When a player is selected in the first round, he receives his team's draft hat, then takes the stage to join Roger Goodell. The commissioner hands him a No. 1 jersey from his new team and photos are taken. After Goodell exits, the player is allowed to bring his family and friends on stage for more photos.

On Thursday night, one player won the Entourage Award for having the most friends and family on the stage. New Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley had well over 25 people join him on the Radio City stage to celebrate being the 13th pick overall.

If this is any indication, Fairley is lucky that the Lions don't sell out many games because he'll be needing a lot of tickets.



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-- MATTHEW WEISS
Video by SEAN JOHNSON
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Before the first round of the draft, I was hoping for the Lions to draft Prince Amukamara with the 13th overall selection. I figured that the team needed a cornerback, and Amukamara was a pretty good player to fill that void.

I didn't know that Nick Fairley would still be available.

Detroit was able to pick up the defensive tackle from Auburn with its first-round pick, a selection that many experts are already praising. Fairley was projected to be the top overall pick just a few weeks ago, and though his status declined a bit, he is still one of the best players in this draft. Just ask the Oregon offensive line, which he dismantled in the national championship game.

Fairley was by far the best player the Lions could have drafted at No. 13. He gives the Lions potentially the best defensive line in the league and perhaps the most fearsome defensive tackle combination. Of course this all hinges on Fairley panning out as a good player.

Detroit will be able to rotate in a number of really good linemen on defense. The defensive line is absolutely the most important part of the defense. Though the Lions still definitely have holes at linebacker and in the secondary, a formidable front four will allow them to compete in every game.

I love this pick. The Lions are never the best at anything, and all of the sudden people are actually afraid of this team. They are afraid of what Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley will do next to each other.

When the pick was announced, you could almost hear the analysts on ESPN and NFL Network slobbering over the endless possibilities of this Lions defensive line.

In the NFL, the pass rush is the key for any team to compete. Detroit already had a really good pass rush entering the first round of this draft. They left the first round with possibly the league's best front four.

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-- STANLEY KAY
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For the past few years, the draft strategy for the Detroit Lions has been to take the best player available. Finally, it looks like the Lions have moved past that stage.

If Detroit is in a position to potentially compete for a playoff spot this season (as long as the season happens), the team must fill its most pressing void -- cornerback -- either in free agency or the draft.

The top cornerback prospect in the draft, Patrick Peterson, will surely be selected by time the Lions make their pick at No. 13. But there's a chance that the draft's second-best cornerback, Prince Amukamara, will still be available when Detroit picks. If he is still on the board, the Lions should select him with their pick.

It might be tempting for Detroit to take defensive end Da'Quan Bowers with their pick, which could make the Lions' pass rush even more formidable. But defensive end is not nearly as pressing of a need as cornerback; the Lions already have Kyle Vanden Bosch on one side, and a mix of Cliff Avril, Turk McBride and Lawrence Jackson on the other, all of whom are adequate.

The Lions could also use an offensive tackle, but no outstanding prospect exists. As long as Amukamara is still on the board, it makes the most sense for the Lions to take the cornerback and shore up their secondary, which is still the most gaping hole on this roster.

If Amukamara is no longer on the board (and assuming Peterson is gone as well), then I would not necessarily choose the next-best cornerback. At that point, it would be wise to either trade down (this could be a possibility even with Amukamara available) or choose the best available player. An offensive lineman like Tyron Smith might make a nice selection, as would a defensive end like Wisconsin's J.J. Watt or Bowers.

But if the Lions truly want to use this draft to solidify their biggest weakness, then Prince Amukamara makes the most sense.

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-- STANLEY KAY
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The NFL schedule for the (very tentative) 2011 season was released on Tuesday, and the Lions somehow ended up with one of the toughest schedules in the league. But on the bright side, they will be featured on Monday Night Football. Let’s break down each week's opponent for Detroit:

Sept. 11 at Tampa Bay
Two years ago, these two squads were among the most putrid in the league. Now they will be trendy picks for the playoffs. Prediction: Only one of the two lives up to the hype.

Sept. 18 vs. Kansas City
The Chiefs were one of the weakest teams in the postseason this past year. Don’t be surprised if Kansas City flops, especially early in the season.

Sept. 25 at Minnesota
Lions fans will surely be hoping that Joe Webb somehow lines up under center for the Vikings, just like Week 17 last season.

Oct. 2 at Dallas
A Dallas team that defeated the Lions a year ago will surely be improved this year. Then again, the Cowboys’ Super Bowl bandwagon is known to crash violently each year.

Oct. 10 vs. Chicago
How about a little Monday Night Football for the Lions? For the first time since 2001, Detroit will host a Monday night game -– this one against a divisional rival. Ford Field will be rocking.

Oct. 16 vs. San Francisco
New Niners coach Jim Harbaugh passed on the University of Michigan coaching job this past off-season. Think he’ll stop by East Lansing to cheer on his alma mater against Michigan State on Oct. 15?

Oct. 23 vs. Atlanta
It will be the third of three straight home games for Detroit when Atlanta comes to town. The Falcons are coming off a year atop the NFC regular-season standings, but fell hard in the postseason.

Oct. 30 at Denver
Don’t expect the Broncos to be too good in 2011, but a trip to Mile High is always difficult for the visiting team.

Nov. 6 BYE
Maybe the first time in a while we don’t have to make the obligatory "the Lions aren’t playing anyone so they can’t possibly lose this week!" joke.

Nov. 13 at Chicago
If both of these teams are still in the playoff race in November –- a distinct possibility –- then this game could take one team out of the running.

Nov. 20 vs. Carolina
It's probably too early to call this a victory, but unless Carolina comes up with the football version of the Fab Five in this year’s draft, then the Lions should be solid favorites against the Panthers.

Nov. 24 vs. Green Bay
The annual Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit will feature the Lions and the defending Super Bowl champion Packers. Last year, Detroit beat the Packers down the stretch at Ford Field, putting Green Bay a step closer to elimination (except instead of being eliminated, they won the Super Bowl).

Dec. 4 at New Orleans
The Saints should be strong again in 2011, but their defense could be problematic. Start looking forward to a shootout.

Dec. 11 vs. Minnesota
Even though the Vikings won’t have Brett Favre in 2011 (I’ve definitely spoken too soon), don’t forget that Minnesota still has Adrian Peterson. The Lions better be ready for a heavy dose of run.

Dec. 18 at Oakland
The Raiders were much improved in 2010, but they still have quarterbacking issues. Then again, so do the Lions.

Dec. 24 vs. San Diego
The Chargers failed to reach the postseason in 2010, but they should be back as the AFC West frontrunner in 2011. San Diego has earned a reputation as Team December in recent years, but let’s not forget about those 2010 Lions.

Jan. 1 vs. Green Bay
Somehow it doesn’t seem implausible that the Lions will still be alive on the final day of the season. And if Green Bay is already resting its starters for the postseason … well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The only thing we know about this game is that it will be cold outside.

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-- STANLEY KAY
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Detroit Lions fans had their most exciting Super Bowl moment this past Sunday since –- well, ever –- when Chrysler debuted its “Imported From Detroit” advertisement.

The ad aims to sell Chrysler 200 cars, but it does a much better job selling the city of Detroit. It uses iconic images of the city, as well as one of Motown’s most recognizable figures: Eminem.

Just like Detroit is in the process of recovery, so is the city’s football team. A YouTube video has surfaced with the audio of the original advertisement dubbed over video footage of the Lions.

The quality isn’t exactly Avatar, but the video can help but get you excited about the future of the Detroit Lions. Just like the original advertisement probably gave most Detroiters the chills, the audio from the original still carries the same power with the Lions.

Anyone else ready for football season?

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-- STANLEY KAY
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