The path to the NFL draft is more direct with the blessed end of the college season. The same cannot be said for the Lions' choices.
General manager Martin Mayhew and his staff are on the scouting trail these days. First are this week's practices in Orlando for Sunday's East-West Shrine Game. Next week are the Senior Bowl workouts in Mobile.
In the draft, winning comes with a cost -- one the Lions, or any team, is dearly willing to pay.
The Lions' four-game winning streak at the end of the season has dropped them down to 13th overall in the first round of the draft. It will be only the second time since 2001 that they have drafted outside the top 10 in the first round.
Drafting that low doesn't mean the Lions have to scrounge for leftovers. Math, as it relates to the draft pool, is on the Lions' side.
There are 13 individual positions on a football team, not counting punter and kicker. The best player at at least one position has to be available to the Lions.
One snag in this math formula is obvious. If all 12 teams drafting ahead of the Lions take a player at a different position, it's possible that player No. 13 will be at a low-priority position for their first pick.
It is highly unlikely that Mayhew would draft a quarterback, wide receiver or defensive tackle at No. 13.
In his season-review session with the media, Mayhew referred to results of the last two drafts in expressing optimism over getting a good player with the 13th pick.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was drafted first overall in 2009. Last year, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was taken second overall.
"Certainly, it's more of a challenge to pick at 13 than it is to pick at one or a two," Mayhew said. "We think we had a pretty good pick at 20 in 2009 in Brandon Pettigrew. We think had a pretty good pick at 30 last year in Jahvid Best.
"From my perspective, there'll be a good player there at 13. No question about that. The thing we have to do is identify that player and draft that player.
"There'll be a great player there at 13. We just have to find that guy."
Mayhew spoke about how the talent gap narrows between players as the draft progresses. For example, the dropoff is bigger between Ndamukong Suh, drafted second overall by the Lions, and Gerald McCoy, taken third by Tampa Bay, than players at 12, 13 and 14.
Mayhew talked about adhering to the philosophy of taking the best player available -- but with an injection of realism that balances needs with positional strengths.
"We're talking about a group of players who have similar grades," he said. "We will not suspend common sense. We can go a lot of different places with that pick.
"The key, especially the higher you draft, is to take the player you feel the strongest about and give that player the best chance to be successful. That's where that philosophy comes from."
