By Lee Stevens, PWTorch specialist

Now that the fireworks have cooled and the confetti has been swept away from WrestleMania 25 in Houston, the WWE Draft will shuffle the roster for the rest of the year. Although the lines between Raw, Smackdown, and ECW have been blurred throughout the last 12 months to the point where a draft may seem like a pointless exercise to some fans, there are still ways to make the April 13 event have long-term importance.

(1) Make The Split Legit

If you are drafted to Smackdown, you perform on Smackdown. It's obviously not a complicated proposal, but one that has been recently pushed aside. I admit that the NFL Draft and the WWE Draft have a variety of differences, but when Jake Long was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, you didn't see him playing for the Jets or Patriots at various times during the year.

If a superstar is drafted to Smackdown, we should expect to see him on Friday nights unless it's for a noteworthy reason. It's not uncommon to see The Miz and John Morrison on Raw, ECW, and Smackdown during the same week, putting their particular home in doubt. For the record, they belong to ECW. I enjoyed the "Talent Exchange" this year, just as I enjoy an All-Star Game or an exhibition game which also showcases a player on a different team, but in most cases, they happen only once a year. A Raw talent on ECW should be the exception and not the rule.

(2) We Need Mel Kiper

It doesn't need to be Kiper specifically, but we need an analyst for the night to help explain why someone would pick this particular person. The inaugural WWE Draft in 2002 featured The Rock and The Undertaker as the first two picks. Obviously, there doesn't need to be much explanation on those choices, but in later years, picks were used on Hornswoggle, Deuce, and Chuck Palumbo. Mel Kiper doesn't earn his money explaining why a top QB like Matt Ryan is a good fit for the Falcons. He proves his value when he convinces you that a 5th round choice from Eastern Tennessee A&M is going to get your team into the playoffs.

WWE needs someone with credibility and a certain sense of history with the WWE. Jim Ross seems like an obvious selection. What's the upside of Festus coming to ECW or Shad Gaspard going to Smackdown? Ross would be able to tell us.

(3) What are you feeling?

Every year, there is one player who thinks he's a Top 10 pick, but sits and waits, sometimes until the second round. Although it's painful to watch, it's also entertaining to hear his thoughts after he's finally chosen. Just as interesting is when a team picks a player and it's clear that the player would never pick them.

When Steve Francis was selected as the second pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, he did not celebrate the fact that he was chosen so high. He publicly complained that his final destination was Vancouver. You could tell immediately by the look on his face and the tone of his voice that his time with the Grizzlies would be short and he was later traded to the Houston Rockets.

In the same regard, wouldn't you have loved to hear more from Jim Ross when he was plucked from Raw? If a successful tag team like The Miz and Morrison are broken up by the draft, their comments could be a great opportunity to set up their singles programs by calling out potential opponents. For a younger draft pick like Evan Bourne, Tyson Kidd, or D.J. Gabriel, it's a chance to get experience on the microphone and use it as a springboard into whatever is planned at their next stop. At the very least, we should hear from the respective GMs showing enthusiasm about their selections.

(4) Sorry, I'm taken

If someone is ineligible for the draft, please let us know as soon as possible. If all of the current title-holders are off limits, that's fair, just tell us before the draft starts. If we are drafting from only active wrestlers, or only managers, or only people whose name rhymes with "The Blundermaker," just give us that information as soon as possible. Part of the fun of the NFL and NBA Drafts is locking in one person and trying to figure out if your team, or in this case brand, has a chance at getting him.

(5) Have a plan

One of the most frustrating franchises of the last decade has been the Detroit Lions. It seemed like every year at the draft you could pencil them in for a first round pick, a first round wide receiver and a first round bust. While other teams would draft All-Pro linemen to help slowly build a foundation, the Lions seemed to think that another wide receiver would change their fortune. It did change their fortune as they went from a team that lost 12 games a season to a team which lost all 16 of their games last year. Instead of having a long-range plan, General Manager Matt Millen went with the bright, shiny distractions of Mike Williams, Carlos Rogers, and Calvin Johnson.

Millen proved that it's easy to draft someone, but it's much more difficult to know what to do with that person once he's yours. Last year's supplemental draft included Big Daddy V, Palumbo, and Super Crazy. All of them have since been wished well on their future endeavors. The year before featured Paul London, Kenny Dykstra, The Sandman, Hardcore Holly, Daivari, and Eugene and if you're wondering why they weren't featured at WrestleMania, I'm quite certain it's related to endeavors in the future.

WWE should take a minute to map out at least a brief path for a person before they are drafted. Simply moving around someone doesn't give them motive, credibility, or a reason to care. If the milk is bad in the refrigerator, it won't taste any better simply because you moved it to the living room.

Last year's pick of Matt Hardy for ECW gave him a chance to carry a singles title and gave the brand a chance to get a bit of credibility from an established superstar. Mark Henry also wore the belt this past year and he was a veteran of the draft. If WWE takes the time to move someone, they should simply take the time to think about what to do with that person once they belong to a brand. Not everyone needs to compete for the title soon after they are picked, but at least have an idea for their first few weeks.

This is a great time for spring cleaning and perhaps the draft is the fresh start that everyone needs. The WWE is now on the clock.

Lee Stevens goes "Under The Microscope" for Raw and Smackdown. You can e-mail him at GLStevens.Torch@gmail.com or leave comments for him below.

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