found a trade partner and passed on Suh and McCoy. They can use Williams and Hill, try to find one more rotational FA then draft another Hill type to develop like Jospeh from ECU.

Ndamukong Suh
by Matt Kahkonen Correspondent
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The Detroit Lions and their fans are salivating at the prospect of having the choice of Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy at the second overall pick in the draft if the Rams happen to choose a quarterback first overall.

This would be a mistake. Suh is the fan's choice, there's no doubt about it, and he'll likely turn into a hell of a player. But the fact is that there are a number of reasons NOT to draft Suh (or any other defensive lineman) with the second overall pick.



1. Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch

The Lions made some solid moves in free agency. They signed a solid DE in Kyle Vanden Bosch who should improve the pass rush.

What they've also done is trade for DT Corey Williams, who struggled in the Browns 3-4 defense the last couple years.

What Lions fans are overlooking is the fact that Williams was a beast for the Packers in their 4-3 defense before he was traded to Cleveland.

There's a good chance that he'll return to form in Detroit.

Oh, there's also the fact that Detroit has now dumped a pretty sizeable chunk of salary into their defensive line.

The way top picks are getting paid these days, there's no way any responsible team would invest that much more money in an already expensive defensive front.



2. Sammie Lee Hill

Corey Williams is going to start. The Lions wouldn't have picked him up if they wanted him to ride the pine—this means that if they draft Suh, then Sammie Hill would have to sit.

Sammie Hill was drafted as a project and he was a very raw player with some top notch physical attributes.

Hill looked good last year, though. In fact, he exceeded just about everyone's expectations.

Why draft Ndamukong Suh when you already have two solid defensive tackles?



3. Jeff Backus

While the Lions have been consistent in their defense of left tackle Jeff Backus, there's no denying the fact that he's mediocre at best.

The Lions passed up on Michael Oher last year in favor of tight end Brandon Pettigrew. I can't possibly see them passing up another franchise left tackle, especially for a defensive tackle they don't really need.

By drafting Russell Okung, or by trading down to pick up another left tackle, the Lions can bump Backus to the guard position, which will essentially kill two birds with one stone, filling two needs on the offensive line.



4. Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford was a number one overall pick, and he's now the face of the franchise, for better or worse.

If the Lions want to be winners, and if they want Stafford to succeed in the NFL, they need to keep him off his back.

The only way to accomplish this is to draft a franchise left tackle.

This is not THAT deep of an offensive line class, and the Lions are in dire need of upgraded pass protection.

Drafting Suh would condemn Matthew Stafford to another sack-ridden season.



5. Suh's not the best player available

I can't say that I agree with the strategy, but every year the Lions claim that they always choose the best player available.

At the second overall pick, Ndamukong Suh is NOT the best player available.

That honor would belong to Tennessee safety Eric Berry.

Berry has been touted as the second coming of Ed Reed. He's got tremendous football smarts and is an athletic freak of nature.

Safety is not a position typically drafted this early in the draft, but neither is defensive tackle.

Both positions are big needs for the Lions, and if they follow their usual draft philosophy, they would take Berry over Suh.

Keep in mind, I would be against this pick as well, as I feel Russell Okung is the best possible pick for the Lions.

I'm 22 years old and I'm about to graduate from Western Michigan University with degrees in creative writing and journalism. I've been a sports fan my entire life, and I'm a die hard Tigers fan. If I'm not watching sports, going to class, or writing about sports, I'm probably playing World of Warcraft. It's a horrible addiction.

I currently write weekly columns for the Kalamazoo Weekly on either the local minor league hockey team, the Kalamazoo Wings, or the minor league baseball team, the Kalamazoo Kings.

Report: Ndamukong Suh to visit Lions on Thursday, Friday
John Niyo / The Detroit News
Allen Park -- They're hard to separate at the top of the draft board. And they won't be far apart in Allen Park, as Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is scheduled to be in town Thursday and Friday for an official visit at the Lions' headquarters, his agent, Roosevelt Barnes, told mikeoharasports.com.

Suh will be right on the heels of Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who was scheduled to arrive Wednesday night to begin his visit with the Lions. The team also hosted Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100317 ... z0iXrEwdBs

Suh “Excited” By Visit With Lions, Agent Says
NFL Countdown | by Mike O'Hara | 03.19.2010/4:04PM

Whether Ndamukong Suh becomes a Lion in the NFL draft on April 22 remains to be seen, but the star defensive tackle from Nebraska has left Detroit with positive vibes about playing for the Lions.

Suh, regarded by many as the best defensive tackle draft prospect in a decade, left town Friday afternoon after spending parts of two days meeting with Lions coaches, officials and players.

“From talking to him, he was very excited,” Suh’s agent, Roosevelt Barnes, said Friday evening in an interview with the Mike O’Hara Sports website. “He just felt really good about the whole visit.”

The Lions draft second overall, and all indications point to them taking Suh – if he is still on the board. Earlier in the week, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma visited the Lions. McCoy is rated slightly below Suh.

GM Martin Mayhew and Coach Jim Schwartz are trying to upgrade the defense, and Suh fits the profile for their kind of player. Suh is a strong, explosive defender who can command double teams and free others to make plays.

Suh is a strong pass-rusher, stuffs the run and pursues relentlessly from sideline to sideline.

However, the Lions are at the mercy of the St. Louis Rams, who have the first pick. Most, but not all, draft experts predict the Rams will take quarterback Sam Bradford of Oklahoma because of their greater need of a quarterback over a defensive lineman.

It’s also possible that the Rams could trade down to a team that would jump ahead of the Lions to get Suh.

And as much as Suh liked his visit to Detroit, there’s no doubt that he would like to drafted first overall because of the prestige of being the top pick and the bigger contract he could command.

Suh has not given up on being the first pick.

“Not at all,” Barnes said. “St. Louis hasn’t made a decision yet. St. Louis is still in play.”

Having said all that, the Lions scored well in their recruiting pitch. Suh was impressed by the enthusiasm of defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and line coach Kris Kocurek.

“He really liked Gunther Cunningham,” Barnes said. “I mean, he really liked him, and he liked the defensive line coach (Kocurek). He had a lot of enthusiasm.

“Suh said he thinks he can continue to learn and evolve under Gunther Cunningham.”

If Cleveland did want Suh and St. Louis takes Bradford, would Cleveland swap us 1st round picks and also give us some of their third rounders, if not all? And would you do that?

If Cleveland did want Suh and St. Louis takes Bradford, would Cleveland swap us 1st round picks and also give us some of their third rounders, if not all? And would you do that?