NFL Draftradamus

At this point in the NFL off-season, mock drafts are like pimples - everybody's got 5 to 20 of them. McShay and Kiper make it look like they have less by going the 4.1 route, but really they each have about 9-10. The one I place most credence in is Mike Mayock's. He basically does what an NFL scout does, going to the combine and pro days, looking at team needs, etc. Then he does his mock ON DRAFT DAY, not immediately following the Super Bowl. He's like the Nostradamus of the NFL Draft, rarely getting it wrong.

Anyway, setting aside the possibility of a team trading down, Mayock has the top 3 OT's going in the top 4 picks, leaving Detroit with the option of either Ziggy Ansah at DE or Dee Milliner at CB. Mayock likes Ansah's upside, saying he might be the top defensive player in football in a couple years. That sounds good. OT is a SLIGHTLY bigger need (and protects investments in Stafford & Bush) and if someone trades into the top 4 to grab Geno Smith, one of the top 3 tackles could drop to Detroit at 5.

Last thing I want to say about the draft - this is NOT the year to completely ignore need for BPA. If Sharrif Floyd is the best available when the Lions go on the clock, they should still pass him up for Ansah or Milliner. The Lions have gaping holes at DE and OT, and slightly less gaping holes at OG and CB. The answer to the DE/OT problem is not currently on the team, and OG and CB may be on the team already, maybe not. This is a team that NEEDS to get back into the playoffs, they won't do that by taking another DT or WR in the first or second round.

The Wings snuck past Columbus for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. With 2 games left, Detroit needs to win out to be assured a playoff spot but can also clinch with a win & a Columbus loss tonight. They could move up as high as the 7th seed if they win out and Minnesota loses at least once. The 7th seed is WAY more preferable, since the opponent would be the Ducks and the Wings have a winning record against them (2-1-0). The Blackhawks have owned the Wings this year (0-2-2), so obviously winning out is the best scenario.

This has definitely been a rebuilding year for the Wings. They still get decent production out of their long-time stars (Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and Kronwall), but they also got some great production out of some newer faces (Brunner, Smith), and guys like Nyquist and DeKeyser have shown flashes of what they could bring. Despite this being his first year in the NHL, Brunner is a bit older and not considered a rookie, so I don't expect too much improvement from him down the road. Brendan Smith looks like the real deal though, and Nyquist has a nose for the goal that will only get better.

Guess who's back (and sporting some hideously-dyed facial hair)? That's right, Valverde came in and got a 1-2-3 save. Each batter made SERIOUS contact, but hit it in the general vicinity of a glove and made an out. On a more encouraging note, Victor Martinez appeared to break out of his mini-slump (1-15, 0 RBI last 4 games) by going 2-5 and picking up 2 RBI on a double laced down the 1B line and a single. More of that would be good, because Martinez's AVG on the year is still south of Mendoza, teams are walking Fielder to get to him, and he hasn't been producing with runners in scoring position like he has in the past.