2022 Detroit Lions Draft Picks

 

Round 1 Pick # 2
Aidan Hutchinson DE Michigan
6065 260 4.74 28 36 909 6.73 4.15 
36 games 156 tackles 17.5 sacks 5 ff

Analysis:
Complete player on the edge. I compare him to Kyle VandenBosch. Sets the edge against the run and can rush the passer. Had a 25.4% pass rush win rate from PFF. Relentless attitude and leadership ability. 

Comparison:

Best 3 cone drill by edge players over 260 lbs
Sam Acho Texas 2011 6.69

Hutchinson 6.73
Mike Reilly W & M 2015 6.76
Kyle VandenBosch Nebraska 2001 6.82
Kony Ealy Missouri 2014 6.83
Sam Hubbard Ohio State 2018 6.84
David Pollack Georgia 2005 6.86
Kylie Fitts Utah 2018 6.88
JJ Watt Wisconsin 2011 6.88
Travon Walker 2022 Georgia 6.89
Joey Bosa Ohio State 2016 6.89
Devin Taylor South Carolina 2013 6.89

Round # 1 Pick # 12
Jamison Williams WR Alabama
6014 179 No Test due to torn ACL 
Alabama 15 games 79/1572/18 rec 10/352/2 KOR
Ohio State 10 games 15/266/3 rec

Analysis:

Gave up pick 32, 34 & 66 to get Williams and pick # 46. Williams was the explosive player in College Football. Torn his ACL in the National Championship game. Probably will start the season the on PUP list. Gives the Lions a true speed guy if healthy. Real aggressive move by Brad Holmes. 

Round # 2 Pick # 46
Josh Paschal DE Kentucky
6025 268 4.77 30 37.5 1003
Kentucky 55 games 137 tackles 13 sacks 1 int 3 ff

Analysis:
Strong player with tremendous character. 3-time captain at Kentucky. Not long for edge rusher. Can slide down to play over the guard. A bit of tweener. Situational player. 15.9% pass rush win rate from PFF. PFF had him as 2nd round Pick . Dane Bulger a third round pick. 

Round # 3 Pick # 97
Kerby Joseph S Illinois
6005 203 18 38.5 1003
Illinois 31 games 116 tackles 5 int

Analysis:
One year starter at Illinois, True free safety with range and ball skills. Great gunner on special teams Lacks top end speed and experience. 

Round # 5 Pick #177

James Mitchell TE Va Tech

6026 249 18 reps Knee Injury

VA Tech 38 g 20 starts 52/938/7 rec

Analysis:

Great receiving tight end. Can run with the ball after the catch and is a willing blocker. Lacks size and is coming off an ACL injury in game 2. Has an excellent opportunity to make the team and contribute early. Team Captain. 

Round # 6 Pick #188

Malcolm Rodriguez LB Oklahoma State

5110 232 4.52 36 39.5" 1005 7.02 4.13 NFLPA

Oklahoma State: 60 games 48 starts 409 tackles 7.5 sacks 2 int

Analysis:

One of my favorite players in the draft. Not ideal size but a great athlete. 2 time team captain. Finds the ball and will be a terror on special teams. Possible starter. 

Round # 6 Pick #217

James Houston DE Jackson State

6007 244 4.74 22 39" 1005 7.41 4.48 NFLPA/Shrine Game

Jackson State: 13 starts 70 tackles 16.5 sacks 7 FF

Florida: 35 games 1093 tackles 4.5 sacks 2 FF

Analysis:

Houston is a transfer from Florida. Made a huge impact at Jackson State. Relentless player with decent power. Looks to be a back up and special teams guy for the Lions. 

Round # 7 Pick #237

Chase Lucas CB ASU

5110 181    4.48 12 39 1008 6.78.4.19 Shrine Game

ASU 53 games 49 starts 223 tackles 6 int

Analysis:

6 year player and 5 year starter at ASU. Freshman All-American in 2016. Has just enough length and speed to make it as a CB. Has played in the slot and outside. Already 24., he is one of the oldest Lions CB. Team Captain. 

2022 Detroit Lions Pre Draft Visits Ratings

 

Players who have reportedly visited Allen Park 

Senior Bowl American Team Ratings

 

Senior Bowl American Roster coached by the Detroit Lions

2022 Detroit Lions Draft Preview Defensive Backs

 

Top 15 Safety Prospects

Lions draft fits

Lions need a safety in this draft. Cine is my favorite player in the draft. Can really run and hit. Pitre is an athlete that can play all over. Cross has great range. Brisker is a ball hawk. Hill is versatile and fits the Lions scheme. All should be gone in the top 40. Not much after them. Joseph has excellent range and ball skills. Monday will destroy anything that moves. Anderson and Belton have NFL careers in front of them. 

Senior Bowl:  

Guys I Like:

Day # 1

Lewis Cine

Day # 2

Jaquan Brisker

Dax Hill

Nick Cross

Day # 3

Tycen Anderson

Dane Belton

Markquese Bell

Top 15 Cornerback Prospects

Lions draft fits:

Sauce reminds me of Okudah on his tape. Long and will hit. Stingley has red flags with injuries. I like Taylor ands Evans in the 3rd round. I like Mathis as a slot guy. He will be physical in the run game. A lot of small school guys in the middle rounds with NFL athletic ability. Lions should take a CB in the first 4 rounds. 

Senior Bowl:

Guys I like

Day # 2

Alontae Taylor

Damarri Mathis

Tariq Wooten

Day # 3

Akayleb Evans

Tariq Castro- Fields

Darrell Baker

Greg Junior

Zyon McCullum

2022 Detroit Lions Draft Preview Linebackers

 

Top 5 Linebacker Prospects

Lions draft fits:

Dean and Harris would add speed and athletic ability to the Lions LB corps. Chenal and Smith are freak athletes but unrefined. Anderson and Muma are immediate starters. Quay Walker is lost in the shuffle and will be a good NFL Player. Lloyd would be a great Pittsburgh Steeler. Day 2 has good players. Rodriguez is a ball hawk. Tindall can really run and McFadden and Cochrane will carve out long solid NFL careers. 

Guys I like:

Day # 1

Nakobe Dean (#32)

Day # 2

Christian Harris

Leo Chenal

Troy Andersen

Chad Muma

Quay Walker

Channing Tindall

Day # 3

Brandon Smith

Malcom Rodriguez

Micah McFadden

Troy Hairston Jr.

2022 Detroit Lions Draft Preview Defensive Line

 

Top 15 Interior Prospects

Lions draft fits:

Wyatt is my favorite player here. Lions coached him at the Senior Bowl. If he somehow fell # 32 it would be great. Winfrey is a explosive 3 technique. Check the Oklahoma State tape on him. Eric Johnson , another Senior Bowl player, would be perfect at the top of the third. Tisdale is a workout warrior. 

Day # 1

Devonte Wyatt (#32)

Day # 2

Perrion Winfrey

Eric Johnson

Top 15 Defensive End Prospects

Lions draft fits

One of the most important stats is pass rush win rate. It has an excellent correlation to NFL pass rush win rate. 

This from Pro Football Focus

Pass rush win rates from Austin Gayle

Karlaftis 27%

Hutch 25%

Enagbare 25%

Mr, Thibs 24%

Ebiketie 22%

Jackson 22%

Mafe %16

Pascal 15%

Johnson 13%

Travon Walker 10%

I would select Hutch over Mr. Thibs if both were available. Hutch is high motor player and a plus athlete. My comp for him is Kyle VandenBosch. Mr. Thibs has an incredible first step and long arms. It would come down to the interview with them. Johnson played for the Lions at the Senior Bowl. He was unblockable. Walker is the rare over 250 lbs under 4.65 and under 7 cone club. He is a more of project at his point. Plenty to choose from on day 2. Ebiketie is not tall but has long arms. Thomas is sleeper, good length and win rate. Jackson might be better in the 3-4. 

Guys I Like

Day # 1

Hutchinson

Ebiketie (#32)

Day # 2

Cam Thomas

2022 Detroit Lions Draft Preview Offensive Line

 

Top 15 Interior Line Prospects

Lions draft fits:

Lions could use a mid round pick to help with depth. A swing guard/tackle type would be ideal. I really Zach Tom from Wake Forest. A 4.47 short shuttle is a good score. Many solid interior lineman in the NFL have been under 4.5. Jurgens can play center as can Strange. Ezeudu has the size and quickness to be a starter in the NFL at OG. 

Guy I like

Day # 2
Strange
Tom
Ezeudu

Day # 3

Wattenberg

Mays

Top 15 Tackle Prospects

Lions draft fits.

As mentioned a swing tackle who can play guard would be a good target. Abe Lucas from WSU is my guy here. Size and movement skills. Deaton can play up and down the line. Bruss is underrated. 

Guys I Like:

Day # 2
Abe Lucas

Day # 3
Dawson Deaton
Logan Bruss

2022 Detroit Lions Draft Preview WR, TE

 

Top 20 Wide Receiver Prospects

Lions draft fits:

The Lions need Height/Weight/Speed guys to complement their WR room. Burks, Watson, Pierce and Pickens would be targets on the second day of the draft. Burks is a physical layer in the mold of Kelly Golladay. Watson is workout warrior who played really well at the Senior Bowl but has a history of drops. Pierce is being compared to Jordy Nelson. Pickens is a tough hombre returning from an ACL injury. 

The Lions could add speed with Skyy Moore (WMU), Velus Jones or Danny Gray. Jones and Gray were at the Senior Bowl. Moore is threat with the ball. This group should be targeted on the 3rd day. 

Guys I Like

Day # 1

Drake London

Day # 2

George Pickens

Treylon Burks

Skyy Moore

Alec Pierce

Day # 3

Velus Jones

Danny Gray

Isaiah Weston

Top 15 TE Prospects 

Lions draft fits:

I could see the Lions spending a 3rd-5th round pick on this position. There are many solid # 2 types in the draft. Krull is my favorite. Big and fast. He can block but needs to improve on his receiving skills. Bellinger would fit into the rotation as a blocker.  Dulcich caught my eye during the Oregon game. He fits as a move TE. 

Guys I Like:

Day # 2

Jelani Woods

Greg Dulcich

Day # 3

Lucas Krull

Dan Bellinger

Andrew Ogletree

2022 Detroit Lions Draft Preview QB, RB

 

Top 15 QB Prospects

Fits for the Lions:

I really do not want the Lions to spend any draft resources on a QB. I think Ridder is the best of a bad bunch. He has improved his accuracy during his four years as starter. He has plus athletic ability and leadership. Ridder is two years away from competing for a starting spot. 

Corral is a gunslinger with the ability to make the extra play downfield. He needs a couple years to develop his pocket game but has a chance down the line to be a starter.

My dark horse is Chase Garbers from Cal. He caught my eye during the Oregon game in which he singlehandedly kept his team in the game. He showed poise and accuracy in that game. He was the MVP of NFLPA all-star game. 

Guys I like

Day # 2

Desmond Ridder

Matt Corral

Day # 3

Chase Garbers

Top 15 RB Prospects

Fits for the Lions:

I don't foresee the Lions spending early capital on a RB. Late round or UDFA is a possibility. Brad Holmes has shown he like to add running back depth. Speed backs like Strong, Goodson or Chandler would be intriguing as the can play on third down or on special teams.

Guys I like:

Day # 3

Abram Smith

Pierre Strong

Ty Chandler