Suh

As the 2010 NFL Draft approached, I was extremely surprised that there was even a debate over the potential of defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. It may not have been as ridiculous as the Aaron Rodgers-Alex Smith debates a few years earlier, but it still made little sense. Was I missing something? Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy is an excellent football player. He will be a fine NFL player, perhaps even a star. He was most definitely worth a high pick. Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh is just something else. He is a once in a lifetime type player. It was evident in college. It's obvious now. Two games into his second season and he's already one of the top defensive players in the league. He scares me and it starts today.Vikings center John Sullivan and guards Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera will be challenged all day. Two of them will be on Suh, perhaps every play. Fellow Lions tackle Corey Williams is an excellent player. The Vikings will likely take their chances with him while they focus on Suh. When the Lions top 2011 draft choice Nick Fairly returns from injury, an excellent line becomes a nightmare. It all starts with Suh.

It's unfortunate that some of Suh's game involves unnecessary roughness. He's so strong, so powerful. Perhaps, he doesn't know what he can do. More likely, he doesn't care. Fear is part of his game. It grows with each brutal hit, legal or not. He's got to understand when he's made the play. He should let what he does between the whistles define him.

The Lions are improving fast. Suh, quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson will be the cornerstones for a long time. Today is still bad news for the Lions. The Vikings need Adrian Peterson's running, as always, to keep the Lions defense, Suh in particular, off balance.