Lions playing 2012 NFL Draft close to the chest

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions completed their organizational meetings Thursday in preparation for next week's NFL Draft.

They've narrowed down the players most likely to be available and whom they might select with the No. 23 pick overall in some of those different scenarios.

"Probably between four and seven guys we feel very comfortable with, who are great fits for us," general manager Martin Mayhew said.

Mayhew, naturally, is as tight-lipped as ever when it comes to discussing any of those possibilities. He wouldn't answer any questions about specific players, partly because there are so many different directions the Lions could go with their first-round pick depending on what happens with the selections before them.

The Lions have made some deals in recent drafts to move up to assure being able to select a certain player.

There's been some speculation that the club might want to do just that to secure a higher-quality player such as a cornerback. There's also been speculation that a player they're targeting could be available later on, allowing the Lions to trade down while adding another draft pick or two in the process.

Most of those discussions, however, are more likely to happen much closer to the draft, perhaps even right up to minutes before the pick is to be made.

"We haven't had a whole lot of trade talks about our pick in particular," Mayhew said. "My experience is those teams (with picks in the bottom half of the first round), later in the process are getting calls."

Mayhew, entering his fourth draft as the Lions' GM, has stuck firmly with his belief that the best way to build an organization is by selecting the best player available at all times, not by overemphasizing a particular position of need.

For the most part, it appears he plans to continue with that philosophy.

"It's the best player for us, the player that fits us the best," Mayhew said. "As you improve your talent level at certain positions and add depth at certain positions, you try to extend your roster.

"We're still going to take the best player. We're not going to reach. We're not going past five or six good players (to take a lesser talent simply because of position)."

Some have wondered whether having three of last year's draft picks arrested in recent months for marijuana possession might affect the Lions' approach this time.

Some prospects, including cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama) and Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama), have been arrested for marijuana possession. Kirkpatrick's charge later was dropped.

Mayhew addressed how the Lions would evaluate a player who has had a positive drug test or a run-in with the law.

"The league has really changed over the years," Mayhew said. "If you go back 10-15 years ago and a guy had a positive test, that was big deal. It still is, but not at the level it was years ago.

"There are certain things we want to hear from guys and certain things we don't want to hear from guys. We've evaluated all those situations. We talked to all those guys (who have gotten into trouble).

"We're going to look at each individual situation. We did a lot of homework on those guys last year. We've done as much or more homework on guys this year."
 
EXTRA POINTS

— Mayhew said he recently met with running back Mikel Leshoure and defensive tackle Nick Fairley concerning their marijuana arrests.

"I had some really good dialogue with both those guys," Mayhew said. "It's unfortunate, disappointing, frustrating.

"It's very frustrating, but we had a good talk about it. The league will handle it in terms of discipline."

Mayhew said he tried to emphasize how the players' actions affect so many others in the organization. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, for instance, had to answer questions the other day about both of his teammates' off-field incidents.

"That's something that those guys should understand, that we're standing here talking not about the draft, not about our plans going forward and our bright future," Mayhew said. "We're talking about those guys' behavior off the field. I want to make sure those guys understand that."

— In the wake of the New Orleans Saints' controversy, Mayhew caught himself accidentally using the dreaded "B" word. While talking about how teams that didn't want to pay an outrageous contract to a high first-round draft choice would trade the pick before the rookie pay scale was enforced, Mayhew said, "You could move that pick for a bounty of picks." Mayhew paused before correcting himself. "I shouldn't say bounty … for a lot of value."

— Mayhew, on running back Jahvid Best, who is trying to make a comeback from last year's concussion problems and has been involved in the Lions' conditioning program this week: "From what I understand, he's doing everything."