Kiper's Re-Draft Of 2009 Class Includes Matthew Stafford, Three Other Lions Players, As First-Round Picks
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. took a look back at the 2009 draft class this week and re-drafted the players taken back then based on how they have fared since they entered the league.
Just like the Detroit Lions did years ago, Kiper took quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick. Some fans have been frustrated with Stafford, who showed statistical improvement between the 2013 and 2014 seasons under new head coach Jim Caldwell, but Kiper thinks the best is yet to come.
"He's been a good QB with bouts of greatness, and while you can call modern passing stats inflated, Stafford is on a pace to eclipse 50,000 passing yards in his career," Kiper wrote in an article for ESPN Insider subscribers. "He's safely past 21,000 yards and is barely 27 years old, and my guess is his best football is in front of him ... Stafford could play another 10 good years."
Kiper listed three other current Lions in his re-draft of the first round of 2009. Included in Kiper's selections were linebacker DeAndre Levy (14th), safety Glover Quin (22nd) and tight end Brandon Pettigrew (26th). Pettigrew was actually taken 20th overall by the Lions, while Levy and Quin were third- and fourth-round picks.
Levy, one of the best in the league at his position, will be a free agent following the 2015 season.
"Levy has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL over the past two seasons, and the 27-year-old Wisconsin product appears to be just hitting his stride, so I could see him add at least a few more really good seasons," Kiper wrote. "He trailed only Luke Kuechly in tackles last season (153 to 151) and should continue to be a rangy tackling machine."
Quin is under contract through 2017, and he gave the Lions their money's worth last season. He played every game and recorded 73 tackles, defended 10 passes and snagged seven interceptions.
"He's not a star, but Quin is solidly above average and beyond that when it comes to dependability," Kiper wrote. "Since 2010, Quin has started 80 of a possible 80 games and was a big part of Detroit's defense making a big statistical jump in 2014."
Pettigrew, who in previous years was a major target for Stafford, was thrown to only 15 times last season, down from 64 in the 2013 season. Kiper seemed to weigh Pettigrew's earlier performance heavily in listing the tight end as a first-round pick in his re-draft.
"Sure, he's an enigmatic talent who most Lions fans would say hasn't lived up to the draft-day hype, but Pettigrew has caught 294 passes (a full 60 more than any other TE in the draft) and should have some good football left," Kiper wrote.