A roundup of the media's take on Fairley:
First from Pre-Draft articles...
From our own Jeff Risdon (Drafted #4 in the "What I Would Do" article):
Fairley has an extremely high bust risk, but if any team can make it work for him, it's Marvin Lewis' Bengals. He and Domata Peko together would present major problems between the tackles for offenses, which is where I believe the new hot trend for defenses to attack is heading. Fairley is markedly better on tape than last year's #3 pick Gerald McCoy and they are very stylistically similar.
Read more:
http://football.realgm.com/src_encroach ... z1Ku1TzUJp
Peter King, taking him at #8
Tennessee was rarely as toothless defensively under Jeff Fisher as it was in his last season, and the lack of interior pressure from the line was a big part of that. Fairley doesn't come without risk, however. He was a one-year wonder at Auburn, and there are questions about how dedicated he'll be.
Read more:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... z1Ku2l3QHP
Don Banks, taking him at #8
NFL Blog Network via ESPN (Paul Kuharsky) picking him at #8
A DT with Fairley's power and feet can impact the entire defense, and the Titans need a big transformation on that side of the ball.
Pete Prisco rates him the #1 player in the draft
I don't understand how people have dropped him down the board. Watch his tape. He destroys guys. And I have talked to coaches who like the kid. I did as well.
Then, reactions to the draft.
Jason Cole (Labeled Lions "Winners)
Some might consider it overkill to draft defensive tackle Nick Fairley when the Lions took Ndamukong Suh(notes) last year. I completely disagree. If you have a chance to create a dominant, overpowering defensive line, you do it. There are concerns about Fairley’s work ethic, which caused him to drop from a possible top five pick to No. 13. However, Suh’s intensity could drive Fairley to play harder. One of Fairley’s first comments when he met with the media after being drafted: “I can’t wait to line up next to [Suh]”. With Suh and Fairley, both of whom have a serious mean streak and are quick enough to slide outside in certain situations to play defensive end, the Lions could actually be ferocious (sorry, I couldn’t resist) on defense for the first time in about three decades.
Nolan Nawarocki
The rush to fill quarterback needs pushed Fairley down the draft board, along with concerns about his character. However, head coach Jim Schwartz knew how to get the most out of Albert Haynesworth in Tennessee and now could have the most disruptive pair of interior defensive linemen in the NFL. The key for Fairley will be limiting the number of snaps he plays and making sure veterans like Kyle Vanden Bosch can keep him focused.
Peter King
Kevin Seifert
If you had a choice between addressing a weakness or enhancing a strength, what choice would you make? It’s not an easy choice.
Fairley
The Detroit Lions landed on the latter, and I can’t criticize them for it as long Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley proves inaccurate the character questions that caused his fall from the top 10. Because when you talk about a defensive line with a shaped-up Fairley, along with Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Cliff Avril, Sammie Lee Hill and Lawrence Jackson, you’re talking about probably the best defensive line in football.
The Lions surely have needs at cornerback and outside linebacker, but an elite defensive line can cover up weakness in the back end much easier than the other way around. I still have no idea who the Lions will line up at three of their four secondary positions and two of their three linebacker spots, but I can tell you one thing: They’ve got a chance to have a lights-out defensive line.
“Nasty,” is the way Fairley described it on ESPN Radio.
General manager Martin Mayhew has drafted fairly predictably in his first two years in the job. He faced his first really difficult draft decision Thursday night, and we can only trust he feels comfortable with Fairley from a character standpoint. I wonder if he would have made this pick without strong personalities like Vanden Bosch and Suh already in the locker room.
The Lions aren’t in a personnel position to be flippant with their first-round picks. But if Fairley proves him right, it’s a home run for Mayhew.
Byrne
The Lions may have landed great value with Fairley at the No. 13 pick. He was the top defender on the national champion Auburn defense and a true train-wrecker of an interior lineman. He chalked up 11.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in 2010, incredible numbers for a DT -- better than many of the pure pass rushers in the draft, including several taken ahead of him. His stock appeared to drop in recent weeks over questions about work ethic. But if he lives up to the potential, the Lions will have the NFLs deadliest combination of young defensive linemen with Fairley and last year's No. 1, Ndamukong Suh.
Read more:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/footba ... z1KuAG5c00
Pete Prisco (Lions get only A+)
This is a steal. He was the top player on my board. Now he plays next to Suh. Good luck handling that tandem for years to come.
