Lions get lucky at 13?

To say the Lions #13 pick in the draft is sketchy to guess is a huge understatement. Most mock drafts have the Lions taking an OT there but when posed that scenario Mayhew didn't see any reason to:
http://www.freep.com/article/20110323/SPORTS01/103230393/Martin-Mayhew-open-isn-t-convinced-Lions-need-help-offensive-line?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Sports|s


So I looked up where the number 13 pick has ended up over the last 10 years and it showed some promising things. Firstly, its trade value. Only last year the Eagles coughed up a lot to move up to #13 to take Michigan's own Brandon Graham.

In recent years not only have teams moved up to 12 and 13 and given a lot to do so, but they have moved up to 14, 15 and 16 to grab huge talent slipping through the cracks or to reach for an opportunity, or fill a need about to be snatched by someone else. Just looking at the guys who slip to 13 is pretty impressive: Brian Orakpo, Jonathan Stewart, Marcus Stroud, Ty Warren and Donte Stallworth have all gone at 13. In 2007 Darrelle Revis went at 14. Troy Polamalu, Jeremy Shockey, Albert Haynesworth went later. If the Lions wanted to trade down teams jump at the chance to move to this soft zone of "less expensive" but still elite prospects. However, if they choose to stay it is a great chance to grab someone special. I think I will stop panicking at us not having a clear cut top 10 pick for once...

The Lions front office seem set on taking the best player available. With the amount of QB needy teams, and the superior talent of this D-Line class, some top 10 talent will slide to number 13. I trust the front office as they clearly know what they are doing. In 2009 at number 20 we were waiting to see who dropped and we landed another Brandon.

I am huge on this guy. He has been exemplary off the field and such a hard worker on it. He has rewarded the Lions for taking him with a pro-bowl caliber season breaking the Lion's TE receptions record as well as the last second heroics against Cleveland in 09 and impressive performances this year. Even if we trade down, who will slide into our laps this year?


So, seeing is #13 isn't so bad after all and has plenty of value in itself, do we stick or trade down?


Either way i'm so pumped for draft day!