Want to know why the Detroit Lions are picking first this year? Two words: Matt Millen. When he wasn’t shouting insults at opposing players, or choosing coaches so over their heads they literally could not win one game in a season, he was crafting some of the worst drafts the NFL has ever seen. Let’s take a look at Millen’s drafting legacy, and see how a team, which was 9-7 the year before he took over, could fall to such laughable depths.
In 2001 Millen opens up by drafting tackle Jeff Backus with the 18th overall pick, a decent stalwart on the offensive line, and then takes inconsistent Shaun Rogers with the 61st in the second. His four other picks are washes. This is Millen’s finest draft by far.
2002
Millen sets the tone by drafting Oregon QB Joey Harrington to become the face of the franchise with the third overall selection. Harrington is way out of his league and never does anything for the Lions. He is now a perennial backup. With his 8 other picks can only find Kalimba Edwards, DE, with the 35th pick to contribute.
2003
Here is where it really starts to go south. With the second overall pick the Lions take Charles Rogers, WR, from Michigan State who would have been a bust as a walk on player. Millen grabs talented Boss Bailey, OLB, Georgia, with the 34th overall, and he is coached into obscurity. Cory Redding is an interesting pick with the 66th selections, but Redding heads to Seattle as soon as he can. The next 8 picks are all wash outs.
2004
Receiver obsessed Millen takes talented Roy Williams with the 7th pick. A decent player who has one 1,000 yard season while on the team. He was traded to Dallas last year. Trying to help His struggling franchise QB he takes RB Kevin Jones, who is probably not a first round talent, and proves it that season. His next four picks are all misses.
2005
That receiver crazy Millen takes Mike Williams with the 10th overall pick, and watches the young man gain weight and play with no passion every day. Trying to create a dominant defensive line, he misses again with Shaun Cody at the 37th slot, who garners 1.5 sacks and 91 tackles in four years. The Lions then go defense again in the third with DB Stanley Wilson, who registered no interceptions last year. He drafts back up QB Dan Orlovsky, whose most famous play happens in 2008 when he runs out of the end zone on a bootleg for a safety.
2006
With his reputation on the line and team sinking, the Millen takes talented but undersized OLB Ernie Sims with the 9th pick. Sims is a hot-cold player and 2009 will be his make or break year. The six other picks do very little to contribute.
2007
Although they should not be in the market for one, the Lions are desperate for a receiver to complement Roy Williams – the only WR pick to pan out for the team so far. Millen takes can’t miss prospect, and arguably the best player in the draft, WR Calvin Johnson from Georgia Tech. Although it is early in his career, Johnson is the real deal and makes it easier for the team to unload the unhappy Williams the next season for a boat load of picks. After that it is QB Drew Stanton, who the team seems to be already giving up on, and another group of underachievers. Remember though, it does take at least three years to evaluate a draft.
2008
Way too early to evaluate this draft, but in the first round they reach to take Boston College OT Gosder Cherilus. We will have to wait to give this class a failing grade.
The biggest problem is that the drafts at the beginning of the decade were to create the team, with the second half’s picks backups and developmental players to create depth and replacements. However, with such poor overall picks, the team was constantly drafting for starting talent, and could never trade high picks for bundles of lower round choices, where they could find those cheaper, developmental prospects like New England did creating their dynasty earlier in this decade.
After several “Fire Millen” rallies outside Ford Stadium, Matt banned signs calling for his head to be displayed during the games. Finally, after years of suffering for the Motor City the GM is relieved of all football duties. Despite making millions of dollars and talking a great game, Millen leaves the team in far worse shape than he found it.
Now Detroit finds itself in the exact same place it was in 2002, looking for a starting QB and the face of its franchise.
