ESPN posts their first 2012 mock draft, I die a little more inside

It's December 21st, 2011. There's still 2 weeks left in the NFL's regular season. Fans of teams in the playoff hunt shouldn't even be thinking about the 2012 NFL DRAFT. Hell, no fan should be worrying about something so utterly fluid, mercurial and over 4 months in the future.

But we live in an era with a 24/7/365 news cycle. The demand for content never, ever ceases. So I wasn't surprised to see this ESPN Insider article today:

Your eyes aren't deceiving you. ESPN is already posting mock drafts. This is eons before the college player All-Star games, the combine, school pro days or even before anyone knows exactly who will be an early entry. It's all pure, unadulterated speculation.

I only had one response...

As you already know, I think all mock drafts are patently ridiculous exercises in futility, and those done before both the NFL and college seasons have ended are a complete waste of everybody's time. I know better, but being the dedicated Lions blogger that I am, I decided to take a look at who ESPN draft guru Todd McShay had the Lions selecting.

Of course, it had to be a corner, offensive lineman or linebacker. Right?

Well, that makes sens...wait...WHAT? A running back? Seriously?

You know what's coming...

Sure, anything is possible. GM Martin Mayhew is well known for his proclivity to select the best available player, regardless of position...WITHIN REASON.

After taking Javid Best and Mikel Leshoure in the 1st and 2nd rounds of the last 2 drafts, and both should be relatively healthy going into 2012, selecting another running back in the 1st round is NOT within reason...unless you're Matt Millen, whom we all know believes taking skill position players by the dozen makes perfect sense.

Could the Lions use another running back? As the depth chart is barren after several injuries, sure. But drafting a middle-late rounds back would the sensible way to approach it, not with a day one pick. It's the equivalent of using a chain saw for surgery when a scalpel would be more appropriate. The Lions need to add depth, not more highly paid skill position players.

For giggles, I took a look back at some of the early draft speculation I bitched about back in January of this year.

1/13/11:

For example, I've already heard the drum beat for the Lions to take LSU CB Patrick Petersen and Alabama RB Mark Ingram, to name only two.

1/20/11:

Detroit Free Press: ESPN's Mel Kiper projects Lions to draft UCLA LB Akeem Ayers

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. unveiled his first NFL mock draft of the year today, projecting the Detroit Lions to pick UCLA outside linebacker Akeem Ayers at No. 13 overall.

And just how accurate was this far too early draft speculation? Petersen's stock rose, going 5th overall. Ingram dropped all the way to 28, and Ayers fell like he had an anvil attached to his pre-draft accolades, and dropped all the way to the 7th pick of the 2nd round.

So...yeah. There's the validity of early mock drafts in a nutshell.

As they say, "It's shit like this, ESPN. It's shit like this..."