Tag: Detroit Lions draft

VIDEO: What should the Detroit Lions do with their two first-round picks?

Doug Farrar and Kyle Madson put on their GM hats, and determine what the Detroit Lions should do with their two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Detroit Lions currently stand with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft as part of the Matthew Stafford trade, and the 18th overall pick on their own. After doing a marvelous job of addressing their secondary in free agency with the additions of Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, in what direction should general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell point all of this draft capital? Doug Farrar and Kyle Madson have a few ideas.

Doug: Here’s one place I think would be a great fit for Jalen Carter. Carter will need a strong environment around him, and starting with Campbell and going through a list of assistant coaches with a ton of NFL playing experience, that group will get respect. The Lions have enough on their defensive line where Carter won’t be asked to do everything, but he’ll be an absolute net gain every time he steps on the field. I think that’s how you get the most out of Carter’s phenomenal talent while sidestepping the ancillary issues. That’s why I have him going sixth in my latest mock.

With the 18th pick, I have Detroit making a move that will absolutely get me drummed out of the analytics community – I think they should select Texas running back Bijan Robinson, the best prospect at his position since Saquon Barkley. Robinson can do everything on the field, and he can be the epicenter of Detroit’s offense while the Lions continue to mine the most possible out of Jared Goff, which is still a low-ceiling proposition. I could see them going quarterback or cornerback if things set the right way, but that’s how I have it going now.

Kyle: The Lions are fascinating. I’m in the ‘Detroit should draft a QB’ camp, and their really strong free agency where they bolstered their secondary changes how I think they should attack the draft. Now I think they have a little more leeway if they want to snag a QB at either spot. Jalen Carter is a great idea here though. If they like Tyree Wilson, the DE from Texas Tech I think it makes sense here even if it’s a little bit of a reach. Best defensive lineman on the board tracks here though. 

18 is where things get interesting.  If Anthony Richardson specifically falls that far I think they have to go that route. It’d be a perfect landing spot for him and Detroit can afford to take this swing thanks to their adds in free agency. However, Mel Kiper has them going with Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer here. Dalton Kincaid from Utah is another fun TE option. I think a safety blanket for Jared Goff after trading TJ Hockenson last year would only help their already-ascending offense. 

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4-Down Territory: What should the four teams with two first-round picks do with them?

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” Doug Farrar and Kyle Madson play GM for the four teams with two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft.

In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” Kyle Madson of Niners Wire and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire put on their general manager hats for the Houston Texans, the Seattle Seahawks, the Detroit Lions, and the Philadelphia Eagles — the four teams currently with two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft.

00:00 – Intro

01:35 – How do you think the Houston Texans should spend their assets?

06:32 – How should the Seattle Seahawks spend the kind of draft capital?

13:51 – What would be the best course of action for the Detroit Lions?

22:51 – How should the Philadelphia Eagles use these picks to set its course for another Super Bowl?

Doug often refers to his latest mock draft in this video. You can find that link below…

2023 NFL Mock draft: Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers traded in latest three-round projection

…and you can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:

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Lions have been top-5 in NFL in drafting WRs and OL but brutal at RB and LB, study finds

The PFF study leans on higher-round picks and sustained success

The Detroit Lions have consistently drafted offensive linemen better than just about any NFL team, but they’ve been among the worst at running back and linebacker. That’s among the findings from a draft value success study from Pro Football Focus.

The study encompasses the past 10 draft classes, from 2011-2020. That era goes through the heart of the Martin Mayhew tenure as GM and also includes the entire Bob Quinn reign.

First, the offensive line draft success. As PFF notes in the explanation, higher picks are weighted heavier in the equation than late-round selections.

Hitting on Frank Ragnow, Taylor Decker and Larry Warford help spike the Lions up to the top. Only the Patriots and Cowboys have done a better job at drafting linemen.

Detroit was also very good at wide receiver dating back to 2011. This is heavily propped up by the success of 2017 third-round pick Kenny Golladay.

The team was squarely in the middle on the defensive line and at defensive end in the heat maps. Then came linebacker. Look down. Way down…

The relative misses on Jarrad Davis, Jahlani Tavai, Kyle Van Noy and Ronnell Williams really hurt the Lions here. The PFF valuation goes over the entire NFL career of the players, not just their time in Detroit.

The Lions also didn’t fare well at tight end. Detroit finished seventh from the bottom there, though T.J. Hockenson’s upward arc can push the Lions up fairly quickly if he continues to improve.

Running back was also poor return on investment. Just five teams got less value from running back draft picks from 2011-2020 than the Lions. As with Hockenson at TE, 2020 second-rounder D’Andre Swift does give Detroit some upward mobility here. There wasn’t enough sample to make it at quarterback, where the Lions have only made two picks (Jake Rudock and Brad Kaaya) since 2009.

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Watch: D’andre Swift’s highest-graded plays as a Bulldog

Watch Pro Football Focus’ compilation of former Georgia running back D’Andre Swift’s highest graded plays as a Georgia Bulldog.

Pro Football Focus recently released a compilation of Detroit Lion, former Georgia star running back D’Andre Swift’s five highest-graded plays as a Georgia Bulldog.

Watch them here:

In his time in Athens, the Philadelphia native ran 440 times for 2,885 yards and 20 touchdowns, while adding 73 receptions for 666 yards with five touchdowns – good enough to place Swift at No. 7 on Georgia’s leading rusher list.

Georgia great, Detroit Lions RB D’Andre Swift tabbed as instant impact rookie

Former Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift, now with the Detroit Lions, tabbed as an instant-impact NFL rookie.

USA TODAY has released its list of the 20 NFL rookies who could make instant impacts in the 2020 NFL season. Among those listed is former Georgia star D’Andre Swift, who was drafted by the Detroit Lions in this year’s NFL Draft.

Swift checked in at No. 7 on the list.

Via USA TODAY :

“Detroit Lions RB D’Andre Swift (second round / 35th overall): Since Barry Sanders retired in 1999, this team has enjoyed four 1,000-yard rushing seasons from three players, none since 2013. Swift totaled nearly 2,300 yards on the ground over his final two season at Georgia and has the tools to supplant oft-injured Kerryon Johnson, perhaps on an every-down basis.”

Also on the list was former Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, who went undrafted and was signed by the Colts. He checked in at No. 20.

We touched on that here. 

It looks as if Swift landed in a good spot in Detroit. He has former Georgia passer Matthew Stafford under center, one of the most prolific passers in the NFL, and will be competing for the starting job with former Auburn Tiger Kerryon Johnson, who is entering his third year and has had a hard time staying healthy.

Last week, Stafford, Swift, and former Bulldog, Lions tight end Isaac Nauta were seen working out together. Rumors surfaced that Swift was the favorite to win the starting running back job over Johnson, but the former Auburn back was quick to fire back at the critics who assumed he wasn’t staying in shape.

As the NFL begins to reopen its team facilities, we should get a better look at both Johnson and Swift as teams begin to practice for the 2020 season. Regardless on who is tabbed as the starter come September, Swift will see plenty of touches, especially through the air from that infamous Stafford side-arm.

Mock draft roundup for the Lions makes Jeff Okudah the overwhelming favorite

A final mock draft roundup for the Lions makes Jeff Okudah the overwhelming favorite to be the pick at No. 3 or in a trade back

Most years, there is a wide variety of potential choices and projections for the Detroit Lions’ first pick of the draft. That is not the case in 2020. We have a clear favorite to be the Lions’ selection at No. 3 overall:

Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah.

In the end, I tracked over 60 final-edition mock drafts. Some were from Lions reporters like Justin Rogers of the Detroit News and Dave Birkett of the Free Press. Some were national draft analysts, including Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Mel Kiper of ESPN and all the good folks over at The Draft Network.

It was Okudah and it wasn’t close.

Okudah – 54, including 7 that featured the Lions trading back and still selecting him

Auburn DT Derrick Brown – 8

Ohio State EDGE Chase Young – 3, all involving a trade by WAS at No. 2

Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons – 2, one involving a trade back to No. 9

There was not a single final mock I looked at that projected a quarterback or an offensive tackle to Detroit, not even in trade-back situations.

 

 

#OnePride Q/A: Revisiting Bob Quinn’s previous drafts

With the draft right around the corner, we revisit the Detroit Lions’ previous drafts and see who were the #OnePride nation’s favorite picks

Throughout the week, we at Lions Wire presented the #OnePride Twitter fan base several questions, hoping to hear their voice on various topics concerning the Detroit Lions.

Through the use of Twitter polls, we were able to gauge fan’s thoughts on a variety of topics, including who was their favorite draft pick in each of general manager Bob Quinn’s previous drafts.

2016 Draft

Zack’s take: When Quinn took over as general manager, he made it clear he was going to build this team from the trenches, and he did just that in his inaugural draft.  Decker locked down Stafford’s blindside from the get-go, and Glasgow saw time at center and guard in his Lions’ ironman career.

With that said, Decker was my favorite pick from this draft class and still is. I love his hard nose mentality, and I think everything about him screams Motor City. Don’t get me wrong I loved Glasgow and his versatility, but having a franchise left tackle is vital, and Decker fits the bill.

2017 Draft

Zack’s take: There were some bright spots, but quite a few misses in Quinn’s second draft, but luckily for him, he nailed one pick in Kenny Golladay. He hit the ground running in Detroit, and has settled in the Lions’ number one receiver. With his rookie deal expiring, the ball is in Quinn’s court to lock up the big-bodied receiver long-term.

My favorite pick out of this draft was Roberts at the time because of his potential as a red-zone threat and need at tight end, but with time — and I’m sure with everybody else — I switched over to Golladay.

2018 Draft

Zack’s take: When Frank Ragnow was picked, most of us were left scratching our heads. He wasn’t identified as a potential target and most people believed the Lions would go defense. But at the end of the day, Ragnow never allowed a sack in his college career, was tactician at the center, and if it wasn’t for an ankle injury that hindered his senior season, he probably would’ve gone sooner. After his first season at guard, he shifted to his natural position at center and enjoyed what most would consider a Pro Bowl season.

There were also quite a few other highlights in this draft like little known Tracy Walker. With his versatility in the secondary, he is a matchup nightmare and has become a fan favorite. I am a sucker for an offensive lineman, so Ragnow was my favorite pick from this draft and still is to this day.

2019 Draft

Zack’s take: This was by far the closest vote in the draft polls, with Oruwariye inching Hockenson out by the slimmest of margins. There were a lot of mixed emotions when it came to this draft. Many were left bewildered when Hockenson was selected in the first round, thinking this was a luxury pick. Hockenson started the season hot, breaking the rookie TE receiving record in a single game, but cooled off as the season went on. As a rookie TE, struggling was to be expected, but Hockenson had a quality rookie season and should improve in his second year.

Oruwariye was heavily looked at a potential second-round pick, but the Lions were able to draft him in the fifth round. He only saw 219 snaps during his rookie season, but he made the most of it, snagging two interceptions—tied for the team lead with Darius Slay. There are some questions where he falls in the depth charts this season, mainly depending on the draft, but expect in an upward trend in 2020.

I was mixed on who my favorite player was in this draft, but I landed on Oruwariye because of the value of the pick and potential to find a home as the Lions’ CB2 down the road.

Keep your eyes open for future questions. We would love to hear your thoughts. If you have any questions you’d like to see answered, send a message, or leave a comment with your question. Thank you to all Lions fans and the #OnePride nation.