Lions Begin Negotiating With #1 Pick

Update: Report says Baylor LT Jason Smith is the pick.

Looks like the Kansas City Chiefs draft board will be a lot clearer if the report from Tom Kowalski of MLive.com is true.

The talks are only preliminary and the real target has yet to be identified, but the Detroit Lions are already in the process of negotiating a contract with their first-round draft pick. Lions president Tom Lewand said the team could move very quickly in getting a deal done, adding that "By the rules, we could agree to terms with somebody tomorrow if we wanted to.''

The popular pick is Aaron Curry or one of the top two left tackles, Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe.  Matthew Stafford is another possibility.

With the St. Louis Rams likely eyeing a left tackle, the Kansas City Chiefs should be able to pin point their selection once the Lions' target comes to light.

Another move that's arisen in recent years with the holder of the #1 overall pick is to negotiate with multiple players in order to create some leverage for the team and get the best offer.

This quote from Lions President Tom Lewand indicates the Lions are indeed looking at multiple players for the top spot:

"We have to have robust dialogue with the agents of the players we're interested in. We've started that process and we've made it very clear to all of them that we have to have that as this month draws to a close,'' Lewand said.

In the coming days, we'll determine the identity of the Lions mystery player. And when you hear that name, don't automatically assume he's the guy. There's plenty of time for negotiations with multiple players and agents.

H/T JayKC in the FanShots