in NFL Articles

The Florida State outside linebacker Ernie Sims with the No. 9 pick in the draft last season, passing over potential franchise quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler as well as all of the wide receivers eligible to be taken on that draft day.

What are the Lions going to do in the 2007 draft?

Detroit management has taken a lot of heat in the past for drafting wide receivers with their top picks (and getting inconsistent returns on those selections). The Lions picked up Michigan State wide receiver Charles Rogers with the second overall pick in 2003, Texas wide receiver Roy Williams with the seventh overall pick in 2004, and Southern Cal wide receiver Mike Williams with the 10th overall pick in 2005. Now they face a dilemma in the 2007 draft.

Many draft boards have Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson at the very top, and if the LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first selection, Johnson will be there for the taking for the Lions at No. 2.

Johnson, 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, picked up 1202 receiving yards for the Yellow Jackets last season, and scored 15 TDs.

Will the Lions still draft what might be the best player available, despite their history?

At Cleveland) trading down is 3/1 for Yes, and 1/5 for No.

Who are Detroit’s alternatives to Johnson?

The last time the Oregon as the No. 3 overall selection. Harrington, of course, was the Lions’ starting QB for several tumultuous years before moving on last offseason. That left Jon Kitna as Detroit’s starter in 2006, and he threw for 4208 yards and 21 TDs, with 22 interceptions and a 79.9 QB rating. The 34-year-old Kitna is expected to be the starter again in 2007.

However, the Lions will also have the option of drafting Kitna’s replacement – either Russell (assuming the Raiders pass on him for some reason) or Notre Dame pivot Brady Quinn. Both would be long-term solutions for the Lions at that important position.

The other two players projected to be taken in the Top 5 are Wisconsin OT Joe Thomas and Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson.

In the BetUS sportsbook, the odds on an offensive tackle going second overall are currently sitting at 5/7 (with 3/1 odds for first overall, and 30/1 odds for third overall). In comparison, the odds on a running back going second overall are currently pegged at 30/1 (with 20/1 odds for first overall, and 5/6 odds for third overall).

The odds on a wide receiver going at No. 2 are still solid – 10/1. You can also get 4/1 odds that a WR will be taken with the top pick, and 8/1 odds for the No. 3 selection.

After Johnson, the second-best wide receiver available in the draft might be Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr., and he’s ranked in the middle of the first round. However, after Russell and Quinn, there are no other QBs expected to be taken in the first round. If you think a third QB will be taken before ten wide receivers hear their names called, you can get 1/1 odds on that prop; the flip-side (10 WR’s go first) would pay off at 5/7 odds. As well, you can get 1/1 odds that three QBs will be taken in the draft before five running backs (5/7).

And finally, if you’d like your draft-day props to encompass more of the field, you can get 1/1 odds that nine offensive players will be drafted before 13 defensive players are picked.

Like the defense’s chances better on that wager? You can get them at 5/7 odds.

AllNFL props.