Detroit Jock City
Fansided

Detroit Lions: Comparing the first drafts of Bob Quinn and Martin Mayhew

By Erik Schlitt

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Taylor Decker (Ohio State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Detroit Lions as the number sixteen overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Taylor Decker (Ohio State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Detroit Lions as the number sixteen overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Comparing the first NFL Draft classes of Detroit Lions current GM Bob Quinn and former Lions GM Martin Mayhew, looking for differences in approach.

There are many ways to operate an NFL team. Every new General manager faces different problems. They must customize their approach to fit the needs of their team while also implementing their vision on what it takes to build a successful NFL franchise.

More from Detroit Lions

During the 2008 season, Martin Mayhew inherited a struggling Detroit Lions team who was on their way to an 0-16 season. Within two weeks of taking over, his starting quarterback Jon Kitna, went onto injured reserve and was out for the year. We can be assume that he sensed that the season was all but lost, when Mayhew traded away one the top starters on the roster in wide receiver Roy Williams. Mayhew was able to secure three draft picks (a first, a third and a sixth) from the Dallas Cowboys in the trade. This was Mayhew’s first substantial move in re-building the Lions.

Bob Quinn inherited a much different team. Quinn took on a team that had been to the playoffs in two of the last five years. While several talented players from those playoff teams were no longer on the roster, the cupboard was by no means empty. Quinn had a much more comfortable starting point than Mayhew, but his Detroit Lions still needed a lot of attention.

What did they have in common?

  • Both completed their first draft by adding 10 players
  • Both drafted nine players from FBS schools and one from a FCS school
  • Both heavily drafted players from the senior class
  • Both took a quarterback (Matthew Stafford, Jake Rudock)
  • Both took a running back late on day three who had 4.4 speed (Aaron Brown, Dwayne Washington)
  • Both took one safety who would have a chance to compete to start (Louis Delmas, Miles Killebrew)
  • Neither took a cornerback

What was different?

Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass the ball against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
  • Mayhew made two draft day trades, Quinn none.
  • They took a quarterback for very different reasons, Mayhew needed a leader in Matthew Stafford, Quinn needed a backup to Stafford
  • Mayhew drafted five players in the first 82 picks (1, 20, 33, 76, 82).
  • Three became instant starters (Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, Delmas)
  • Bob Quinn drafted three player in the first 95 (16, 46, 95)
  • First round pick Taylor Decker looks like the only for sure starter in this class, although defensive tackle  A’Shawn Robinson (pick 46) will play a significant role and center Graham Glasgow (95) will have a chance to be a day one starter.
  • Mayhew only drafted two offensive or defensive lineman and didn’t select one until the fourth round pick 115, defensive tackle Sammie Hill.
  • Quinn drafted four lineman in the first 151 picks, and five total
  • Mayhew’s two lineman had minimal experience competing at a high college level, Sammie Hill was a FCS level player and offensive tackle Lydon Murtha only had two years starting experience.
  • Quinn’s offensive lineman each started for three years at a FBS level, and his defensive lineman were three-year contributors on their teams.

So what does that tells us?

Martin Mayhew needed to infuse the roster with talent and he went after skill players to accomplish that. He targeted and drafted a franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford to build around. Mayhew had so many needs to fill it was virtually impossible to accomplish that in one draft. To his credit, Mayhew’s 2009 draft produced three players who are key contributors on Quinn’s 2016 team.

Quinn, being in a much different spot than Mayhew, is building his team from the offensive and defensive lines. With talent in key areas, Quinn didn’t need to quickly infuse the roster with talent, instead he took a slower more methodical approach. It’s still way too early to make any conclusions on Quinn’s first draft class but he defiantly executed his game plan. Acquire depth at all positions and add mean, physical players to compete for starting spots.

Aug 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew duirng the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew duirng the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Did Mayhew change his approach in future drafts?

Mayhew’s approach to each draft was to acquire three starters, three contributors who could be future starters, and three players who could contribute on special teams. He commonly said he would let the draft come to him and added several key players over his seven years with the franchise. Mike O’Hara broke down how the last five of Mayhew’s draft classes contributed as rookies: here.

While his first year strategy of infusing the roster with talent seemed like a justified starting plan, Mayhew rarely strayed from this strategy and seemed to repeat patterns over and over, even if they weren’t working.

More from Detroit Jock City

The first three rounds is typically where teams add players that are foundation pieces for their franchise. Mayhew had 23 picks in the these rounds, and only seven (30%) played on the offensive or defensive line. Most people will tell you, good teams are built from the lines out. Mayhew only investing 30% of his premium equity in that area, in hindsight, was a major part of his downfall.

Mayhew did draft an offensive lineman in every draft but it wasn’t until 2012 that he took one in the first three rounds. By attempting to upgrade the offensive line in free agency instead of the draft, Mayhew created a revolving door by having to replace players every two or three years.

Another characteristic of these 23 players is that several of them were considered “risky”, because of injury (Javid Best, Ryan Broyles) or off the field issues (Nick Fairley, Mikel Leshoure, Titus Young). Mayhew felt he needed to take these gambles to add talent, but this is another repeating pattern that hurt the team.

Another problem spot for Mayhew was drafting wide receivers. He drafted a receiver in six of his seven drafts and five of those six were slot receivers. Why did he keep drafting slot receivers? Because none of them could stay on the roster. Mayhew and his staff’s inability to successfully identify a competent slot receiver was a yearly waste of around 11% draft equity.

While Mayhew gambled on talent on days one and two, on day three (rounds four through seven), he played it safer and selected established players or guys with predictable upside. Mayhew was actually one of the better day three selecting general managers in the business. Of the 30 picks he used on day three, twelve players are still on the roster, and six of them are starters.

Next: Ranking Lions Draft Class by Rookie-Year Impact

Mayhew’s inability to not repeat his mistakes ultimately led to his downfall. Bob Quinn appears to be adopting a low risk drafting strategy by building from the line out and takings “safer” players. Unlike Mayhew though, Quinn has his predecessor to thank for not leaving him with a team full of back ups.

Will Bob Quinn change his approach to the draft in upcoming years? Will he be able to identify his flaws and make adjustments? We will have to wait and see.

Home/Detroit Lions