A new era in Detroit Lions football started Saturday afternoon with the selection of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, and as the old saying goes, the more things change the more they stay the same.

The Lions not only started the draft by selecting a skill player. They had three picks on day one of the draft and, despite the depth available on both the offensive and defensive lines, Detroit managed to emerge without helping themselves in the trenches one iota.

That’s not to trash on the guys the Lions did take. They must see Stafford as a potential franchise quarterback. I like Stafford, though I don’t see him being a top five NFL quarterback. I think Brandon Pettigrew has the potential to be a sneaky steal at tight end – and he is a solid, solid blocker as well, so perhaps they did gain SOME help. I don’t know a lot about safety Louis Delmas, whom the Lions snagged with the first pick in the second round. But he also doesn’t play in the trenches.

It’s not that any of these guys are bad players. Again, they all, especially Pettigrew, reportedly are decent value picks. It’s just been said here at Zoneblitz and in other places that teams like the Lions, off the only 0-16 team in history, need to rebuild in the trenches first.

Still, heading into day two, that’s a problem that can still be rectified. Guards Duke Robinson and Herman Johnson, from Oklahoma and LSU respectively, remain on the board. As do defensive ends Michael Johnson and Jarron Gilbert.

There’s still time for the Lions to add to their take and help this barren team where it needs it most. And if they can add a couple sleeper linemen to the crop they took in yesterday they’ll have done it differently than I had suggested, but they’ll have at least taken some steps on the path toward improvement.