ALLEN PARK - Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew opened his pre-draft press conference today by saying "I think we have a lot more needs than people realize.''

The Lions have the 13th overall pick in the first round and Mayhew said the Lions have targeted a group of "five to seven'' players they would consider with that choice. Mayhew, as always, will keep his options open in terms of either trading up or trading down.

In regard to Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith, Mayhew appeared to send some conflicting signals about whether the Lions would select him at No. 13. While Mayhew spoke highly of his meeting with Smith and heard some good information on his research of him, Mayhew also talked about the importance of character. Another interesting aspect to this is the lockout and Mayhew said it's a consideration because there are some players you feel good about not seeing for awhile and some that you don't. (Mayhew was not speaking directly about Smith when answering this question.)

Also, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who is considered a top five talent, might slip in the draft because of concerns that he might required microfracture knee surgery. While Mayhew admitted that Bowers was not in "pristine'' condition right now, he said the Lions don't' have any concerns that he'll be able to play football in the future.

Mayhew said Lions will be looking at a group of "probably somewhere between 5 and 7" players if they stay at 13.

Mayhew on Bowers: "I think there’s some concern abou this medical. Our doctors have evaluated" him

More Mayhew on Bowers: I would say he’s not in pristine physical condition right now but Lions not concerned about his future in football

Mayhew said draft is deep is in DL, Lions could add there.

Mayhew said he talked w/Ashley Ambrose, ex-Col DB coach, about Jimmy Smith. Only said good things. Wrote something w/Ambrose myself last mnt

Mayhew on Jimmy Smith: “We’ve done a lot of work on Jimmy and I feel better about him than I did before I met him."

Bowers+Suh = Dynasty, baby.

When I heard that I immediately suspected Mayhew was trying to get the Vikes to draft Bowers.

Lions: Prince Amukamara or Jimmy Smith?
April, 22, 2011
Apr 22
11:15
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By Kevin Seifert
In my continuing efforts to muddy the water around the Detroit Lions' No. 13 overall pick, I throw out the following scenario. Let's say the Lions agree that cornerback is their biggest need and that no surprise players -- i.e. Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers or USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith -- drop into their lap.

Lions' Secondary Depth Lacking

The Lions had an effective pass rush last season, recording a sack once every 13.5 dropbacks, the fifth-best rate in the league. However, if the pass rush wasn't successful, the Lions' pass defense struggled, especially with extra defensive backs on the field. Here's how the Lions' pass defense fared with five or more DBs in 2010:
NFL Rank
Comp pct 63.8 27th
Yards/att 7.6 31st
Passer rtg 88.6 27th
Source: ESPN Stats & Information
So with the Lions on the clock, the top two cornerbacks available are Nebraska's Prince Amukamara and Colorado's Jimmy Smith. We've discussed Amukamara as the obvious choice in that situation, mostly because of the character concerns that reportedly have caused teams to dig deep into Smith's background. But with the draft less than a week away, how sure are we that the Lions rank Amukamara higher than Smith?

We know the Lions brought Smith to their practice facility last month for a visit, and on Thursday, general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters "we've done a lot of work on Jimmy." Given the period of misinformation we're in, everything else Mayhew said about the subject has to be considered accordingly.

With that said, I'm inclined to believe Smith is very much in play for the Lions. Would they take him over Amukamara? I don't know. But here's the way Mayhew described his position based on his talk with Smith and a conversation with Smith's former position coach, Ashley Ambrose.

"We keep our options open," Mayhew said. "I had a great talk with Jimmy. I felt like after meeting him I felt much better about him as a player. I spoke with his position coach, Ashley Ambrose, who is now coaching at Cal. [He] had nothing but great things to say about him. We've done a lot of work on Jimmy and I feel better about him than I did before I met him."

Mayhew acknowledged that some college coaches might gloss over negatives in their players but said: "I've called coaches and I've gotten the warning signs. ... They may not kill a player, but they'll say enough about a player that you'll know there's a cause for concern. I did not get that with Jimmy Smith, or with Ashley Ambrose talking about Jimmy Smith."

Mayhew's relative optimism coincides with what Kevin Weidl recently wrote on his Scouts Inc. draft blog . Here's a snippet:

Scouts I've talked to recently have also said that the more they dig, the more comfortable they are getting with Smith's off-field character and any potential risk involved in drafting him. And let's be clear that the character issues are the only thing holding him back at this point.

There is no questioning Smith's overall physical talent. He has an impressive frame (6-foot-2¼, 211 pounds) and shows great athleticism, balance and fluidity for his size. He also has good instincts and an ability to turn and run with receivers downfield, displaying good closing burst/recovery speed to make up ground when the ball is in the air.


I'm guessing Amukamara is a safer pick, but I wouldn't call Mayhew risk-averse. Consider the Amukamara-Smith question another twist for us to chew on over the next few days.