April 22
General Manager Matt Millen selected University of Michigan offensive tackle Jeff Backus with the Detroit Lions first round pick. This bucks historical trends which show the Lions to bypass the talent in their backyard (Michigan’s Brian Griese in 1998) while scraping the barrel for marginal players (Eastern Michigan’s Charlie Batch, who was drafted ahead of the Pro Bowler Griese.) Good for them. Backus has started since his freshman year in college and has the ability to be good if not great. The Lions also managed Dominic Raiola (center, Nebraska) and Shaun Rogers (defensive tackle, Texas) in the second round. Raiola is an underclassman who was considered the best at his position, and Rogers is a 6’4 320 lb. run stopper with ankle problems but tons of ability.
