I'll be heading out to Allen Park to commence draft-weekend coverage shortly – after I post this blog and cut the grass – but a couple quick thoughts on last night's deal and where the Lions go from here.

First, I know there's some shock and even outrage at the contract Matt Stafford got, $41.7 million guaranteed with a reported maximum value of $78 million. Most of that stems from Aaron Curry's well-played declaration that he'd take a Jake Long-type deal to go No. 1 and Lions' fans general frustration with the pick. The truth is, the Lions paid about what they expected it was going to take to sign a quarterback at No. 1.

At the NFL combine in February, I asked general manager Martin Mayhew if the struggling economy would impact salaries at the top of the draft.

“I can't see it happening,” he said. “I mean the salary cap went up. And you see the (Nnamdi Asomugha) contract that was done (for three years and $45 million). I don't see that as impacting. When you talk about the top players, there's going to be a market for those guys and that market consistently, since the beginning of time, has gone up. So unless the cap comes down at some point I can't see the market coming down.”

The Lions zeroed in Stafford early on in this process and, despite reports, were intent on signing him all along. They could have got Curry for less, but they wanted Stafford and will pay a shade over what Matt Ryan made as the top quarterback and third pick overall last year.

Now, what does the Stafford deal mean for the rest of the draft? I take Mayhew at his word that he's determined to choose the best player available. Yes, they'll draft a middle linebacker at some point because they don't have one on their roster, but they won't reach for one in the first round if it doesn't mesh with their board. Ditto for offensive line help and every other position you can name.

Since this is considered a draft deep in offensive skill positions and rush linebackers up top, that might lead to some interesting choices. I'm curious from the fans out there, if say Rey Maualuga and Robert Ayers are off the board, how would you feel about Brandon Pettigrew, the draft's top tight end, at No. 20? What if they land defensive tackle at 20 and then go back to offense for a center/guard combo like Louisville's Eric Wood at 33, ignoring the defensive backfield and middle linebacker spots until Sunday?

There should be plenty of options at both picks, players like Wake Forest cornerback/return man Alphonso Smith, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and Boston College defensive tackle Ron Brace, and we all know the Lions have plenty of needs (especially on defense). But with a few hours to kill and only the guessing game to play, I wonder what will it take for you to come away liking the Lions' draft?

Centers Alex Mack of California, Eric Wood of Louisville and Max Unger of Oregon are widely considered the top three interior linemen in the draft. The Lions have done their diligence on each and could draft one with the first pick of the second round.

According to league sources, Lions offensive line coach George Yarno (along with Jaguars tight ends coach Mike Tice) ran Mack's pro-day workout at California last month, the Lions attended Unger's personal workout conducted by Broncos coaches days earlier (and sat down there for a private film session with him), and Wood is one of 30 prospects the Lions brought to Detroit for a physical and visit.

All three players are projected late first- or early second-round picks, and all have been busy crisscrossing the country recently. Mack has traveled to Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and met with Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff; Unger visited Pittsburgh on Tuesday; and Wood was expected in Cincinnati and Cleveland this week.

The Lions, who allowed a league-high 169 sacks the last three years, are looking for more physical linemen as they try and rebuild their offensive front. If they draft Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford No. 1 overall as expected and pass on Baylor tackle Jason Smith and Virginia's Eugene Monroe, they might find the most value in a versatile lineman like Mack, Wood or Unger at pick 33. Known primarily as centers in college, all three have the temperament to play guard in the NFL, the size the Lions covet (they're all at least 6-foot-3 and 309 pounds), and could revert back to center if the Lions decide not to sign Dominic Raiola to a contract extension.

So far this offseason, the Lions have re-signed guard Stephen Peterman and backups George Foster and Damion Cook, and added free-agent guard/tackle Daniel Loper in free agency.

One other visit note, the Lions hosted former Michigan tight end Carson Butler recently after tight ends coach Tim Lappano ran Butler's pro-day workout at Michigan last month. Butler is projected as a late-round pick or priority free-agent signing.

After not being invited to the NFL combine, Eastern Michigan offensive lineman T.J. Lang is shooting up draft boards across the league.

Lang, who played all five positions at EMU, has both visited and worked out for the Lions, a source said. He's also met with the Ravens, Falcons, Chargers, Bears, Packers, Jets and Jaguars, among others, and because of his fiery demeanor could be a third-round pick.

“He's an offensive tackle that I've kicked inside to guard,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said Wednesday. “I've got him in the fourth round and because it's a (weak) guard class I think he'll benefit.”

If the Lions don't take one of the draft's top tackles Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe early – and assuming Andre Smith doesn't fall to 20 – I think the smartest way to address the offensive line is by snagging an interior lineman in Round 2 or 3. As much as some don't want to see Jeff Backus at left tackle, the worst thing the Lions can do is draft a middling replacement or right-side protector and try to convince themselves that's the right guy over the next five years.

The better solution is to grab someone like Louisville's Eric Wood at the top of Round 2 or Lang in Round 3 and make him a fixture at guard (or center in Wood's case) through the rebuilding process. With last year's No. 1 pick Gosder Cherilus already anchored at right tackle, the Lions could fill left tackle long term through the draft or free agency in 2010.

The Lions are in the market for starters at both guard positions and there doesn't appear to be much help in the draft – at least not in the traditional sense.

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, on a conference call today, said “the guard group” in this year's draft “is poor in comparison to the last few years,” but a strong center class could provide several starters at the interior line positions.

“I like the centers in this year's draft, I'm not as sold on the guards,” Mayock said. “The whole key to being an interior offensive linemen is being able to play all three of those positions and the centers this year, Max Unger, Eric Wood, Alex Mack, those top three centers I believe can play all three of those positions and Unger and Wood might even be able to play right tackle. The more you can do from a diversified perspective as an interior offensive linemen the more value you have and Unger, Wood and Mack all fit into that play-all-three-positions mold.”

The Lions released left guard Edwin Mulitalo on Monday, and right guard Stephen Peterman is slated to become a free agent later this month. Manny Ramirez, a little-used fourth-round pick in 2007, and Junius Coston, who was signed late last year and did not see game action, are the only guards on the roster.

Unger, Wood and Mack are potential targets should the Lions consider drafting an interior lineman in the second or third rounds. All three stand at least 6-foot-3 and weigh more than 300 pounds, and would seem to fit the organization's desire to get bigger and more physical up front. Lions president Tom Lewand indicated at a town-hall meeting last month the team would like to sign center Dominic Raiola to an extension. Raiola will be a free agent in 2010. Drafting Unger, Wood or Mack would provide insurance if that doesn't happen.

Mayock ranks Oregon State's Andy Levitre and Oklahoma's Duke Robinson as the top-rated pure guards.

Other notes

• Asked to project the top three picks in the draft as of today, Mayock guessed the Lions would take Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford first overall. “If I'm building a franchise the first thing I'd do is underwrite the quarterback position,” he said. He has Baylor tackle Jason Smith going No. 2 to St. Louis and Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry at No. 3 to Kansas City.

• According to a Rivals.com report, the Lions have hired Tim Lappano, the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Washington, as their tight-ends coach. Lappano was an assistant coach for three seasons at Idaho (1983-85) when new Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan played for the Vandals.