So many Lions fans’ heads exploded when the Lions didn’t draft ILB Rey Maualuga at the No. 20 spot in the NFL draft. Instead, the Lions went with Oklahoma State TE Brandon Pettigrew who was arguably the best TE in the draft and who Mel Kiper said was the 7th best player overall. People still wanted to know, “Why not Rey, though?
With Pettigrew, we filled another hole on the offensive side of the ball to make things easier/more fun for Stafford when he starts taking snaps under center. Some will say, “Well, protect Stafford and make things easier/fun by drafting an offensive lineman. Surely, it’s not fun getting your ass killed every play because no one can block for you.” And I agree to a degree; I think Michael Oher would have been a solid pick at the No. 20 spot. I just think the Lions went with the best talent available and with all the holes they have, no pick can really be a bad pick at this point. Right?
Besides, I hate drafting offensive lineman. I compare it to drafting closers early in a fantasy baseball draft or maybe a more relevant comparison would be drafting kickers early in a fantasy football draft. Call me stupid, but outside like 1-3 lineman I’d be willing to consider “elite lineman”, the rest are just fat (athletic) pigs and at that point you can just go the farm and pick the fattest one that can actually move a little bit. That’s how I would do it and that’s why I’m not a GM in the NFL, but I’m damn good at drafting and winning in Madden Franchise mode as shown by the fact that I naturally, never pick before 30.
This post isn’t about why the Lions didn’t take an OL, so I digress.
Following the No. 20 pick, the Lions next pick was the first pick in the 3rd round. Surprisingly, to me at least, Rey Maualuga was still available at No. 33.
The Lions, once again, passed on him.
This time it was for S Louis Delmas from Western Michigan. Delmas is rated as the best safety in the draft and the Lions had a devastating defensive backfield last year. Delmas is touted as a heavy hitter and a playmaker. Ok, why not Rey Maualuga, though?
The Lions vowed to go with talent over needs and they did that.
Many don’t see this in a positive light. The Lions have something that no other team has after Day One of the 2009 NFL Draft: three No. 1 rated players at three different positions, all positions of need. Stafford was the No. 1 ranked QB in the draft, Pettigrew was the No. 1 TE in the draft, and Delmas was the No. 1 ranked S in the draft. There are no other teams that can say they got three No. 1 ranked players at their respective positions in this draft.
Yet, people are still asking, “Why not Rey Maualuga?”
The dude played a solid LB at a big time school and a lot of mock drafts had him going early in the first round. However, he fell to the No. 38 pick eventually. So the Lions weren’t the only team passing on this guy.
But since all of the aforementioned reasons are not good enough for you and you are just dying to know, here are the only two reasons why the Lions would ever dare passing on this “stud” LB who could have made the Lions linebacker corps arguably one of the best in the NFL:
1) As everyone knows, his name is Rey Maualuga and he has some crazy ass hair. Well, fans are also well aware that the two words that best describe the Lions organization are “futility” and “ineptness.” So it was expected that they pass on Rey, right?
Well, I learned from a reputable source that the Lions passed on him because not only did the Lions not know how to, but they wanted to save Commishioner Goodell the embarrassment of having to try and articulate that crazy ass last name of his. M-a-u-a-l-u-g-a. Ma-ooo-loogy, Ma-ow-owuga, Ma-ow-looga. I have no effing idea. I’m sure the last thing the Lions wanted to do was have to deal with saying his name and comb his hair on a daily basis. Pass.
2) The Lions, despite their historic run at the universe’s worst franchise ever, are still a classy bunch. They have a new crew running things this year and they are determined to turn things around. So when they saw the following video it was only fitting that the Lions passed on him because he didn’t fit the “well, he might suck, but he’s a really nice guy” mold. Pass again. (that kind of behavior is exactly what would land him on my team, though. I’m a big fan of the dry hump). But maybe it was way more fitting that he landed with the Cincinnati Bengals? Rey will look really good in an orange jumpsuit, I mean orange uniform.
Go Lions and see you tomorrow for Day Two of the 2009 NFL Draft.
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