I don't know anything about this TE they just took in the 5th, but for once I don't hate a TE selection, since they need a blocking TE and a receiving TE to back up Hock would be a useful piece too.

This.

Williams is so damn good at football. Hes not just pure speed either he breaks tackles and runs pretty good routes. He wrecked Georgia in the conf champ game. Bama might of even beat them in the title game if he didnt get hurt. His stats are absurd 20 yards per catch is wild 1600 yds 15tds just a beast. He could legit be one of the alpha dog top tier nfl WRs. Go watch a bunch of his film its awesome.

Makes me alot happier with the Stafford deal that we used that pick to turn it into a talent like Williams. Still have another pick next year as well. I think next year the play is unload the clip on a QB. We could be in a spot to trade our 1st,rams 1st,+more picks to either trade up or scoop a big name QB. I really like the position were in esp if we can just draft a good QB we will have cash to spend on defense.

That's it exactly

Next year trade

Lions pick at like 9

Rams pick at 32 obv

Next years first and 4th and move to 2-3 and get our guy

Or just red shirt everyone and go 2-15 and pick our guy.

After a couple of days of looking into the picks I liked the draft. The first two Holmes drafts have proved he really values the trenches and I can dig it. Was on the fence about the Paschal pick after just taking Hutch but after digging in it appears he was used just like Georgia used Walker, all over the D-line. Appears to be a Campbell guy, super high character, and one of my favorite scouting quotes of him when diving in was "he's like a giant toddler out there smashing around and destroying legos all while loving every moment of it" lololol.

Kind of on the fence with the Kerby Joseph pick. I get it and hope he's the ball-hawk they think he can be but when I watched it just looked like right place right time positive variance. Balls just randomly bouncing directly to him or QB's falling off their back foot under pressure chucking it up straight at him. I hope he does have that sixth sense for the ball but I have some reservations.

My favorite guy from day 3 is James Houston. Absolute pitbull undersized DE. Don't know what more they'll aim to get out of him other than go get the QB but I can say if he stays healthy he'll def at least be good at that.

As for the QB situation I'm starting to think they truly believe they can win with Goff but, like YF & Hip point out, if that proves not to be the case we surely have the firepower to make a move next offseason. I really hope they don't feel attached at the hip to him and would be willing to make that move if need be.

Not sure if anyone's been following but I stumbled across the "Inside the Den" series on the Lions youtube channel a couple days ago. Obv a rose colored look at the behind the scenes but it was enjoyable. If you have spare hour and feel like checking out some lions content its pretty good.

Episode 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCSk...l=DetroitLions
Episode 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyFA...l=DetroitLions
Episode 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIuI...l=DetroitLions

Hutch was a no-brainer. Even if he doesn't turn out to be the best DE in this draft if he sets the tone for defense then I'm OK with the pick

Took a day or so for the shock to wear off. Absolutely love the trade up - not to discount the later 'diamond in the rough' WR picks but when you get a chance to land the top (or one of the top) WR from the draft only giving up pick 66 I think you gotta take it.

Paschal/Houston.... Love 3 picks building up the DL - what we watched last year was abysmal. Its easy to blame the LBs for our shitty run defense but the line wasn't doing much to slow anybody down before they got 5 yards downfield.

Fine with Joseph in the 4th - I thought for sure Indy had sniped our S but in hindsight I think the Lions had Joseph higher rated than Cross anyway. And hey - he can do backflips, somersaults and cartwheels so looking forward to his first pick6 celebration

Mitchell in the 5th looks like he may surprise as a viable backup/2nd TE option. Coming off injury, playing in a system that didn't really utilize his talents so not sure we have seen the best of him yet.

Not really sure about LB Rodriguez - seems a bit undersized to make much of an impact but looks like nobody questions his effort

CB Chase Lucas? who knows - I kinda thought they should've taken a chance on Josh Jobe (he signed as UDFA with Philly) if looking for a project CB but smarter people than me selected Lucas and chances are neither of these dudes are on 53 man rosters to start the season.

UDFA - was anybody else shocked Carson Strong wasn't drafted? I mean that pretty much means 99% chance he truly sucks and only holds clipboards his entire NFL career but still - don't they need 'just arms' to throw balls in camp? Seemed like an almost free option to draft and stick on PS and see if the coaches can find any talent over the next 7 months

I really like the Paschal pick. He may not have perfect measurables for wherever they line him up but he's an incredible competitor, was very productive in the SEC and absolutely the kind of guy you want to give a shot.

Yeah, but you don't draft a guy in the 2nd round that you're giving a shot. Guys at this point in the draft are expected to be starters or at least significant contributors. I think this guy will be. I've heard him compared to Trey Flowers. Not an elite pass rusher but a good strong defender who will hold his ground, generate some pressure, and keep the play in front of him. I'm liking this pick too. We've been screaming in this thread basically since 2015 that lack of pass rush was one of this teams fatal flaws, and finally they address it in 2022.

Anyways, here's my breakdown of the draft:

Rd. 1 Pick 2: Hutchinson - Well they did it. He fell to them and in the video of them calling him you can hear Goodell announcing Walker in the background. They knew who their guy was and what the market was for the pick, so they jumped right on this. He brings a level of power and violence to their pass rush that I haven't seen since Suh. We've talked about him a lot, and know what we're getting.

Rd. 1 Pick 12: Jameson Williams - Love the pick, but I'm unsure of the trade value. This guys speed and big play ability is off the charts. He runs crisp routes, separates, and can get some major yards after catch. It will be hard for the Lions to unlock his full potential as a deep threat with Jared Goff as QB, but he can still do a lot of damage and hopefully if Goff doesn't work out their next QB has a stronger arm that can really stretch defenses to their breaking point. He's a true WR1 that this team was sort of missing all of last year. The WR room is getting a bit crowded now, and some potential contributors like Quintez Cephus will see their snap count diminish if they even make the squad.

Rd. 2 Pick 46: Josh Paschal - As mentioned above, good edge defender. He'll provide some pass rush on passing downs as well as he can be kicked inside. It looks like the Lions will be doing a lot of rotating and situational football on the D-Line this year, and this guy will have a big role to play in that.

Rd. 3, pick 97 Kerby Joseph, Safety - This guy is probably one of the more polarizing picks. He had a pretty good season last year, but may be a bit raw. He will likely have to work his way into the rotation with Tracy Walker and Deshon Elliot. Elliot's on a one year deal, so he may not see starter level reps this year but may be more of a future pick.

Rd. 5 Pick 177 James Migtcheel, TE - A decent pass catching TE whose draft stock may have fallen due to having an injury shortened 2021 season. TE2 is a real need for this team, especially with Hock's constant injury worries. He needs to develop as a blocker, so he may start out as TE3 behind Brock Wright, playing more on passing downs and special teams. A good depth pick with starter potential if he recovers from his ACL well and develops the rest of his game.

Rd. 6 Pick 188 Malcolm Rodriguez, LB - A smaller but extremely athletic LB. This position was probably one of their bigger needs. Unfortunately I don't think this pick is going to have a big impact there. They have said they are playing more 4-3 this year, so he could see some time at the weak OLB spot maybe covering RB's out of the backfield, but I think he projects more as a special teamer. I still think they need to upgrade this position unless they think some of their 3-4 OLB's like Austin Bryant or Julian Okwara can play more OLB in a 4-3.

Rd. 6 Pick 217 James Houston, Edge/LB - Another LB/Pass Rush hybrid type. He's a definite depth pick who may have an uphill climb to make the 53 man roster, but may see some time on special teams. It's not clear where he projects on this team, my guess is more of a true LB based on his size. He may be more of a developmental type pick who they keep on the 53 but doesn't make the game day 46, we shall see.

Rd 7 Pick 237 Chase Lucas, CB - A small shifty corner. The Lions have a lot of bodies but also a lot of questions at this position. He also has an uphill battle to make the team, but if the unit underperforms or gets bitten by injuries again, he could get a real shot. As a 25 year old rookie he's already one of the older DB's on the team.

Overall a decent draft. They got a clear DE1 and WR1, very important positions to get locked down. They are now stocked up at pass rush and WR, two positions that when overloaded with talent can be a huge asset, so I like that.

That said, there's still some serious questions with this team at a few key positions:

CB - Going CB at pick 2 or early in the first round 1 was an option, as the two best went 3 & 4. They have a lot of bodies at this position but no one jumping off the page as a true CB1. Oruwariye, Jerry Jacbos, and AJ Parker all over-performed expectations last year, so that's promising. Melifonwu looked like he was developing nicely. Okudah is the big question mark if he can ever develop into DB1, but I think at this point you have to assume no. This could be a target for next years first round pick.

LB - Unless they have a plan here with players on their roster, this unit could be a real challenge. Maybe we see more 5 linemen or 3 safety type looks this year to compensate. It would not surprise me at all if we see some activity here around cutdown time, but finding starter level talent at this point in the offseason isn't easy.

QB - Goff is still Goff, and his backups don't look too impressive. Clearly the NFL thought less of this QB class then even the fanbase did, as outside of Pickett no one saw any real starter level talent. I'm still intrigued by Malik Willis, but don't completely hate them passing on this class. We've seen that Goff can work with the right pieces around him, let's hope this is it.

Great write up. I’m surprised you’re on the fence about the trade value.

Is your concern based on the value of trading up for WR or just the overall value of the picks?

Vikings fans were acting like we robbed them blind. Which is generally how I grade trades.

I've heard both extreme opinions on the trade. By the trade charts the Lions won, sot hat's good. I think the Vikings are in more of a "compete now" phase which means earlier picks are more valuable, and Detroit is in the rebuild phase meaning stockpiling quality starters found along the top 100 picks would be the priority, which is why I thought it was a bit odd. The true value of the trade won't be known until these guys hit the field. If Williams is as good as he appears on film, and the Lions don't squander his time here with garbage QBs, then it will have been a good trade. But if he struggles to come back from his ACL, and/or (the bigger risk imo) the Lions don't figure out the QB position, then it will have been for naught. Also I thought their WR room was coming together OK. Reynolds and St. Brown were playing good ball last year, and Cephus has done nothing but catch everything thrown his way in his short time. Adding Chark gets them 1-4. But if you're going to hoard talent at a position, WR is one to do it at.

Meanwhile picks 32 & 34 went Louis Cine who would have been a day 1 starter at safety, and Christian Watson, who would have been a candidate for WR1 on this squad. So it's not like they wouldn't have had some real good options there, as well as an additional 3rd round pick.

I'm usually of the opinion that draft picks are lottery tickets, and the more you have the better your chances of hitting the jackpot are. But it's clearly a balancing act. It just felt that this was the wrong year and this team in the wrong place to trade up. That's just my hopefully wrong take though.

Inside the Den 2022 Episode 4: Behind the Scenes of the Lions' 2022 NFL Draft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3yO...l=DetroitLions

Awesome! They can't contain their excitement. Love the fact this proves Holmes/Campbell idea of a perfect start was Hutchinson + trade up for Williams. Also confirms the backup plan if Hutch goes 1 was Travon Walker

Obviously they loved their other picks too but those are much easier to edit around a narrative to fit who was actually selected

Happy Hard Knocks day Lions Bros! I'm not even sure when I will be able to watch it on HBO MAX but Ima stay up until its available!

Hard Knocks was awesome. Duce Staley is like if Dan Campbell snorted a mix of coke and Adderall. Also you better not fart in the running backs room.

All aboard the Malcolm Rodriguez hype train. I have a feeling it won't be long before he cracks the starting lineup. Yeah being 5'11 is a liability but the dude just flat out plays.

Very much looked like a rookie against Atl, kept screwing up his run fits imo. Good news is that it was just a first preseason game.

I enjoyed Rodriguez's opening kickoff tackle every bit as much as Hutch's 2nd-play TFL. I was surprised they didn't make more of it during the show (they showed the tackle but not in-sequence, and didn't mention it was the first play of the game for D/ST).

The start to the Falcon's game (1st string O efficient drive, O-line looking great, Goff should have been 4-4, ARSB looking great, Swift effective capping off with a nice 9 yard TD; into an awesome special teams tackle by Rodriguez, followed by Hutch's amazing start to the game) was about as perfect as you could have scripted. That was fun to watch.

For sure. My biggest concern is that the second half of last season was a bit of a mirage. At least based on one drive (and to be fair what I'm seeing/hearing from camp) it wasn't. And they've definitely increased the talent level as well.

I think one thing this game and episode showed is I'm not thrilled with our backup QB situation. I think Boyle has to go. He has a cannon, but that's it. He doesn't have the accuracy or or the pocket awareness to even be a decent backup. Blough maybe. He's more consistent which I think is an important trait in a backup QB. You sort of know what you're gonna get from him. The fumble was bad but I'm not gonna drag him too much over one play. There are two types of backup QBs. Young developmental projects, and career backups. Blough and Boyle are career backups at this point, and I'd give the nod to Blough as he's a better game manager and more accurate. But I think when you have a starter like Goff who maybe isn't your long term guy, why not take a flyer on a UDFA prospect? Sure you probably downgrade your immediate talent level, but at this point why keep guys around who have no chance of competing for QB1 unless you think Goff is your long term QB1 and you want to know what you've got in case he goes down.

I agree they could take a flyer on a developmental guy with the position, but in theory the Lions want their backup QB to be as bad as possible.

Any injury to a starting level QB means they are out of whatever slim playoff hopes they might have. If the Lions backup QB has to play 2 or more games, we're tanking for picks at that point.

Wouldn’t surprise me at all if the lions finish 9-8 this year ahead of either the pack or vikings

Packers are winning the division quite often IMO.

I agree Lions soft schedule, OL play, and roster improvements could be good enough for 2nd in the division.

Yeah, barring another A-a-ron collarbone injury I don't see the Pack not waltzing to the division W. There's still way too many holes on this defense. Right now our outside CBs #1-3 are:

Amani Oruwariye - 5th round corner who makes some good plays but also gets completely routed out of his shoes at times.
Will Harris - converted safety (he wasn't good there) who adopted the position after injuries decimated the CB room last year.
Jeff Okudah - We all know the story. I'm pretty down on the guy. Reminds me a lot of Jarrad Davis. Decent but not elite athleticism, and looks pretty lost on the football field. Our one fleeting memory of him last season was him getting chewed out by a coach after blowing his run coverage and giving up a long TD before he went down with an achilles tear.

Jerry Jacobs looked decent last year until his knee got bent in half, I haven't heard where he's at in his recovery, just that he's on the PUP list.
Then they've got a bunch of smaller nickel guys like AJ Parker, Mike Hughes, and Chase Lucas who might just get kicked outside anyways if this unit ends up being as bad as it was last year.

Their best linebacker may be a 6th round 5'11" rookie, and the only upgrade on the D-Line was Hutch. This defense got absolutely gashed at times last year, and I expect it to happen again a bit this year. The solution seemed to be to slow the game to a crawl with the offense to keep it from getting out of hand.

8 wins would be a good year for this roster I think. There were just too many holes to plug in one off season. The next offseason I think will be the make or break one for this rebuild. Not just in whether they build a team that can compete for the division in 2023, but did they leave themselves the flexibility to make future moves, and not just box themselves in with bad contracts like Quinn did.

Yeah this team feels like it's going to have the worst LB corps in the NFL for like the 4th straight year.

Feels like a team that will be in a lot of close games and have 2-3 games where they just get blown out by superior teams. Basically the same feeling as the non-playoff years of the Schwartz/Caldwell era.

I'm sticking with 6-11, progress but only so much progress. Need to keep stocking the roster though I will say that the front office seems competent for the first time in a generation.

Preseason game 2 in the books.

Main takeaways:

Our depth is better than Indy's depth.

We have a logjam of WR depth pieces. There are 4 locks (Chark, Amon-Ra, Kalif, Reynolds), 5 if you count Jamo, and Tom Kennedy and Maurice Alexander are both trying to work their way onto the roster. Quintez Cephus is a dude who can flat out ball but I'm afraid injuries likely cost him a roster spot. There will be some tough cuts there but if we're lucky guys clear waivers and make it to the practice squad and hopefully can fill in if injuries pile up.

The backup O-Line looks decent but we need a good swing tackle. I miss Tyrell Crosby.

The pass rush is decent with Austin Bryant doing everything possible to earn his spot in the rotation.

The weakness of this team continues to be the secondary. I have to imagine this will be a priority next offseason if this team is going to start competing for the division.