I like Mayock but I don't like his advice to the Lions on this one. Yeah Stafford is young and inconsistent, but he has the mental and physical tools to be a special QB. If the Lions go "safe" with the pick instead of trying to get the best possible player for the team, I'm going to be pissed. If Mayhew doesn't have the balls to make the best pick, he doesn't deserve the job.
If you have any questions on Stafford, you have to pass on him. We have 2 many needs to make a mistake with this pick.
I agree, if you don't think he's the #1 guy, don't draft. You can't hope that he'll be something he's not. But I think his issues are all coachable/correctable with time. The kid has the physical tools, is mentally strong, and is tough. His growth curve from year-to-year in college is very promising. He should have stayed for his senior season, but he's here now. IMO, he's the best QB in this class and would have been the best QB next year. The Lions are in position to get him now, sit him on the bench for at least half a season behind Culpepper, and bring him along.
Stafford never did anything in college that made you say "Wow, this guy is a stud here at QB." He no doubt has all of the physical tools, but you need so much more than that to be a successful NFL QB. The Lions need to build their infrastructure before building their cars.... draft an OL.
Besides making all the throws? Or starting as a true freshman in the SEC? Or leading his team to several wins over many high ranked teams? Or going 3 for 3 in bowl games? Or improving his game each season? Or having complete control of the offense and having the option to audible when he felt the need? He had more command of that offense than any other QB at Georgia under Richt. If you watch Bradford, anytime he needs to audible he has to check to the sideline for the call. If you are expecting him to have Bradford or Harrell type stats, that's just unreasonable. He plays in a pro style offense that is very balanced. He doesn't throw the ball 40+ times a game like those guys, and he doesn't play in a swiss cheese defensive conference like the Big 12. Sure UGA was the #1 preseason favorite but the Bulldogs had a god awful defense and had major injuries to their oline. Stafford had a terrible game at the swamp, but Florida ended up the national champs. If you look at the history of good NFL QBs, not many of them lead their teams to undefeated seasons and became national champs.
Eric Ainge started as a freshman in the SEC. Sure, it shows he has/had the physical talent but again, I'm not questioning that. And as for the ranked teams, this year Georgia lost to every team except Michigan State (bowl victory, amazing performance by Stafford) that was ranked by the end of the year. Or are you trying to credit UGA for wins over "11th ranked LSU" and "22nd ranked Vanderbilt" (teams ranked when Georgia played them but neither are true top 25 teams, as exposed by the rest of their seasons)? Believe me I follow college football more than literally anyone else I know. I'm aware of Georgia's injury-riddled line and all of that. I also am not expecting 80% completion percentage from Stafford, but then I expect better performances against shitty teams like Arizona State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Auburn... his overall statistics were up, but Stafford and the UGA offense struggled a large part of the year and it's a fallacy to put that all on the OL. It's not like Detroit has a quality OL, either. But then, I thought Matt Ryan was overrated as a QB in college and that no way he should've been a top 10 pick, so I' not perfect here either. I, if I were the Detroit GM, would never take a QB who has some questions like Stafford does, IMO.
You say this, but it's obvious the Dawgs weren't really the #1 team in the country either. W-@ #11 LSU W-@ #24 ASU Also won @ Auburn his junior year. As a Sophmore he beat #9 Florida, #10 Hawaii in a bowl game Won @ #16 Alabama As a freshman he had victories over #5 Auburn, #16 GaTech, & #14 VaTech in a bowl game. I'm sorry but winning in South Carolina, in the desert 3000 miles across the country against ASU, and winning at Auburn are all solid victories. South Carolina's offense was inept, but their defense isn't that bad. I'm not saying that Stafford isn't inconsistent, but he can work on those things. The Lions have invested a ton of draft picks and FA money into the Oline. It's a fallacy to believe that they've ignored trying to build the trenches. They've tried a lot and failed. Just like the rest of the team. I think if they get a good QB, he'll make a lot of the offense better. You really think Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have 5 pro bowlers on their line? The Cowboys had one of the best Olines at protecting the QB last year, then Romo goes down, and then they become one of the worst. Ben Roethlisberger was behind maybe the worst line in the NFL last year and he overcame that because he's a great QB. The draft is deep this year at OT. They can take Stafford at #1 and can still build the line later in the draft. Oher, Beatty, or Britton isn't that far off from Jason Smith, Monroe, and Andre in terms of talent. One of those tackles will be there at 20.
