Star receiver Calvin Johnson’s status is in doubt for the Lions’ home opener against the Chiefs.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz is fast becoming one of the NFL’s more influential tweeters. His latest initiative is a perfect example. Schwartz, tweeting as @jschwartzlions, asked Lions fans to come up with a nickname for the team’s ballyhooed defensive line, offering a signed football to the winner.

The Lions tried to trade up for Patrick Peterson in the first round of the NFL draft before the Cardinals selected him fifth overall, a league source said Friday.

The third annual NFL.com mock draft, like its predecessors, was an interesting endeavor in looking at how the first round could ultimately play out, with NFL Network and NFL.com analysts playing the roles of general managers.

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock spent 90 minutes Wednesday on a conference call talking with reporters about the 2011 NFL Draft. Those 90 minutes proved to be a gold mine of pre-draft knowledge, with Mayock sharing his thoughts on many of the prospects and what NFL teams are thinking.

Consider Cam Newton a man of his word. And if I’m the Carolina Panthers, I would take this quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick.

The main attractions at Auburn’s pro day on Tuesday were QB Cam Newton and DT Nick Fairley, but here are some more results to pass along from the other 20 prospects who worked out.

They still talk about Miami’s pro day in 2004 when an estimated 125 NFL coaches, GMs and scouts showed up to see one of the best draft classes a school has ever assembled — six prospects who went on to get selected among the top 19 picks. It might get topped here today when Auburn holds its pro day.

One of the main threads of chatter throughout the NFL Scouting Combine has been about the depth and talent of the defensive linemen, whom coaches and GMs pointed to all week as the strength of the draft. Within that group, the conversation narrows to Nick Fairley versus Marcell Dareus as to who the top interior lineman available has been.

The first group of defensive linemen is done with the 40-yard dash, so we have some unofficial times to pass along.

There’s no rest for the weary. We’ve reached Day 5 of the NFL Scouting Combine, and many of the draft’s top prospects along the defensive line and at linebacker will work out at Lucas Oil Stadium.

When it comes to touting their prospective NFL players, representatives of college football programs can be a little, uh, creative with some of the vital statistics. Listed heights and weights are routinely embellished for the sake of making the prospects look more attractive to potential employers.

Since the lights are still on at Lucas Oil Stadium, here’s a look back at what we saw, learned and heard on Day 4 of the Combine.

Defensive linemen, considered to be a strength of this year’s draft class, were weighed and measured Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Jamie Dukes cross-examines Mike Mayock‘s top 5 defensive tackle prospects, shedding light on why Auburn’s Nick Fairley and four others are ready to bring immediate value to an NFL defense.