Lions Plan to Have #1 Pick Locked-Up Pre-Draft

Although the pick won't be made until Commissioner Roger Goddell announces it on stage April 25th, that doesn't mean the Lions won't have already decided who the pick will be, and hopefully have him under contract.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said Friday he'll follow the lead other teams have set in recent years, targeting multiple players as the potential No. 1 overall choice and using that as leverage in hammering out a deal before the draft.

"I think probably even more than a week before," Mayhew said. "It's going to be a complicated contract, so I think we have to get out ahead of that at least a couple weeks and start narrowing it down and start talking to people. I envision us talking to at least three different players, at least that, and trying to see where those guys are and trying to get something done prior to the draft. It's pretty important that we have the contract done prior to the draft."

Several teams have had success with this strategy, the Miami Dolphins agreed to terms with No. 1 pick Jake Long several days prior to the draft. The Houston Texans had Mario Williams signed before they selected him No. 1 in 2006. Both players are off to promising careers.

In 2007, the Oakland Raiders didn't get JaMarcus Russell signed and he ended up being a contract holdout who missed all of training camp as a rookie, and has yet to get his career on track.

Asked if a contract agreement would be a prerequisite for their No. 1 pick, Mayhew said, "I don't know if I'd use the term 'deal-breaker' but it's of critical importance that we have a contract done prior to the draft. That's very, very important to us."