Image: AP

It seems like today is a day Matthew Stafford has known was coming since he was a 16 year old junior at Highland Park High School in Texas. The day he’d go in the first round of the NFL Draft. Did he have the swagger to think he’d be the first overall pick? Maybe. Likely even.

Well, his day is here. Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions reached a deal worth 41.7 million guaranteed, ensuring that he will be the first player taken in this year’s NFL Draft.

There will not be a holdout with the top pick in the 2009 NFL draft. The Detroit Lions and agents for Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford reached an agreement on a record-setting contract that will pay Stafford a guaranteed $41.7 million.

Stafford becomes only the third Georgia Bulldog selected first overall in the NFL draft. Following the all-time greats Charlie Trippi and Frank Sinkwich.

UPDATE: NFL.com has disabled embedding for this video. You have to go watch it here.

It looks like Stafford to Detroit is becoming more of a certainty every day. The Lions are still negotiating with Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry for leverage during the negotations.

Interesting comments from the talking heads comparing Stafford to Ryan. The consensus being Ryan was better prepared for the NFL. Hard to disagree with that considering Matt Ryan was a fifth year senior compared to Stafford who is entering the draft as a true junior.

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