I have been singing the "draft a running back" tune for quite some time, and been dismissed as a misguided fool. Fans seem to have this pavlovian response that is barked back at me whenever the Lions draft gets brought up. They just kind of shout "NEED O LINE" to no one in particular without any thought or research put into it. If I point out that there is no impact to getting an O lineman and the Lions need wins, they just kind of start shouting "DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD".

OK, well we are at the point where we actually have to assign names to these wants. I always find it annoying when people just bark positions at me. Just because the Lions have a need doesn't mean this years' draft can satiate it. It was different when the Lions picked in the top 5 in the previous decade. The Lions now have to sift through the crop that has already been picked through. We have to see if that book in the bargain bin is actually a classic that has not been appreciated.

Won't find the diamond in the O line crop. To start, I am not a huge in selecting a guard in the first round. Interior linemen are not worth the investment because they are lesser impact players. Tackles are the most important position on the line and if you are going to go first round, you select there. Matt Kalil, Reiley Reiff and Jonathan Martin are going to be gone. If one of them actually falls to 23, take him. But the list of tackles grows rather thin after that. Mike Adams has as many off the field issues as he has on the field success, and I think he is a reach in the first round.

The comeback class of 2012 boasts two studs. Morris Claiborne and Dre Kirkpatrick. There is Janoris Jenkins as well, but only a truly idiotic team takes him. He has "Pac Man" Jones written all over him, with off the field issues including multiple arrests. Shudder to think what happens when he becomes a millionaire. Both of those corners are going to be off the board. You might start hearing about Alfonzo Denard but at 5'10 and 205 he seems undersized to me. If Alabama safety Mark Barron is on the board (which he won't be) I think he would be worth a look.

Many are predicting Jim Schwartz to load up on D line again, but it seems like a bad idea looking at the draft class. Quinton Coples doesn't have very impressive tape but he is high on a lot of mock drafts, Jerel Worthy is good but I don't know when he would actually get on the field, and Brandon Thompson is part of a Clemson defense that gave up 70 in the Orange Bowl.

I have made no bones about wanting a running back, even before Jahvid Best was rumored to call it a career. There were serious questions about Best's concussion history when the Lions drafted him. But it was only a scant couple of years ago that a concussion did not qualify you for leaving the game. Now, concussions can Sidney Crosby your career. This makes Best part of a tandem that includes Kevin Smith who has yards of heart but can't stay on the field and Mikel Leshoure who will not be 100% until 2013. There are more guys in the infirmary than in the weight room.

Early draft boards had the Lions taking David Wilson, but his stock has been slipping. He might still be around in the 2nd round but don't bet on it. It wasn't encouraging to watch him run backwards 10 yards in the Sugar Bowl. Lamar Miller looks like the answer on film, but the Lions are going to have to make a move to get him. The Lions could get lucky and he could drop a couple of spots because he is coming off shoulder surgery, and if he does, snatch him. You don't run with your shoulder. LaMichael James might be around because he is not an every down back, and having that kind of breakaway speed in the backfield looks like a lot of fun for Lions fans. Especially in the NFC North.

Just wrapping up this early draft blog, let's put down the discussion of linebacker. The draft class STINKS for linebacker. There might be a guy out there that might get into the right system and shine but it doesn't look like it. Courtney Upshaw out of Alabama looks good, but he will not be around. There is no way the Lions should select Zach Brown out of North Carolina. The YouTube on him is awful. Yes the guy has a ton of speed but he does not wrap up and finish tackles. He is one of those linebackers that shoulders guys out of the sideline. That isn't going to work for the Lions. Zach Brown will make a fine pick for an AFC team but any team that has to play Adrian Peterson twice a year (hurt or not) does not need a shoulder tackle guy. Looking at this draft class, re-signing Stephen Tulloch becomes a priority.

Like I said, there is a lot of time until April 26, and this year we actually have the luxury of free agency before the draft. I would love to see the Lions taking a shot a Courtland Finnegan or Samuel. If Suh can grow up and be the shadow of what he was in 2010, and Nick Fairley can look like the player drafted and not the bust that showed up on the field in 2011, the Lions could look great with Finnegan and Houston in the defensive backfield.

The one thing you can say about Martin Mayhew: He often surprises us, and turns out to be right. It's okay just to watch.