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One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.

4/25/2009

Time to reorder the draft board

Day 1 of the draft is over. That means it's time for the Lions to sit back and reassess their draft board and their needs, and any trade offers that come in, too.

First, the needs. The Lions went quarterback-tight end-safety on Day 1, and still have canyons on their roster at middle linebacker, offensive guard, defensive tackle and in the return game. They could use more depth just about everywhere else on defense, too.

Second, the players available. A few names that caught my eye: Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson, San Jose State defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert, Eastern Michigan guard T.J. Lang, Alabama center Antoine Caldwell and middle linebackers Jasper Brinkley of South Carolina and Scott McKillop of Pitt.

The Lions have the first pick Sunday, but there's no guarantee they'll keep it. Last year, they traded a sixth-rounder to move up to the No. 1 slot on Day 2 in order to grab running back Kevin Jones. Could teams be interested in doing the same tomorrow?

“That first pick in the third round, as we saw last year with a guy like Kevin Smith, is a very valuable pick,” coach Jim Schwartz said. “This organization felt strong enough that we were able to move up to take a player like that. We're in that position. That's a great, great bargaining chip to have and also provides, when this day's over, a chance for us to reorganize and take the top player we still have available.”

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