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.

Matthew Stafford was out to dinner with about 20 family members and friends in New York City when he got a call from his agent last night telling him the deal with the Lions was done. He returned to the table, “kind of gave everybody the thumbs up,” and, naturally, picked up the check.

In a teleconference shortly before the draft Saturday, Stafford said he was thrilled to be a Lion despite a tense last few days.

“It's great,” Stafford said. “It's a huge relief and I'm just extremely excited to be a Lion. I can't wait to get out there and start playing some football.”

How soon he gets on the field remains to be seen. Stafford said it's his competitive nature to want to play as soon as possible, and coach Jim Schwartz left open that possibility Saturday. But it still seems likely that Daunte Culpepper will open next season as starter.

Culpepper lost more than 30 pounds and looked good in minicamp, and the Lions, with 17 straight losses, could choose to bring Stafford along slowly because of their schedule that includes a torturous first two months.

“Best player's going to play and I think we need to keep an eye toward that with Matthew, is he the best player and is he ready?” Schwartz said. “And both of those questions have to be answered. We're in a really good position right now with a rejuvenated Daunte Culpepper. Daunte's done an incredible job between the end of the season and now of making a commitment and being back, and I think anybody that saw any of our minicamp sees a lot of the old Daunte Culpepper.

“I think it's a great situation to be in where we have a comfort level with what Daunte's done up to this point and we have a good young quarterback. We don't have to force our hand, we don't have to make a decision that's not based on merit.”

It's a busy day here in a buzzing media room so I'm going to give you a couple other quick-hit thoughts on Stafford and be back later to discuss the draft's other happenings.

• General manager Martin Mayhew said he honed in Stafford after Stafford's private workout in late March. “It was just the way that he carried himself, how smart he was about the game and obviously the way he threw the football was very impressive,” Mayhew said. “I was at his pro day and the private workout. This guy can throw the football. We think our fans will be really excited to see Matthew.”

• Speaking of fans … Stafford, who'll wear No. 9, said he's not discouraged by the negative reaction many in Detroit have to his selection. “It's actually great to see that fans are passionate about the game and care about their team,” he said. “I'm going to come in there and work hard, put my nose to the floor and do what it takes to try to win. And I think in the end winning solves a lot of problems and hopefully I can help bring that to the city.”

• Schwartz was adamant that everyone in the organization was on board with the selection. “When we started this process we went in with an open mind,” he said. “We didn't start this process saying, hey, we're starting a franchise, we're going to start with a quarterback or we're going to start with a left tackle or a defensive player. We let the process work.

“This is year 17 in the NFL for me and this is probably one of the few times I remember in 17 years having a consensus in the building for a No. 1 pick. That goes from the area scout to the director of college scouting to the general manager to the assistant coach to the offensive coordinator to the head coach. I think when we started stacking the board and we started talking about different things in the selection at No. 1, the thing that came off very strong about Matthew was the consensus of opinion and it made it an easy pick.”

• Circle Nov. 8 on your calendar. That's when Stafford and the Lions play Aaron Curry and the Seahawks next season.

• Edit: We're seven picks in and only one offensive tackle has been drafted so far. Surely Eugene Monroe will go in the next few picks, but could Michael Oher be on the board at 20 for the Lions? Or receiver Jeremy Maclin?

In a teleconference Tuesday, ESPN's Todd McShay joined the host of analysts predicting the Lions will draft Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford No. 1 overall.

“I'll be surprised if Detroit goes in any other direction besides Stafford,” McShay said. “I think they've honed in on him.”

Of the Lions' negotiations with the agents for Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry and Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith, McShay said, “I just think that they're convinced they have to get a deal done first (with Stafford) and I believe that they will before the draft.”

Beyond that, McShay said he expects the Lions to take an offensive tackle somewhere in their next two picks. The Lions have a second first-rounder at No. 20, acquired in last year's Roy Williams trade, and the first pick of the second round (No. 33). Depending how the draft falls, they might look to trade down a few spots from 20 and acquire extra mid-round picks because they don't have fourth- or fifth-rounders.

“If it's Stafford at 1 then they obviously still need an offensive tackle and I think if Michael Oher from Ole Miss were available at that spot at No. 20 then they would take him and be happy,” McShay said. “I'm not so sure that he's going to be there. Then they'd have to make a decision if they reach for a guy like Arizona's Eben Britton.

"They have other needs though. Rey Maualuga from USC, the inside linebacker, would fit a need and if they take him there maybe they address the offensive tackle spot with Phil Loadholt at 33. Or if they get Michael Oher at 20, then I think they can go after a guy like James Laurinaitis the inside linebacker from Ohio State at 33. So I would say quarterback, offensive tackle and linebacker, three of the top needs.”

Had a chance to talk with Andre Smith, Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe and Michael Oher – the top offensive linemen available – and at first glance Baylor's Jason Smith is the most impressive, with Virginia's Monroe an easy No. 2.

Smith, a converted tight end, has an NFL-ready body – Andre Smith definitely has some soft spots and Oher isn't quite as put together – and spoke in a strong, confident tone with just enough politeness and confidence to stand out. Asked if he was out to prove he was the best Smith at the combine, Jason Smith said, “Not the best Smith, the best offensive tackle.”

As for the possibility of going No. 1 overall, Smith said he hasn't talked to the Lions yet.

“But I do believe it's realistic that they would take a tackle and I do believe it's realistic I could be the No. 1 overall pick,” he said.

And his style of play?

“When I'm on the field I take a lot of pride in physically assaulting somebody,” he said.

Both Smith and Monroe checked in at 6-foot-5 and 309 pounds, and both said they plan to take part in all drills this weekend.

“I have nothing to hide,” Monroe said. “I'm healthy so I'm going to do every drill, I'm going to lift tomorrow. I'm going to do it all.

“You don't want to miss out on an opportunity to show that you have the ability to do as well or better but you decide not to do the drill.”