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The Lions dealt a 2025 draft pick to Cleveland to bring the Detroit native home
It’s been a pretty quiet run up to the NFL trade deadline for the Detroit Lions, but the team did make an acquisition ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline. The Lions have agreed to a trade with the Cleveland Browns for wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.
The Lions are sending a sixth-round pick in 2025 to Cleveland for Peoples-Jones. The wideout is a Detroit native and played collegiately at Michigan. He was a sixth-round pick by Cleveland in the 2020 NFL draft.
The Lions will keep their own 2025 6th-rounder and the Jets hold onto their 7th-rounder that year now that Mims is waived
The Denzel Mims experiment ended earlier than hoped for both the Detroit Lions and the fledgling NFL receiver himself. The Lions waived Mims on Friday with a waived/injured designation.
Mims had not practiced in two weeks since suffering a leg injury in a practice-time collision with teammate Tracy Walker on August 5th. He had been working primarily at that point with the second-team offense, with mixed results. Mims had been emerging as a potential special teams asset, however.
Now that Mims is gone, so is the conditional draft pick that the Lions agreed to send to the Jets in the trade for the 2020 second-round pick earlier this summer. The Lions and Jets effectively canceled the trade, which involved a late-round pick swap in the 2025 draft. Both picks involved were conditional, based upon Mims making the Lions initial 53-man roster.
Mims is subject to waiver claims, though that seems unlikely given his injured status. If he goes unclaimed, the wideout reverts to the Lions’ injured reserve, with a five-day window to reach any potential injury settlement.
The Lions and Jets are doing a late-round pick swap in the deal for Mims to head to Detroit
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There will be a new wide receiver in the Detroit Lions training camp right after it starts. The Lions are trading with the New York Jets to acquire fourth-year wideout Denzel Mims from New York,
According to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a conditional 6th-round pick in 2024 headed to New York as compensation for Mims. New York will include a 2025 seventh-round pick as well.
The Jets were looking to unload Mims after two underwhelming seasons. There were reports indicating the team was prepared to release Mims if they didn’t find a trade partner. Detroit GM Brad Holmes was intrigued enough with Mims, a second-round pick out of Baylor in the 2020 NFL draft, to send two late-round picks and take a chance on the reclamation project.
In three seasons (30 games) with the Jets, Mims caught 42 passes on 92 targets for 676 yards and zero TDs. He caught 11 passes in 10 games for New York in 2022, including four starts.
Patterson made 30-of-35 FG with the Jaguars in 2022 after spending half the 2021 campaign with the Lions
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The kicking carousel continues to spin in Detroit. On Thursday, the Lions made a trade to bring back one-time Detroit kicker Riley Patterson from the Jacksonville Jaguars in a trade.
Patterson was available after the Jaguars signed free agent Brandon McManus, who was released by the Denver Broncos a day earlier. Terms of the trade are not yet official, but it’s believed to be a 2026 7th-round pick.
Patterson kicked for the Lions in the 2021 campaign. In seven games, Patterson made 13-of-14 field goal attempts with a long make of 49 yards. He did not handle kickoff duties in his first stint in Detroit. For the Jaguars in 2022, Patterson made 30-of-35 field goals with a long of 53 yards, and produced a touchback rate of 50% on 88 kickoffs.
The trade came a few short hours after Lions special teams coach Dave Fipp gave a strong vote of confidence in current Lions kickers Michael Badgley and John Parker Romo. The Lions now have three kickers on the 90-man roster; to make room for Patterson, the team waived undrafted rookie wide receiver Keytaon Thompson.
With the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, we now know the results of the Detroit Lions/Matthew Stafford trade and broke it all down
When Brad Holmes took over as the General Manager of the Detroit Lions, one of the first tasks he needed to take care of was the Matthew Stafford situation. It had become clear with a newly implemented regime that the Lions were going to go into a full rebuild, and Stafford knew his window was closing. The Lions wanted to make sure they do right to the quarterback they have had since 2009 and honor his request to pursue a Super Bowl championship.
Holmes found a trade partner with his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, who figured they were a quarterback away from obtaining the ultimate prize. The deal became the Rams receive Matthew Stafford, and Lions got Jared Goff, a 2021 3rd-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick. The Rams would go on to win the Super Bowl as the Lions used the capital to retool the organization.
With the 2023 NFL Draft in the books, we can now get the full picture of the trade that kicked off the new regime.
| Lions | Rams |
| QB Jared Goff
2021 3rd round draft pick (101st overall)
2022 1st round draft pick (32nd overall)
2023 1st round draft pick (6th overall)
|
Matthew Stafford |
In short, here is the result of the trade and subsequent trades with the associated draft picks:
Rams: Matthew Stafford
Lions: Jared Goff, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Jameson Williams, Josh Paschal, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brodric Martin
The Rams reaped the results with Stafford capping a Super Bowl victory, but unfortunately, the following season wasn’t as fruitful. Stafford’s nagging neck injury reared its ugly head, and only played in nine games last season with a 3-6 record. The Rams had to lean on John Wolford and Bryce Perkins to try to salvage the season until Stafford was able to return from injured reserve, but the losses and injuries kept piling up as the Rams finished with a 5-12 record, which gave the Lions a top 10 draft pick in 2023.
As for the Lions, they added a plethora of pieces on both sides of the ball they believed would help establish the Lions identity and culture. For some of the players, we have an idea of their situation, whereas, for some, the picture hasn’t been drawn yet.
Jared Goff got off to a rocky start in Detroit with a 3-13-1 record in 2021 and didn’t alleviate the concerns in the first part of the 2022 season. Then, something clicked for Goff and the Lions as they finished the season with a 9-8 record and knocking at the door for a playoff berth. Goff will look to continue his hot streak and try to take the Lions to the promised land.
Ifeatu Melifonwu hasn’t worked as well as the Lions have hoped for to help the secondary. Injuries have slowed his development as he has landed on injured reserve twice already, and he has changed positions moving from cornerback to safety. When he does make it on the field, it has gone very well for him, making him a liability on the field. He has the athleticism but can’t seem to put it all together. It’ll be a make-or-break 2023 season for Melifonwu.
When the Lions selected Jameson Williams, it was with the future in mind as he was recovering from an ACL injury. If it weren’t for the injury, he might’ve been the first receiver taken with his speed, route running, and athleticism. The chemistry between Williams and Goff never fully developed, but you can see the possibilities. Unfortunately, Williams will sit out the first six games of the 2023 season as he was suspended for gambling. It is a blow to the Lions offense who was going to rely on Williams in the 2023 season, but the Lions have done a good job in building a reliable receiving corps to offset the loss of Williams to start the season.
Paschal didn’t make his debut until Week 7 while he recovered from a sports hernia. As a second-round selection, he never fully took off as a rookie, but the Lions received stellar play from John Cominsky and 2022 sixth-round selection James Houston shortening the amount the snaps Paschal might’ve received. The Lions believe Paschal can line up inside and outside along the defensive line and can be a force on the defensive line. With a full offseason and healthy, Paschal will look to take that next step and become the force the Lions believe he can be in Detroit.
For the 2023 draft selections, the Lions brought in several players who will look to be immediate contributors. Gibbs will look to be a dynamic offensive weapon that will fit right into Ben Johnson’s offense, which already features dynamic players. LaPorta has high-end athleticism that makes him a strong target for Jared Goff and an upgrade in the tight end room. Martin is a behemoth of a man that will clog the middle of the defensive line and shut down the opponents running game in its place.
We will have to wait to see how well the 2023 picks contribute for the Lions, but unfortunately, the players that we have seen play have been a mixed bag. Goff will look to show the end of the 2022 season wasn’t a fluke and continue elevating his play heading into next season. Melifonwu is having a hard time fight time on the field and can’t seem to stay healthy. Williams has the tools to be a star receiver in Detroit, but we haven’t seen enough to reach a fair evaluation and the suspension did not help his cause. Paschal had a slow 2022 season as a rotational player but will look to take the next step forward in 2023.
The final chapters have not been written in the books of the Detroit Lions and the Matthew Stafford trade, but we are able to see the full results and breakdown to judge winners and losers, which everybody loves to do. The 2023 season will be a good judgment point to see if the trade fully worked out for the Detroit Lions.
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2023 NFL draft film review: New Detroit Lions QB Hendon Hooker gets analyzed by Lions Wire’s Russell Brown
From the days of the 2023 Senior Bowl, it was consistently discussed about Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker being a fit with the Detroit Lions. In Mobile, it was no secret that the Lions loved the Tennessee quarterback.
If it weren’t for a torn ACL against South Carolina in November, there’s a good chance that Hooker would have ended up winning the Heisman Trophy. However, he was forced to overcome the injury. He’s projected to be ready by the start of the regular season.
Coming out of Dudley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, Hooker was a 4-star recruit (per 24/7 Sports). He had offers from schools such as Notre Dame and Oregon but he ended up committing to Virginia Tech. After two seasons as a starter for the Hokies, he transferred to Tennessee and his career really took off. Let’s jump into some tape and go over what Hendon Hooker provides for the Detroit Lions as the 68th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft!
One thing I noticed right away when watching Hendon Hooker in the pocket is the poise and how he never panics. He plays under control and has a fluid lower half. Looking comfortable when throwing over the middle of the field, I believe that Hooker will be able to excel when throwing dig routes, high-lo concepts and crossing patterns. According to PFF, he went 83-for-119 (69.7%) for 959 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. These were throws in the middle of the field between 0-20 yards.
As you watch the play above from Hendon Hooker against Florida, he quickly looks right before flipping his hips and shoulders to the middle of the field. Coming off the fake hand-off from the running back, his eyes redirect to the crossing route over the middle of the field. He fires this in there for a completion and it leads to a first down.
Go back to the live broadcast of when Hendon Hooker was selected by the Lions and you’ll hear Louis Riddick talk highly about the deep ball throws from Hooker. Put on the tape and he’s not wrong. Per PFF, Hooker earned a 93.4 grade on deep throws (20+ yards). He completed just over 44% of his passes for 1,219 yards with 13 touchdowns and one interception.
Looking at the play above, the Tennessee offense comes out 2×2. On the left side of the formation, the wide receiver aligned in the slot (on the numbers) runs a hitch-n-go. While running deep down the field, he makes a great adjustment to the football it’s slightly placed on his outside shoulder. Regardless, Hooker places the football to a place where only the receiver can make the catch. Sometimes a quarterback just needs a receiver to make a play.
We don’t know if Hendon Hooker will play any significant snaps at quarterback this season for the Lions. One thing is for sure is that it wouldn’t be surprising if the offensive coordinator Ben Johnson sprinkles him in for some designed quarterback runs in the red-zone.
During his two seasons with Tennessee, Hooker had 1277 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. One of the key things he’ll have to work on is the amount of times he fumbles the football. He had 18 fumbles over the last two seasons and all together, he had 34 in his career (per PFF).
Looking at the play above, you’ll see a designed quarterback run for Hendon Hooker and he makes it look easy. While it may look like a broken play, it’s not. There was no hesitation from Hooker when taking the snap and he was simply off to the races. His mobility is intriguing because not only can he run the football but he should be able to extend drives beyond the pocket due to his feet. This skill-set isn’t something the Lions have had in quite some time.
When the conversation came up about finding a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft, Brad Holmes never steered away from the idea. He did the same with the running back position. While I can’t look through his eyes and see the vision as clear as he can, I do understand what he’s trying to build.
While I might go left on a certain pick and he goes right, one thing is for sure and we should all agree on the Hendon Hooker selection. It was known that the Lions were looking into the quarterbacks in free agency and in this draft. So none of this should be surprising.
Hendon Hooker (QB 5 – Tennessee) is an intriguing 6-4 & 218 pound QB with 26 starts between Va Tech and Tennessee. He’ll be 25 as a rookie in the NFL but the ball jumps out of his hand. Watch him here as he puts his mobility on display with a nasty spin move & leg drive to score. pic.twitter.com/GiY8vVQPrq
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) June 1, 2022
With Hendon Hooker, they could be looking at their next starting quarterback, or they could have good competition and reliability behind Jared Goff. Regardless, it’s intriguing and makes sense.
It’ll be interesting if there are any limitations with Hendon Hooker as he returns from a torn ACL. However, if he’s anything like the player we saw before the injury, he could very well earn himself the starting job at some point in his career in Detroit. It’s worth noting that Jared Goff has two years left on his current contract, but the Lions could opt out of his contract after this season and save about $10 million dollars in dead cap money.
#Vols QB Hendon Hooker takes a shot but stands strong in the pocket and delivers a nice pass deep downfield to an open WR. There was some miscommunication between the secondary but nice job by Hooker on this one. pic.twitter.com/CyQTmzPLgq
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) December 30, 2021
For that to happen, the Lions will need to see continued improvements on the knee from Hooker and with how he performs on the field. When watching his tape, he’s a very good passer that operates in rhythm consistently. His footwork is clean and consistent. Meanwhile, I loved how he would stand in the pocket and take hits from a blitzing linebacker.
Overall, there’s much to be desired with Hendon Hooker as a quarterback. Add in the way that they were able to move back multiple times, add draft capital for the third day of the 2023 NFL Draft and still get him. That’s impressive. All of our fingers are crossed that he comes back healthy and gives the Lions options beyond Jared Goff.
