FanHouse Will Franklin

In the massively daunting project that is rebuilding the Detroit Lions' roster, there are going to be some moves that earn marquee billing -- trading for Julian Peterson was one, drafting No. 1 will be another. Those big-ticket moments will be the centerpieces of Detroit's quest to achieve respectability, or at least less-embarrassing mediocrity.

But while the Lions work hard to find some top-level talent, their ability to round out the roster with quality players may be just as important. So far this offseason, new Detroit general manager Martin Mayhew has done a solid job at that task. Mayhew's latest moves had Detroit inking wide receiver Ronald Curry and fullback Terrelle Smith to one-year deals.

I think we can all agree that the Chiefs had the best draft in the history of the world last month. After having close to 50 picks, Kansas City landed a starting lineman (Branden Albert), a potential Pro Bowl defensive tackle (Glenn Dorsey), a nickel back (Brandon Flowers), and a change-of-pace back to compliment Larry Johnson (Jamaal Charles).

Kansas City also added a humongous tight end (6-8 Brad Cottam) and a heady safety (DaJuan Morgan), and every one of these selections were made in the first three rounds.

But maybe the most important pick (or one of the most important -- it's hard to think anybody will overshadow the impact Dorsey should have) is Missouri's Will Franklin, drafted 105th overall.

Coming off a four-win season usually means a team has any number of needs. The Chiefs did a swell job of addressing most of them, but depth at wide receiver remained a huge question, even after Kansas City added 12 guys to the roster via the draft.

Last year's first-rounder, Dwayne Bowe, emerged as the team's only legit downfield threat a year ago, but the Chiefs may have found another young starter on the outside in Franklin:

Kansas City Chiefs 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 (5): Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Round 1 (15): Branden Albert, OG, Virginia
Round 2 (35): Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (73): Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas
Round 3 (76): Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee
Round 3 (82): DaJuan Morgan, S, North Carolina State
Round 4 (105): Will Franklin, WR, Missouri
Round 5 (140): Brandon Carr, CB, Grand Valley State
Round 6 (170): Barry Richardson, OT, Clemson
Round 6 (182): Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State
Round 7 (210): Brian Johnston, DE, Gardner-Webb
Round 7 (239): Mike Merritt, TE, Central Florida

The Good: See all 12 picks above -- that's the good. Kansas City added value with every single selection they made, and addressed nearly every need they had. Glenn Dorsey was considered by some to be the number one player available, while Albert, Flowers, Cottam and Robinson (special teams) all add significant talent to positions in need. And what about the other nine players selected? They all have tremendous upside as well and each represented solid value at the position they were taken.

The Bad: Is there any? The Chiefs made 12 picks this past weekend and on paper, it looks like they made every single one of them count. If there's one knock on anyone, it's that Braden Albert will be a "work in progress." Still, that's hardly a negative for someone who figures to be a quality NFL starter for a very long time. Beyond that, the only other negative that presents itself was the failure to draft another quarterback.

The Grade: A. In comparison to the other 31 teams, Kansas City left Radio City Music Hall on top. They had a fantastic draft and appear to have secured a bright future. Although they may not make it to the playoffs this coming season, they've certainly given their fans something to be excited about.

Click here to read other draft grades.

Few players had a better season in 2007 than did Missouri's Jeremy Maclin. After all, Maclin gained 2,776 all-purpose yards, which was an NCAA Division I-A single-season freshman record, and was also the fifth-most ever by any player in a season in Division I-A history. He made just about every All-American team possible and gave Big 12 defensive coordinators and special teams coaches constant headaches. Now comes word that Maclin is only getting better as spring practices resume in Columbia.

"Jeremy Maclin is a lot better player right now than he was a year ago," [Missouri coach Gary] Pinkel said yesterday after the Tigers scrimmaged for nearly three hours on Faurot Field. "People go, 'Wow, how can that happen?' Well, Brett Favre was a heck of a lot better player his eighth year as a starter than he was his first year."

I'm not sure Pinkel's analogy makes a whole lot of sense, but certainly players do generally get better over time. In the case of Maclin, however, you have to wonder if he might be nearing some sort of ceiling effect? There just doesn't seem to be that much room for improvement when you look at his statistics. So, what is Coach Pinkel seeing on the practice field?

His 1-on-1 routes, he's improved dramatically," Pinkel said. "I also think that's where he's got to be demanding on himself for perfection because that's how good he can be. No single guy should ever be able to cover him. ...

"Last year was his first year, and we forget that sometimes. His work habits were good, but they weren't like Will Franklin's. They weren't like" Martin "Rucker's. Now, they're like they're supposed to be."

Now that's scary. With a Heisman finalist quarterback in Chase Daniel returning, along with a wealth of talent on the offensive side of the ball, Maclin just might continue to break records. As he progresses look for the Tigers to really separate themselves from the rest of the Big 12 North.