Rick Gosselin's first NFL mock draft

The last time a Detroit quarterback went to the Pro Bowl was 1972 (Greg Landry). The Lions have used a first-round draft choice on a quarterback three times since then and whiffed each time: Chuck Long in 1986, Andre Ware in 1990 and Joey Harrington in 2002.

Three strikes and you're out, right? Not when it comes to quarterbacks. If you don't have one in the NFL, you don't stand a chance. The Lions won three NFL titles in the 1950s in large part because they had a Hall of Fame quarterback in Bobby Layne. So the search continues.

Georgia's Matthew Stafford is the top-rated quarterback in the 2009 NFL draft, and the Lions have the first overall selection. Coincidentally, Stafford attended the same high school as Layne – Highland Park in suburban Dallas. So pencil in Stafford to the Lions at the top of this draft board.

Here's the first of three mock draft offerings from The Dallas Morning News this month. The second will come next Sunday, and the final mock on the actual day of the draft. The first mock is based on my draft board of the top 32 players, the second focuses more on team need and the third is how I see the draft playing out.

	1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia Lions are hoping Stafford can be their next Bobby Layne
	2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor Huge hole at left tackle with release of Orlando Pace
	3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest The NFL's 31st-ranked defense needs a playmaker
	4. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech Seahawks desperate for a threatening offensive weapon
	5. Cleveland Browns: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College Success starts with run defense in AFC North
	6. Cincinnati Bengals: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri Bengals need WR/KR to replace T.J. Houshmandzadeh
	7. Oakland Raiders: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida Raiders need more weapons to give QB Russell a chance
	8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia Jaguars allowed 42 sacks last season
	9. Green Bay Packers: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU Going to a 3-4, the Packers get best 3-4 DE in draft
	10. San Francisco 49ers: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC Success has always started at QB for the 49ers
	11. Buffalo Bills: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State The NFL's 29th-ranked pass rush needs help
	12. Denver Broncos: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State Without Jay Cutler, the Broncos need a quarterback
	13. Washington Redskins: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas Like Buffalo, the Redskins managed only 24 sacks in 2008
	14. New Orleans Saints: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois The NFL's 23rd-ranked pass defense needs a shutdown corner
	15. Houston Texans: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee Pro Bowler DE Mario Williams had 12 of Texans' 25 sacks
	16. San Diego Chargers: Rey Maualuga, MLB, USC Maualuga plays with same reckless abandon as Junior Seau
	17. New York Jets: Darius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland Jets need to replace the speed of Laveranues Coles
	18. Denver Broncos: Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi The NFL's 29th-ranked defense needs across-the-board help
	19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Beanie Wells, HB, Ohio State With Gruden gone, Bucs become power-oriented on offense
	20. Detroit Lions: Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri Detroit's two starting DTs gone from a year ago
	21. Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State Eagles lost TE L.J. Smith in free agency
	22. Minnesota Vikings: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State Vikings need a physical presence in 18th-ranked pass defense
	23. New England Patriots: Clay Matthews, OLB, USC Bill Belichick also coached Clay's dad at Cleveland
	24. Atlanta Falcons: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC The Falcons lost their two starting OLBs in free agency
	25. Miami Dolphins: James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State Give him a month and Laurinaitis will be running Miami D
	26. Baltimore Ravens: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama Another gift for the Ravens – great player, bad workout
	27. Indianapolis Colts: Knowshown Moreno, HB, Georgia Joseph Addai can't stay healthy, so help is on the way
	28. Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy, HB, Pittsburgh McCoy is a clone of Brian Westbrook
	29. New York Giants: Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi Gives Giants the luxury of moving Dave Diehl back to G
	30. Tennessee Titans: Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers Deep speed eases pressure on Pro Bowl RB Chris Johnson
	31. Arizona Cardinals: Donald Brown, HB, Connecticut NFL's worst rushing attack gets a boost
	32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Mack, C, California Steelers need to re-establish identity as running team

09:25 AM CDT on Monday, April 13, 2009