Jeremy Warnemuende
For sports fans, there is no time quite like spring time.
Beginning in March with the NCAA Tournament and running all the way into June when the NBA and NHL playoffs conclude, almost every single day features another big game — or two — or an interesting tidbit of breaking news.
However, following the end of March Madness, no other day is as exciting as the one now upon us. Opening Day is fun, the NHL playoffs are exciting and the NBA playoffs finally bring out the best in everyone.
But today is the day I have been waiting for the most since Connecticut took down Butler earlier this month in a basketball game so ugly it made Wisconsin and Penn State jealous.
That’s right: The NFL Draft finally has arrived.
By no means am I the biggest NFL fan you ever will meet. But for whatever reason, Roger Goodell walking to a podium and announcing the name of some soon-to-be overpaid kid captures my attention in a way no professional hockey or basketball game ever has or likely ever will.
Maybe it’s the appearance of a fresh start and a new hope for even the worst teams (Looking at you, Carolina).
Maybe it’s the fact the next Tom Brady could be waiting until the seventh round to be selected, only to take his frustrations out on the rest of the league by winning a handful of MVP awards and Super Bowl rings.
Or maybe it’s because I’d be lying if I told you I never dreamed about Goodell hopping up on the Radio City Music Hall stage and saying, “With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Jeremy Warnemuende, quarterback from Michigan State University.”
No matter why you watch it, this day and the two that follow are looked forward to by many each year. And now that it is back, let’s take a look at what to watch for during the 2011 NFL Draft.
Who is the first name off the board?
On most mock draft boards and in the minds of most experts, Cam Newton — the prized quarterback from Auburn — is a lock as the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. Still, when that first pick is revealed at about 8 p.m. tonight, you can find me glued to a television set, waiting to hear who in fact will be the first name announced by Goodell.
Newton certainly is gifted physically, and the guy can win ball games. However, questions about his character and ability to grasp an NFL offense are out there.
Carolina fell flat on its face with its first pick last year (Jimmy Clausen), so the Panthers are desperate for a good draft this year.
If they have any doubts about Newton, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson or Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus might be safer picks.
How will the Detroit Lions fare?
Last season, the Lions’ biggest problems were on defense. The front line was stellar, the linebackers were OK but the secondary was — let’s just say — not good.
Detroit could go a long way toward solving that problem by selecting cornerback Prince Amukamara from Nebraska with its first pick.
Amukamara is not a great tackler, but he has the build and potential to be a very good player in the league. He might not be as athletic as guys such as Jimmy Smith out of Colorado, but he also doesn’t carry the same baggage (multiple failed drug tests in college, legal issues).
After the first round, Detroit might look into selecting a power running back to complement speedy second-year player Jahvid Best.
If Mikel Leshoure out of Illinois still is available once the Lions’ second round pick (44th overall) comes around, they might have to pick him up.
In the later rounds, Detroit could use help on its offensive line to protect Matthew Stafford, or at linebacker, which brings us to …
Where will the MSU draft hopefuls end up?
Yes, it is possible. Two-time All-American, 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best linebackers in MSU history, Greg Jones, could be a Detroit Lion by the time the weekend is done.
Jones currently is projected as a third, fourth or even fifth round pick on most mock boards, likely leaving him available for Detroit at either No. 75 or No. 107 overall.
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Don’t be shocked if Jones doesn’t have to go too far from East Lansing to begin his NFL career because it could be a good fit in Detroit. Other Spartans hoping to get drafted include fellow linebacker Eric Gordon, tight end Charlie Gantt, receiver Mark Dell and cornerback Chris L. Rucker, who all are projected to be selected anywhere in the final two or three rounds.
Offensive tackle D.J. Young and punter Aaron Bates likely will go undrafted but should be picked up in free agency.
