ALLEN PARK — Neither Calvin Johnson (bruised shoulder) or QB Drew Stanton practiced on Sunday, but neither condition is serious.

Both were on the practice field with their teammates.

Johnson bruised his shoulder early in Friday’s preseason win over Cincinnati.

Coach Jim Schwartz said Stanton got a puncture wound in his elbow that required two stitches. It was preventative to keep him out. If the wound got sweaty it could cause infection.

Rookie WR Titus Young (leg) remains out after making a brief comeback early last week.

Tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who missed three days of practice and the game Friday night with an ankle injury, was back at full speed. Schwartz pointed out the solid practice that Pettigrew had. Also returning, on a limited basis was CB Aaron Berry.

Others out of practice were T Isaac Sowells, DT Andre Fluellen (hand), S Randy Phillips, DT Quinn Pitcock, Jason Fox (foot), DT Nick Fairley (foot), RB Maurice Morris (hand), CB Alphonso Smith (foot) and LT Jeff Backus (torn chest muscle).

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche. Get Lions news delivered directly to your phone by texting the keyword "Lions" to 22700)

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ALLEN PARK — Tight end Brandon Pettigrew missed his third straight day of practice with a tweaked ankle. It looks unlikely he’ll play in the preseason opener on Friday. Coach Jim Schwartz will release a list later Thursday naming all those who will not play for sure.

Also missing from Thursday’s practice was rookie WR Titus Young. It was his second day out. He’s got a leg injury that has forced him to miss most of camp.

RT Gosder Cherilus was back at practice which is a good sign after he missed a week of camp coming back from offseason microfracture knee surgery.

Also missing from practice were Aaron Berry, Randy Phillips and the usual suspects (Maurice Morris, Jeff Backus, Alphonso Smith, Nick Fairley, Jason Fox).

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche throughout Friday’s game and for daily updates.)

BEVERLY HILLS — Brandon Pettigrew made his first appearance at one of the Lions’ informal workouts on Wednesday.

It’s the new Pettigrew actually. The 6-foot-5 tight end has dropped 10 pounds going down to 255.

“I like this 255, being able to move on strength drills,’’ Pettigrew said. “Speed kills and I still think I can get it done in the blocking game.’’

“I like to eat, I just had to stop eating. I eat my three meals,’’ said Pettigrew who was a first-round pick (20th overall) in 2009.

He cut out fast food and tried not to eat so late into the night.

Pettigrew has some work to do on his game and he knows it.

“My biggest thing is right now I’m just trying to be consistent. That’s how I want people to see me, when they see my consistency, confidence from the quarterback knowing that’s my go-to guy. I’m just trying to build that with the quarterbacks,’’ Pettigrew said.

Last year it wasn’t that way with drops, missed blocks and busted assignments.

“That’s a bad label to have. I definitely had some balls I dropped last year on crucial third downs,’’ Pettigrew said. “I don’t want that on me.’’

He was one of about 30 Lions to participate in Wednesday’s session. The Lions will continue their workouts on Thursday and Friday.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)

The Lions’ last four first-round picks from the past two drafts all have birthdays in January and February. Coincidence? Probably not.

Ndamukong Suh’s birthday is Jan. 6, while Matthew Stafford’s in Feb. 7. Jahvid Best turned 22 on Jan. 30 while Brandon Pettigrew will celebrate on Feb. 23.

Don’t want to tell the Lions how to do their business when it comes to the draft, but ... they might want to look for a first-rounder with a birthday in January or February. Or maybe they’ll do their due dilligence and just coincidentally their top pick, at No. 13, will have a January or February birth date.

It all fits in with the book “The Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s a fascinating look at why some people -- like Bill Gates and the Beatles -- achieve so much more success than others. Hard work, at least 10,000 hours of it, is a part of it, but circumstances play a huge role.

One of the early chapters explains why the rosters of Canadian junior hockey teams are heavily tilted toward players with birthdays in January, February and March.

It’s because the Canadian cutoff birthday is Jan.1, and when the little skaters start out in midgets or Timbits, those kids are more physically mature and able to compete better because they’re older. So as they move along, they earn spots on top teams, draw the better coaches and the chance to continue to move upward. Gladwell presents the rosters of the two teams in the 2007 Memorial Cup as evidence and it’s amazing.

It’s got to be the similar in the NFL. Generally kids born in January and February are the oldest in their class. It means everything physically and mentally.

So birth date can play a role in the success of an athlete. The author used hockey as an example, but perhaps it applies to the NFL too.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz has read the book, I heard him recommend it during a speech at a caddies banquet at Oakland Hills. So maybe he’s onto this. Maybe that’s why his top picks have birthdays in January and February.

Perhaps Matt Millen never read it and that’s why of the eight first-round picks he made only one had a birthday earlier than May. That was wide receiver Mike Williams (Jan. 4).

Evidence? Here we go: Joey Harrington (Oct. 21), Ernie Sims (Dec. 23), Charles Rogers (May 23), Roy Williams (Dec. 20), Gosder Cherilus (June 28).

The only exception is Calvin Johnson whose birthday is Sept. 25. No good explanation other than he’s off the charts -- quite literally.

So there you go. Now we have another reason to add to the list of why Millen struggled with the draft. He paid no attention to birth dates.

(Paula Pasche covers the Lions. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaPasche. Read her Lions Lowdown blog at oplions.blogspot.com.)

Jeff Backus got a little love today when he was named to the ESPN All-NFC North team. Backus was selected at left tackle over Green Bay’s Chad Clifton.

Backus, who has not missed a game in 10 seasons, does not get a lot of love from Lions fans, but the Lions’ coaching staff shows him great respect and that is what matters.

Backus, who is 33, has another year on his contract.

The Lions are prepared for his eventual retirement with Corey Hilliard and Jason Fox, a fourth-round pick in 2010. Hilliard was solid replacing the injured Gosder Cherilus at right tackle at the end of the season.

Fox saw limited playing time but that was only because the line was mostly healthy.

Other Lions who made the All-NFC North list include wide receiver Calvin Johnson, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and kick returner Stefan Logan.

Chicago’s Chris Harris beat out Lions safety Louis Delmas. ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert put together the list with input from 800 of his followers.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)

Running back Kevin Smith and tight end Brandon Pettigrew have been ruled out of Saturday night’s preseason opener along with eight others. Coach Jim Schwartz announced the names on Friday.

Smith and Pettigrew had a small chance to play, but both are coming off ACL surgery and both have been eased into training camp. Schwartz would rather err on the side of caution than throw players in when they are not ready.

Safety Louis Delmas, who practiced Monday through Wednesday after coming back from a groin injury, was ruled out Thursday.

Other injured players who will not take the field at Pittsburgh include: kicker Jason Hanson, linebacker DeAndre Levy, defensive end Jared DeVries, cornerback Aaron Berry, wide receiver Mike Moore and the two who remain on the physically unable to perform list -- cornerback Jack Williams and safety Ko Simpson.

ALLEN PARK -- Tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who missed the first day of practice, was back at it today (Sunday). Pettigrew is one of three Lions coming off ACL surgery and the plan is to let those three get adjusted slowly. During two-a-days they will only participate in one of the sessions. And coach Jim Schwartz said they will also get one day off each week.

Pettigrew participated during OTAs and minicamp so it was somewhat of a surprise when he wasn't on the field on Saturday.

Running back Kevin Smith is another ACL survivor and he has practiced both days so far and looked solid.

Cornerback Jack Williams, the third of the ACL rehabbers, hasn’t practiced the first two days.

Safety Louis Delmas, who missed Saturday’s practice to attend a funeral, was back today, but he will remain on the physically unable to perform list until he gets back in condition following a groin injury during minicamp six weeks ago.

Defensive end Jared DeVries and Will Heller each have small lingering injuries and Schwartz said he expects them to practice soon.

When players report to Lions training camp on Friday they'll go through a conditioning station that will play one factor in deciding which players will start the season on the physically unable to perform list. Players will also go through conditioning tests on Saturday morning before the first session of training camp at 3 p.m. Decisions on placing players on the PUP list will be made around lunchtime on Saturday.

Coach Jim Schwartz said today (Thursday) that safety Ko Simpson, who didn't finish the season due to a knee injury, is one candidate for PUP. Originally it was thought Simpson's knee injury was not as serious as some of the others. Schwartz admitted it has lingered, but also the coach has not seen him in a month.

Schwartz said any of the players who weren't able to finish last season are PUP candidates. That list includes three who underwent ACL surgery -- TE Brandon Pettigrew, RB Kevin Smith and CB Jack Williams.

"We'll probably err on the side of caution on some of those also. When we have injured players, when they get back into practice, they don't just get released into the general population right away. We ease them in,'' Schwartz said. l

With all the offseason moves the Lions have made, the trade for Denver to bring Tony Scheffler back to Michigan should prove to be one of the best moves.

Scheffler, a 6-foot-5 tight end, is a multidimensional player that coach Jim Schwartz can't seem to say enough good things about. Scheffler has good hands, amazing speed for his size and can fit in most anywhere. On one play, the Lions have him line up at fullback. When he's paired with 6-foot-5 tight end Brandon Pettigrew, that could be a very impressive sight unless you are the opposing defense.

Scheffler gives the Lions even more options on offense.

He got a slow start when he moved here because of a bum ankle, but since he's been 100 percent he's been impressive throughout the OTAs and minicamp.

Scheffler might provide a surprise to Lions fans. He didn't get all the publicity when he was traded here, but he has made the most of his opportunities.

And, he's happy to be back home. He grew up in Chelsea as a Detroit Lions fan.

(This is the final segment of the series of 20 players to watch in training camp which opens on July 31. Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche. And don't forget continual daily updates on my Lions Lowdown blog at TheOaklandPress.com.)

Tight end Brandon Pettigrew’s rookie season was cut short last year when he tore his ACL. He expects to be cleared for training camp, but he thinks the coaching staff will ease him in. He doesn’t expect a ton of work. He’s probably right. Coach Jim Schwartz’s philosophy on injuries is to err on the side of caution.

With a healthy Pettigrew, the offense gains another 6-foot-5 weapon. He and Tony Scheffler, who is also 6-foot-5, will present a powerful pair of tight ends and good targets for Matthew Stafford.

Pettigrew was a first-round pick last year for a reason. He’s got speed and good hands. If he can ease his way into the lineup and be ready to go full-out when the season starts, the offense will definitely benefit.

Like Kevin Smith, he participated in the OTAs and minicamp on a limited basis.

(This is part of a series of 20 Lions to watch in training camp which starts July 31. Follow me on Twitter.com @PaulaPasche.)

ALLEN PARK -- Tight end Brandon Pettigrew was not in attendance at the morning session of Thursday's mandatory minicamp. Coach Jim Schwartz said he was excused for personal reasons. Pettigrew was at the afternoon session and would not elaborate.

The Lions tight end is one of a few Lions coming back from ACL knee surgery. He is progressing well. "I'll definitely be ready for training camp, but that doesn't say how much I'll be doing during training camp. I'm pretty sure I'll be limited,'' Pettigrew said.

He has been down this rehabilitation road before. He knows rehab is more than just the physical therapy. He has to get his mind ready too.

"That's a huge part of it, the mental part of it, telling yourself to just not think about it and practice, you'll get along a lot better without thinking about it,'' Pettigrew added.

The Lions finish minicamp on Friday with one morning session. And then they break until they report for training camp on July 30.

(Follow me on Twitter.com @PaulaPasche.)

The Lions came out of Sunday's game at Seattle with two worrisome injuries on defense: a hamstring injury to linebacker Ernie Sims, and a knee injury to rookie free safety Louis Delmas.

According to head coach Jim Schwartz, Sims' injury "has a chance to be" significant, while Delmas leaving the game with a twisted knee may have been more in the realm of a scare.

"We’ll see on Wednesday, but it’s more into the short-term, bumps-and-bruises type thing," said Schwartz of the rookie's status.

Sims had tests on his injured hamstring Monday morning, then went through meetings with his teammates, before heading to the hospital for more tests Monday afternoon.

"I’ve never had a hamstring injury before, so I’m just hoping that it’s not that bad, so I can get back on the field," Sims said in the locker room, before heading to the hospital.

Delmas missed time in training camp with injuries, but has started every regular-season game so far in his rookie season, one of just two — along with tight end Brandon Pettigrew — of the Lions' prized rookies to do so. Sims, who had started every game in his first three seasons with the Lions, injured his shoulder against Minnesota in Week 2, then was inactive against Washington in Week 3, and limited in effectiveness the next three games. Rookie DeAndre Levy started in Sims' place against Washington, Pittsburgh and Green Bay.

ALLEN PARK — It's not hard to figure out where Gunther Cunningham is coming from.

Unless you're an opposing quarterback.

Then, you're not entirely sure where the next blitzer is going to be coming from.

The new Lions defensive coordinator has been preaching his blitz-happy ways to a receptive audience so far in the offseason, but the results aren't exactly where he wants yet.

In an effort to mask some of the defense's deficiencies — and to satisfy his own preference for intensity — Cunningham has been preparing to turn up the heat on opposing offenses by installing a multitude of blitz packages.

"That's what we're looking for, how to cover up every area. What's the best option for us, to get us through the game?" Cunningham said. "We're heading down the road on the packages. Jimmy (head coach Jim Schwartz) says the other day, 'Gun, you've got every coverage in football.' And, in some respects ... yeah, we are experimenting with what fits us the best, but we have a multitude of defenses in, both up front, and in the secondary, and we must have 40 blitzes in already."

But Thursday's lone practice session — for the second straight day in full pads — didn't quite provide Cunningham the results he wanted to see.

"We're still not good enough in blitzes," Cunningham said. "I'm not used to guys coming slow. When we send them, they have to get there, and we're going to have to have a little attitude adjustment meeting after this practice. They're going to hear it, loud and clear.

"When you put pads on, you find out the real men. There's lots of frauds around. You know, the coaches are, too. They talk a good game, then you watch them coach, and they don't do it. Players do the same thing. And sometimes, the guys you don't expect to be the real tough guys they show up, and you go, 'My god, was I wrong on this guy.' The game is with pads on. We're gonna look for all areas, and keep studying those guys that fit the packages best."

And Cunningham isn't opposed to testing the facility of his players to pick up the nuances of those packages. When the defense ran 140 snaps in 20 minutes during a recent blitz walkthrough, the reaction of backup middle linebacker Cody Spencer gave Cunningham a chuckle.

"Cody Spencer walked up to me, and he goes, 'I almost just died.' I said, 'Was it hard?' He said, 'My god, Gun, you tried to kill my brain.' Because, you have to think," Cunningham said.

Some of the installation is still a work in progress, like four-linebacker formations and using linebacker Julian Peterson as a hand-on-the-ground, pass-rushing end in some situations. Just as much is both Cunningham and Schwartz learning the tendencies and abilties of their players, and how to utilize them best.

"There's a fine line, and I think we're learning how to get to that line, without crossing it. If you want to be known as a tough, physical football team, you'd better be ready to be a tough, physical football team in practice, when you have the pads on," Schwartz said of the trial-and-error process in camp.

"That's what training camp's for. You have a lot of situations that come up. We had a situation that I put guys in in practice yesterday that didn't come out the way that I wanted, from a defensive standpoint. And there was a lot of discussions, late into the night on what we're going to do in those situations. But what I don't want to do is have those discussions on Monday after a game on Sunday. Training camp's the time to put the team in those situations, to challenge the staff."

CAMP NOTES With the injuries to Brandon Pettigrew (thigh) and Casey FitzSimmons (ankle) limiting the Lions at the tight end position, the team added another familiar face on Thursday, signing former U-M standout Carson Butler. The team cut kicker Swayze Waters to make room on the roster.

Sharing practice reps with free-agent addition Will Heller, Jake Nordin and camp surprise Dan Gronkowski, Butler showed up well in Thursday’s drills, drawing applause when he caught a short play-action pass from Drew Stanton and turned it into a long gain.

INJURY REPORT The Lions didn't have any additions to the laundry list of injuries Thursday, but they didn't have any subtractions from it, either.

Defensive backs Keith Smith (groin), Louis Delmas (knee) and Daniel Bullocks (knee) all sat out practice, as did linebacker Jordon Dizon and wide receivers Bryant Johnson and John Standeford.

A lot less media attention on Day 2 of the Lions' rookie orientation Saturday. No. 1 pick quarterback Matthew Stafford had another solid day. He completed both of his passes during team run drill, and was 8-of-12 during 7-on-7. Most of his completions were underneath routes to receivers in the flats or backs coming out of the backfield, but he's still got a howitzer for an arm.

Two minor injuries of note. Seventh-round offensive lineman Lydon Murtha did not practice as he's still dealing with a lingering back issue, and first-round tight end Brandon Pettigrew was limited with a hamstring.

“It's not pulled, it just had a hard time loosening up and he's going to be fine,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “Again, our philosophy this time of the year is to err on the side of caution, so I don't know, we probably won't put him back out here this afternoon and we'll see tomorrow where it is.”

A few other thoughts from the morning workout:

• Derrick Williams dropped the first punt during special teams period and let a fieldable next one hit the ground. Still, he's the Lions' likely punt returner next season and will play some slot receiver as well. “It's an important position in the NFL,” Schwartz said of the slot. “It's traditionally a lead receiver on third down. His skill set I think fits that. Probably a little bit quicker than fast, really good body control. Can drop his weight and stop on a dime. The things that make him a good returner also make him a good inside slot receiver.”

• Defensive tackle Sammie Hill – he said he prefers Sammie and joked that people started using “Sammie Lee” during the draft process because he's from the South – spent most of the individual period working one on one with defensive line coach Bob Karmelowitz. Hill said today's lesson was using his hands and hips in one motion against lineman rather than loading his arms for a push. “I did way better than I did yesterday,” Hill said. “That one-on-one with Coach Karm was great because when I got into the team and one-on-ones I actually felt confident and I used my hands more because I just got finished with it.”

• Schwartz on new middle linebacker DeAndre Levy: “Physically looks like he fits there, but again I want to caution that until we get mouthpieces and shoulder pads and those kind of things, you're taking on fullbacks live and you're taking on running backs live, you have a hard time completing that evaluation. But drill work, athletically, hitting the sleds, those kind of things, he looks like he's right at home in there.”

• There aren't many tryout players who have a shot at making the team. One who does, or at least earn a spot on the practice squad, may be cornerback Mark Parson of Ohio. “Parson did a lot of work with Deion Sanders and we'd had a lot of feedback from his camp, I think it's Prime U,” Schwartz said. “He was a guy that the scouts had a feel for and he's shown very well in this camp.”

Matthew Stafford appeared to be a tad nervous early, but he showed in his first practice why the Lions drafted him No. 1 overall.

At Day 1 of the Lions' rookie orientation Friday, Stafford, by my count, completed both of his throws in 11-on-11 work, 7-of-13 passes in 7-on-7 and was 10-of-16 in 1-on-1 passing drills. His first pass in warmups was a wobbly toss to special teams assistant Brad Banta, but by and large he was crisp with his throws and appeared to make the right reads and progressions.

“What happens, and it's Matthew and it's probably 90 percent of the guys out here, when you go through a first practice as a rookie you're so anxious to get get going and you're out of control and things like that,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. “Then all of a sudden later in practice you start settling down a little bit. I think we saw that with Matthew today, just chomping at the bit early, was wild with some throws, but then he started settling into a groove, started working together with some of the wide receivers, then all of a sudden you started seeing some better things later on in practice.”

Stafford best pass of the day came in full team drills when he went to his second read and threaded a perfectly thrown ball to tight end Brandon Pettigrew, just beyond the reach of linebacker Zack Follett. On several occasions, his passes got on the receiver so quickly they were dropped. One pass in 7-on-7 bounced off the facemask of receiver Sean Bailey, a former teammate of Stafford's at Georgia.

“My impressions were, please don't take my head off today,” said receiver Derrick Williams, a third-round pick. “I tried to make sure that I had my head around. He's really good. He's going to be a great quarterback.”

Schwartz said he was “pleased” with Stafford overall, and complimented his footwork, his release and his demeanor off the field.

“It's easy to start off school the first day well,” he said. “We've all been in that situation. The key is not going to be what happened today, the key is going to be maintaining that pace. And that's really the tale of the tape, it's not what we today, it's the body of work and just building one day after another.”

A few other thoughts:

• Safety Louis Delmas was very vocal in the secondary, something Schwartz said he doesn't expect to change when the second-round picks gets in with veterans. “He's a loquacious guy,” Schwartz said. “He loves the game. He has a lot of fun around it. He did that at Western Michigan. It shows through here. I don't think that's something you can manufacture, you either have it or you don't.”

•Schwartz said the Lions had “an issue” with former MSU safety Otis Wiley's physical that prevented him from practicing Friday. “As soon as we get that cleared up we'll try to get him on the practice field,” he said.

• First impression of DeAndre Levy: He can run, but he struggled covering a running back out of the backfield twice today. Still, I'm not going to read too much into his Day 1 at rookie minicamp.

•Former Lion Paris Lenon no longer has a stall in the Lions locker room.

Just got handed the official roster for the Lions' rookie orientation this week, Michigan State safety Otis Wiley is not in camp. No word on where he is yet. Several stories earlier this week indicated he would sign with the Lions or try out as an undrafted free agent instead of taking an opportunity with the Giants.

Also, for the Paris Lenon conspirators, Lenon's No. 53 still hasn't been handed out. Third-round pick DeAndre Levy is wearing No. 54 and seventh-rounder Zach Follett has No. 55.

Other numbers of note: Matthew Stafford, of course, is wearing No. 9, Brandon Pettigrew is No. 84, Louis Delmas No. 26, Derrick Williams No. 13, Sammie Lee Hill No. 79, Aaron Brown No. 41, Lydon Murtha No. 71 and Dan Gronkowski No. 47.

Three days after drafting tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the 20th pick of the first round, the Lions released his predecessor at the position, Michael Gaines.

Gaines signed a four-year contract last year as a free agent from Buffalo, but was plagued by drops and fumbles in his first season as a Lion. He finished with 23 catches last year.

Pettigrew isn't a down-the-field threat like Antonio Gates, but he was regarded as the most complete tight end in the draft.

"If you look back over the last few years, there's not many tight ends that have looked like him that have blocked him that have come out," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "If you're going to run the football, which we're going to do, you need a guy that can block the edge. And he's a guy that can do that.

"He's a really, really big target in the passing game. He's got really soft, reliable hands. Not necessarily a vertical threat down the field, but going to be a good target in the red zone."

The Lions also signed blocking tight end Will Heller as a free agent this offseason.

A couple leftovers from the press conference to introduce Saturday draft picks Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew and Louis Delmas while we wait for the Lions' last pick, and coach Jim Schwartz's final draft-day thoughts:

• Schwartz said Pettigrew is NFL-ready right now and pointed to his most famous game against Texas, when he manhandled defensive end Brian Orakpo, who went 13th overall to the Redskins. “One of the things that sort of put him over the hump for us was we watched the Texas game and Brandon did a very good job of blocking Orakpo, and we said that's what he's going to be looking at in the NFL, that's what he's going to be blocking,” Schwartz said. “Never seen a guy push guys off the radar screen, push guys off the film as much as him, and we're really excited about what he can add to our offense.”

Orakpo will get a chance for revenge in Week 3 when the Redskins visit Ford Field.

• Stafford said he doesn't think of himself as any sort of franchise savior. “There's no way one guy can turn it around,” he said. He also said he'll do his best to win over the fans who booed his selection. “That comes with playing and winning football games,” he said. “Winning solves a lot of problems and there's a bunch of steps that go into that and hopefully we can turn it around, start winning some games here and it could be an exciting time.”

• Schwartz on Louis Delmas: “We've probably gotten about 10 calls today from different people around the league said, 'Damn, you took our guy.' You don't have to watch very long on film to see what kind of player he is. A multidimensional player, a guy that has some corner in his background, he's got great range against the pass, he's got great instincts and absolutely brings it in the run game. A guy that wants to make the play. And there's a difference when you talk about guys in the secondary that are willing to tackle and guys that want to tackle. And you'll see that immediately when you watch it on tape.”

I'm resisting the urge to hand out draft grades this year. They're pointless. I won't be able to tell you how the Lions did until three years from now (minimum) when I see what kind of players Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew and Louis Delmas turn out to be, and for that matter how good they are in relation to Aaron Curry, Michael Oher and Rey Maualuga.

I like the Stafford pick. I think he fits what the Lions want to do and I believe you go as your quarterback goes. The Lions have proven that for decades. I like Pettigrew and Delmas as players, too. Pettigrew excels at the most underrated aspect of the game, blocking, and Delmas has a chance to be a playmaker in the secondary, something the Lions sorely lack currently.

I also think the Lions should have drafted Maualuga to fill their canyon at middle linebacker. I probably would have taken him at pick No. 20. I definitely would have taken him at 33. But I'm not a talent evaluator and it appears I liked the USC product more than most of the 32 NFL teams, who employ much smarter men on the subject than me.

I can't hammer the Lions for Day 1 of their draft, though. Sorry if this is redundant. I know I've written it a thousand times. But there are dozens of ways to win in the NFL. The key is not that you choose a certain one (though the Patriot and Steeler ways have their privileges), but rather that you stay disciplined within whatever you plan you have. OK, unless it's the Al Davis Plan. That one never works.

Like it or not, the Lions did that Saturday. They went best player available with each of their picks. At 20 and 33, they probably went safest available, too. (Oher and Maualuga have more red flags than the Russians.)

They didn't make the splash pick and surely didn't win over fans, but they did take the top players in the draft at three different positions. No other team can say that.

If the goal is to win this year, I'd say the Lions are in trouble. Stafford will start the season as a backup, who knows who'll start at middle linebacker, and Pettigrew and Delmas play low-priority positions (at least compared to Oher and Maualuga).

But general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz have made it clear they're building for the long term. Three years from now, when the real grades come out, they see Stafford throwing passes to Calvin Johnson, Pettigrew sealing off the edge for Kevin Smith, and Delmas covering ground in the secondary behind …

OK, so they still don't have much in the way of defense, but Mayhew said the Lions weren't going to fill every hole in one draft. I can't gush about his work yet, but I can't slam it, either. Not until I see the vision take a little more shape.

QB Matt Stafford
Pick: First round, No. 1 overall
College: Georgia
Height, weight: 6-3, 237
The skinny: The seventh quarterback to go first overall in the last nine years, Stafford is the type of strong-armed signal caller the Lions want to build around. He can make any throw in any weather condition, has advanced football recall and a moxie about him that should win over the locker room. His biggest knock is accuracy. He was a career 57-percent passer in college, though he threw for 3,459 yards and 25 touchdowns his junior year.
What they're saying: “What came out in this process – I don't know that it was a surprise to us – intelligence, work ethic and passion for the game of football. It's easy when you're around this guy a lot. He's a gym rat. He loves football. He loves to talk the game.” - Lions coach Jim Schwartz

TE Brandon Pettigrew
Pick: First round, No. 20
College: Oklahoma State
Height, weight: 6-5, 263
The skinny: Easily the most complete tight end in the draft. Pettigrew's a four-year starter who caught 42 passes last season. He's a bigger threat in the red zone than he is on vertical routes, but the Lions drafted him in part for his blocking prowess. He's physical in the run game and fills an immediate need.
What they're saying: “Brandon Pettigrew is a really, really big tight end that is an NFL-ready blocker right now. Impressive, impressive as a blocker. Really feel good about him and when you talk about drafting a young quarterback and putting pieces around him, ... we put a good young tight end in that mix and I think we provide him with some weapons and some tools for us to be successful on offense.” - Schwartz

S Louis Delmas
Pick: Second round, No. 33
College: Western Michigan
Height, weight: 5-11, 202
The skinny: Versatility is the key for Delmas, who emerged as the best safety prospect in the draft after a strong Senior Bowl. He intercepted four passes for the Broncos last year and is a punishing hitter who can slide easily to the nickel role if necessary. He's the third safety the Lions have taken in the second round the last four years.
What they're saying: “We talked about his size in our meetings. Ed Reed was about the same size. Very, very similar when he came out, and so was Troy Polamalu. Both those guys were very close to Delmas' size, so we felt size is not an issue. And he plays bigger than what he weighs.” - Lions general manager Martin Mayhew