I was sitting across the table from Martin Mayhew last month when he was asked about giving away fourth- and fifth-round draft picks to acquire Haloti Ngata.
Ngata is a great player, the question went, but you've always said he would like to build the Lions through the draft.
"Let me ask you a question," Mayhew replied, politely but pointedly. "How many times have we started a draft, and ended a draft, with the same picks? Anybody know?"
The answer: None.
Mayhew has conducted six drafts as the Lions' general manager, dating to 2009, and he has either moved up or down in every single one of them.