The NFL Draft for 2009 Stafford Sanchez and Curry

After months of anticipation the Detroit Lions have started to rebuild for the future after drafting star quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Lions chose Stafford with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft and promptly signed him to a long term deal. After coming out of Georgia, Stafford was by far the best QB available in the draft and the lions have paid him accordingly. While there is no certainty that Stafford will be ready to be the starter for next season he will have the opportunity to learn from veteran Daunte Culpepper. After a history of poor drafting decisions the Lions are hoping that with this pick they can finally turn things around after failing to register even one win last year.

In a more surprising move in this year's draft the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns pulled off a monster trade allowing the Jets to move up to the number 5 spot in the draft. With Brett Favre finally retiring in the off-season the Jets were in need of a QB and did not hesitate to replace him. With the fifth pick they choose Mark Sanchez out of the University of Southern California. In the trade the Jets gave up the 17^th overall and 52^nd overall pick respectively along with players Kenyan Coleman, Abram Elam and Brett Ratliff. In hindsight this may be a lot to give up for a player in Sanchez who only played one year of college football, but the Jets needed a quarterback desperately. Both Sanchez and Stafford have an uphill battle facing them. Stafford must take control and lead the Lions out of a decade of mediocrity while Sanchez has the unenviable task of taking offer for superstar, soon to be hall of fame QB, Brett Favre.

There were a few other noteworthy picks in the 2009 draft such as Jason Smith being drafted by the St. Louis Rams and Tyson Jackson going to Kansas City and Aaron Curry going to the Seattle Seahawks. There were some rumblings that the Lions may choose Curry with the first overall pick as he is the most proven and ready to step in of anyone in the draft. However last minute he fell all the way to the 4^th pick and the Seahawks have to be ecstatic about nabbing him without having to move up. Curry has all the potential to be an absolute defensive force for the next decade or even two.