Draft day decision makers: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions General Manger is Detroit Lions is Martin Mayhew. While he may have once worked for Matt Millen, in his three years in charge of the Lions he has not shown any of the bad tendencies that got this team into such a mess. 2011 will be the third draft run by Mayhew, and it is time for him to put together a class that makes the 2011 Detroit Lions a winning team for the first time in what feels like forever. I don’t need them to make the playoffs yet, but a 9-7 season would make me feel a heck of a lot better about the team I grew up with.
Mayhew played in eight NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Redskins and after retiring from playing he attended Georgetown law and would go on to work in the Redskins front office. He was the right hand of Millen in Detroit until he was fired and Mayhem was promoted to take his place.
His two draft classes in Detroit have been above average. Of course the ultimate success of his 2009 class may hinge on QB Matthew Stafford’s ability to over come injuries. By and large Mayhew has been pretty aggressive on draft day making trades to get more picks and moving up to get a player he wants. He has also been active on the free agent market finding key veterans to help his team fill holes.
He likely depends greatly on head coach Jim Schwartz to find guys who fit his system. So far the duo have worked well together as the Lions took big steps in the right direction over the course of the 2010 season.
Related Links:
- Detroit Lions War Room
- Joshua Lobdell.com
