John Niyo: NFL

A good-enough QB will do for Lions

Searching for Bobby Layne?

Nah, not really. The Lions, like a lot of teams, are simply looking for Matt Ryan.

And that's why Falcons coach Mike Smith was smiling this week at the NFL owners' meetings in Dana Point, Calif. He has what at least half the league's coaches -- if not more -- truly covets: A young franchise quarterback.

"This is a quarterback league," said Smith, who was in new Lions coach Jim Schwartz's shoes last season as a defensive-minded rookie coach. "And I think the teams that are successful usually are the teams that have a quarterback that plays efficiently. That's not to say that's always the case. But when you have a quarterback that can operate efficiently, it sure opens up a whole lot more avenues, because he's the guy that touches the ball every snap.

"I believe this, as a defensive coach, when you have to defend a quarterback in this league, it makes it a lot more difficult. When you face a Tom Brady, a Peyton Manning, a Drew Brees -- some of the elite quarterbacks -- and you're the defensive coordinator, you're gonna spend a whole lot of time preparing. Because you know those guys are gonna make plays."

His guy -- Ryan was the No. 3 overall pick in 2008 -- made enough last season to earn rookie-of-the-year honors after leading the Falcons to the playoffs.

But while Smith is quick to credit Ryan's maturity as a fifth-year senior -- "He wasn't a third-year player coming out," he said -- he's also quick to explain that wasn't a shot at this year's top prospect, Georgia's Matt Stafford.

Smith said he came away from Stafford's pro day impressed. Still, it's not the workouts -- and Stafford will have his private workout with Lions officials Tuesday -- that should make the decision.

"I am, and our organization is, a big believer that the film is the player's DNA," Smith said. "You can look at the numbers that players produce when they're testing, but it really is based on what you see on the tape."

Tough choices

If the Lions pass on Stafford at No. 1, they'll probably have a hard time landing one of the top three quarterbacks -- and beyond that, there's not much else in this draft -- without trading up from their second first-round pick at No. 20.

San Francisco (No. 10), the New York Jets (No. 17) and Tampa Bay (No. 19) all have a need, and Southern California's Mark Sanchez and Kansas State's Josh Freeman are unlikely to slip past those three.

"The No. 1 position for probably everybody in this league except for probably four teams is quarterback," Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris said.

"If you get an opportunity, if you feel a guys a franchise guy, if you have confidence in him, you take him. I have no reservations about it."

Hilltop blues

Mike Singletary , the hard-edged 49ers coach, had a surprise for his team as offseason workouts began.

He built a 50-foot hill at the team's practice facility, trying to replicate the one he trained on as a player in Houston with former NFL greats Earl Campbell , Charlie Joyner and Darrell Green .

His players' reaction?

"They were asking our strength coach, "What is that?'" Singletary said. "They're not excited about it. But they have no idea how much it will help them. They won't like it. But it'll be good for them."

You can reach John Niyo at (313) 982-3810 or john.niyo@detnews.com.