Lions must get more than just one key player

Published Apr. 19, 2013 4:35 p.m. ET

foxsports

A week from today, there will be a heated debate on whether the Detroit Lions got the right player with their fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Regardless of the player chosen, not everybody will applaud their first-round pick because there are so many opinions on what the Lions need most.

For years, fans have mocked the Lions and their checkered draft history by referring to Draft Day as the Lions' Super Bowl.

In my case, I have always christened Detroit's first-round pick as my new favorite Lions player of all time ... yeah, many of us are extremely jaded when it comes to the drafting prowess of our gridiron gladiators' management team.

Current Detroit GM Martin Mayhew’s drafting history is a mixed bag. His first-round picks -- Matt Stafford, Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Riley Reiff -- have been solid, if not spectacular.

After the first round, though, Mayhew has gambled on physically damaged players (i.e. Jahvid Best and Ryan Broyles) and others with character issues (i.e. Titus Young) who have actually made the police blotter.

Mayhew and his staff have had, at best, an uneven track record with their draft picks after the first round, which is a colossal flaw. Simply stated, you build a legitimate contending team through a solid draft, where you get contributors in Rounds 1 through 7.

So while many of us are gnashing our teeth over the Lions' first-round pick, we should focus our attention on their entire catch next weekend.

And pray to the football gods that Mayhew and his war-room team do the same.