2. I think one of the reasons I like Jim Schwartz's chances to succeed in Detroit (and don't ask me what the word "success'' means in Detroit, because nine wins there is a Super Bowl-winning season somewhere else) is because he thinks. It's nothing revolutionary, maybe, but it's just smart. He won't be cowed into drafting Georgia's Matthew Stafford just because he's a good quarterback. If Schwartz has sincere doubts about any aspect of Stafford's game, he'll take someone better at his position, like Baylor tackle Jason Smith or Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry.

Schwartz was interesting when we spoke the other day about Curry. I told him how Curry played the outside, yet had one sack per four games at Wake. "Not that significant,'' he said. "Here's a guy who would fit perfectly for us in the middle and never come off the field. In college, he played the run, he covered, he did everything linebackers at every position would do. For us, he'd be perfect going sideline to sideline.''

3. I think, if I had to guess right now, Detroit will take Jason Smith No. 1. He's a pure football player who loves football, and he's athletic enough to step in at left tackle in either year one or year two ... plus, the Lions' selfless left tackle, Jeff Backus, has already told the Lions he'll do what's best for the team, and if that's moving inside to left guard or to the other side at right tackle, that's what he'll do.