Stafford Is First Overall Pick in 2009 Draft

After two not-so-dramatic days of contract negotiations, former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford (expectedly) signed with the Detroit Lions, officially becoming the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. The first pick will now be a mere formality, but the money they splashed to get Stafford will certainly make his arrival in Detroit anything but trivial.

The 6-year, $78 million contract awarded to Stafford is an NFL Draft record, and his average annual paycheck of $13 million exceeds that of established pros Tom Brady (6 years, $60 million) and Ben Roethlisberger (8 years, $102 million). Dishing that much money out to an untested rookie is a big gamble, but one that could ultimately pay off for the Lions, who are coming off the worst season in NFL history. Stafford could certainly be effective soon, with a rising star in Calvin Johnson to accompany him in a potentially powerful Detroit passing attack. This selection also narrows their list of needs. They have a potential franchise quarterback, and now their focus should shift to a left tackle to protect Stafford.

I have heard arguments for USC QB Mark Sanchez over Stafford, but to me Stafford is the better choice. This is not an issue of finished product versus upside (like, say, Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf). Both Stafford and Sanchez are very raw quarterbacks with a tremendous amount of potential, and both came out early when they could had polished their skills during their senior seasons. I think Stafford has the edge for Detroit because he played for an inferior team in college (that is not to say Georgia is a bad team, but their young offensive line has trouble compared to the seemingly endless depth at USC), and therefore has more experience with pressure in his face than Sanchez does. Stafford, who played at Georgia since his freshman year, also has more playing experience in general. I think the Lions can be happy with this pick.

Now, the focus of the Draft shifts to the St. Louis Rams, who hold the #2 pick in the draft for the second year in a row. They also have a pethora of needs, and it will be interesting to see how this pick (and the rest of the draft) plays out.