Detroit Lions fans are feeling pretty good about GM Brad Holmes and the team’s NFL draft class of 2022. A week after the team tabbed Chase Lucas as the final of the eight Lions selections, the grades for Holmes & Co. in their second draft are looking pretty good.
It appears the rest of the league is taking a little more notice, too. In a feature at The Athletic from Mike Sando quoting anonymous league executives and GMs, the Lions received some impressive comments.
One of the standout traits: toughness. The Lions sought out players cut from the same cloth as head coach Dan Campbell, a physical tight end as a player who prides himself on aggression and determination. That was duly noted by the anonymous exec,
“You look at their first five picks, and I think they are guys known for playing hard,” an evaluator said. “There is a theme to what they did. They got tough, gritty, solid guys. Williams got ejected from a game for a special-teams targeting hit on the punt coverage team.”
Getting a superb weapon in Jameson Williams also gets positive reviews. Even with the recovery from the torn ACL, the dynamic Williams brings to the Detroit offense is very well-received.
Williams is recovering from ACL surgery, but it’s not as though the Lions are gearing up for a championship run this season. More than a lot of teams, they have time to wait for Williams to make a full recovery.
“I’m a big Jameson Williams fan — that speed, wow,” an exec said. “We were talking about Atlanta getting Drake London. Jameson Williams looks exciting. The Atlanta guy does not excite you in the same way.”
The Atlanta player in reference there is USC wideout Drake London, who is also coming off a season-ending injury. London joined the Falcons with the No. 8 overall pick, making him the first wideout in the class to come off the board.
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