With such a premium placed on defense, IMO the BPA will not be a defensive player at #10. Johnson and Jones will not be there and some team will make a "surprise" pick and take a chance one of the DEs like Merriman. Which means when the Lions are picking the best player on the board most likely will be a QB, WR or RB who has slipped in favor of a defensive player. Which means the Lions best bet will be to trade.

If they can't trade I still feel Millen will take a DE (Cody, James) or maybe DT (Johnson) but I feel the BPA for the Lions would be Barron. Barron has the size and athletic ability to be one of the top LT in the NFL. Backus doesn't even have an upside he's as good as he's going to get. If you draft Barron you move Backus to RT. If he resigns in the off season great you have your most solid OL since '91 locked up. If not you can always go with Butler and Rogers next year.

As for Rolle at best I hear mixed reviews on the guy. Some have him as top 5 pick others like Kiper and Robinson don't have in the top 10 or 15 even.

Honolulu Blue- I agree with your thoughts on Barron/Backus. Barron is more athletic and could develop into a RT. Backus is a techinician and a worse RT option. I expect Backus to play better now that he has a serviceable player next to him in DeMulling, we should be able to run to the left as well. I still think Barron is the best pick for us if we go O-line. If Backus cant be re-signed we can move Barron to LT and Butler could get another shot at RT after gaining some experience. If Backus comes back in '06 then Barron already has a year of experience at RT and that becomes his position.

As far as team needs vs BPA and who we pick. I think that if you really look at what we've done on offense there hasnt been much improvement. Our offense was our weak link last year. Demulling is a good signing where we had a huge weakness but now we will have a 1st year starter at RT as a tradeoff. KJ will have a full season which is huge. Passing game is a big question still. I have a feeling Roy will be tremendous next year but Rogers' health is hard to count on and the 3rd and 4th receivers are unknown at this time. It might not be in the 1st round or at all in the draft but the Lions still have to make some moves on offense.

I don't know where people get this idea that Backus can't be a RT coming out of Michigan Backus was not that high draft pick because the "experts" didn't think he had what it took to be solid LT in the NFL. Most compared him to former Wolverine Jon Runyan who until he got hurt was a solid RT for the Redskins.

Anyway, the book a Backus was he would make a much better RT or OG than LT. So far he's proven to be average to below average at LT. Generally LT are larger and more althletic than Backus.

Also almost all teams in the NFL start a bigger player at LT than RT so where do this mauler thing come from? If anything the RT usally lines up next to the TE so he has help with blocking doesn't need as good of footwork.

Typically a right tackle is a stronger run blocker than pass blocker. Backus is more of a technician than a mauler, and therefore is a better pass blocker. It is true he doesn't possess ideal size, but he has good balance and moves well side to side. Another thing to remember is that the Lions haven't had a good left guard in ages and that has left Backus exposed. The Lions had two years where they had the fewest number of sacks. Backus played a key role in that statistic. I know Joey was getting rid of the ball quickly, but I believe you are giving less respect to Backus' abilities than he is due. It is true he will never be an All Pro in the likes of Ogden or Pace, but he has played pretty well. The Lions would benefit more from drafting a tackle with some run blocking ability like Jamaal Brown than a pure pass blocker like Alex Barron. And with Brown, they could move him over in 2006 if Backus leaves because Brown has the athleticism to block on the blindside and pass blocks pretty well.

I have read the same of Demulling as well.

Everything I read about him says nothing about him being a top LT. They say he'll be a solid tackle, but is often deemed well below the top Tackles in Pace, Jones, Ogden... Tackles of more recent drafts: Gallery and Gross have been mentioned as having the potential. Scouts and analysts make sure that Barron isn't confused with the aforementioned. He's athletic... but won't be a superstar. Sounds a lot like Backus and McDougle.



I couldn't disagree more. That means we have a Right Tackle that sucks at run blocking and a left tackle who will never be a top LT in only his 2nd year of the developmental stage. Hardly solid...



I would like to have Backus at Left Guard if we can have a top tiered Left Tackle. Barron won't be one. I wouldn't have minded drafting Gallery last year and doing that.

The mauler thing has to do with a mentality and not size. I think you are confusing the two in you're argument. karateman and I already explained the nomenclature of an offensive line. Generally pass protection on the left side, and run blocking on the run side. Ideally... you want the oline to be ambidextrous... but that's nearly impossible. Looking at Backus style of play... he would just be a liability on the right side.

Which is why, if we do move Backus it's to guard... on the left side.

Now I like Barron's athleticism... I feel much better about him now than I did before. But if we are going to draft a top 10 tackle... I would like his name to be mentioned among the likes of Gallery, Gross, Ogden, Jones and Pace. But he's not. So I'm not feeling Barron at the 10 spot. Maybe trade down. But still he's a pass-protector and Backus does the job fine. And he'd be moved to right tackle where he might not even beat out Kelly Butler.

Although I'm not 'feeling' Barron.. I'm not averse to drafting him. It's just not at 10... trade down. And I'd like him to play as a left tackle... but only if the Lions know for sure Backus won't be our future at left tackle. If all these conditions are satisfied then fine... draft him.

I still have DJ, Rolle, Merriman and James rated higher. Due to the dearth of top 10 offensive talent... and CB's.. one of these guys are bound to fall.

Just read the other post... and I must say I would draft Mike Williams and Braylon Edwards before Barron as well.

Mr. Barayuga.... I must say I really enjoyed your article on the trading up alternative. Great read. I would love to see the Lions trade up to get DJ and then trade some of our lower picks or allof them for that matterto get back into the second round. If we could draft 3 starters or potential starters, fit those players into the rookie salary pool,then concentrate on resigning the 10 or so potential FA for 2006, we would have a very solid team.