It was a circus atmosphere Thursday in Athens, Ga., for Matthew Stafford’s much-anticipated pro-day workout. The Georgia quarterback did nothing to hurt his standing as one of the NFL Draft’s top prospects. He was measured, and he threw for representatives of all 32 teams, including general manager Martin Mahew and quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton of the Detroit Lions, who own the top overall pick, as well as GM Tim Ruskell of the Seattle Seahawks, who have the fourth overall selection. In all, 70 scouts and coaches were on hand to watch Stafford and other Georgia prospects work out. While Stafford (6-foot-2 5/8, 225 pounds) chose to stand on his combine numbers, he did throw 50 passes in a scripted workout that was run at a quick pace. My sources on the ground in Athens all agreed that of the 50 passes, only three weren’t thrown with accuracy. Stafford rolled out, threw deep comebacks … he threw everything. But the big thing is that Stafford showed a strong arm and good accuracy. His second-to-last pass was a 35-yarder down the right sideline and on the money to Demiko Goodman. What did I learn from Stafford’s workout? That I wouldn’t be worried about taking him with the No. 1 pick. If Stafford has one fault, it’s that he throws the ball a lot like Brett Favre. Because he has such a strong arm and is such a great athlete, Stafford takes chances on throws that he shouldn’t attempt. It’s not because he doesn’t understand coverages. It’s just that he has superior confidence in arm and ability. That’s a fault that can be corrected. Some say Stafford is an underachiever, but I think that’s an unfair label. He won at Alabama in overtime. You don’t win those kind of games unless you’re a competitor. – Gil Brandt Link There should be a little disclaimer that Gil was Stafford's neighbor in Texas. He is a little biased. Personally, I think the pro day really had very little impact on whether or not the Lions draft the kid. It all depends on the tape and the private workouts that will be held for Stafford. He'll be going through 3-4 film sessions with the staff. I think he'll be the pick when it's all said and done.
I think whoever will sign for the least amount of money between Stafford/Curry and Smith will be the Lions pick.
