The Lions made a smart move trading up two picks to grab Kevin Smith at the top of the third round. They needed a workhorse back to headline their new commitment to the run, and Smith might not have been there had they waited two picks. Smith, who rushed for 2,567 yards as a junior — 61 short of Barry Sanders' NCAA record — also appeared to be a target of the St. Louis Rams. The Rams picked 65th, one spot ahead of the Lions, who traded a sixth-round pick to Miami to move up two spots.

Smith spoke with Detroit-area reporters in a conference call Sunday morning. A sampling:

On how he answers critics who say his numbers last year came against inferior competition: "Check me out in my Detroit Lions uniform first preseason game."

On if he believes his production will translate to the NFL: "I believe I'll do exactly what I'm supposed to do in the pros, that's play football to the best of my ability and whatever that outcome is, that's what'll be shown but I can guarantee you it's going be a good one."

On how he would describe his running style: "Rare."

Why rare: "They say I don't have the speed to hit the home run but I had the most long runs in the nation against whatever competition. I believe I have the best vision in college football and on some levels better than some pros that I've watched. I just know how to play football. ... I can’t compare myself to anybody now. I can only compare myself to Kevin Smith and I haven't seen anybody run like me."

On he told other teams, including the Rams, that he saw himself playing for the Lions: "When I took my visit I felt so comfortable at the Lions. I went on other visits and told other teams, we sat down and they was like, 'So what team would you go to and why?' And I said the Lions to a few teams. Some people were telling me you don't say what team you want to go to. You're going to go to a team that you don't really want to go to. And for me to go to the Lions, man, it happened right for me."