Coming off a winning season last year, the Detroit Lions are one draft away from becoming not only playoff contenders but a team that can make a run when it counts and be a not-so-sneaky Super Bowl contender. Having positioned themselves in an ideal spot for the 2023 NFL Draft, what are the different scenarios the Lions could be thinking about at pick No. 6?
Detroit Lions Don’t Need an Overhaul
Before we look at the draft, let’s set the foundation. This is a talented team. They were one of my favorites last season to overachieve, but I don’t think it’s overachieving. It’s just who the Lions are, and the culture Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have instilled in the franchise.
Finishing 9-8 last year, Detroit has positioned themselves well in the draft. Not only do they have the No. 6 overall pick, but they also have the 18th. Additionally, they have a ton of flexibility, given the moves made this offseason on the depth chart.
Detroit initially freed up cash by cutting Michael Brockers and having Romeo Okwara take a significant pay cut, which accounted for roughly $19 million in additional space. Then came the signings.
CB Cameron Sutton signed a three-year deal, former 49ers CB Emmanuel Moseley agreed to a one-year contract, and CB Mac McCain joined the Lions for 2023 after last being with the Eagles. Meanwhile, RB David Montgomery signed a three-year, $18 million contract to replace the loss of Jamaal Williams.
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Center Graham Glasgow was brought in on a one-year deal, and so was former Eagles DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson on a defacto mercenary contract where he can come in, ball out, and land a bigger deal in 2024. Additionally, Marvin Jones Jr. is back after a short stint in Jacksonville.
Regarding in-house moves, RB Craig Reynolds was brought back on a one-year, $1.1 million deal. Matt Nelson was retained, and Isaiah Buggs returned on a two-year, $4.5 million contract. DE John Cominsky re-signed, as did ILB Alex Anzalone for three years.
Detroit also retained Will Harris on yet another one-year deal, C.J. Moore on a two-year contract for him, and then finally, Michael Badgley was brought back on a one-year, $1.2 million deal.
Even With Some Losses, the Lions’ Depth Chart Is Talented From Top to Bottom
As for the Lions’ free agents that they allowed to walk away, S DeShon Elliott signed with the Dolphins. Williams, as mentioned, signed a three-year contract with the Saints. They also let go of G Evan Brown, LB Chris Board, Austin Bryant, CB Mike Hughes, and CB Amani Oruwariye.
WR DJ Chark is with the Panthers, while LB Josh Woods went off to join the Arizona Cardinals. Finally, the Lions traded 2020 No. 3 overall pick Jeff Odukah to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft. Detroit took on a portion of his salary to facilitate the deal.
The depth chart is impressive when you break it down. The offensive line is top three in the NFL, while running back is deep and possibly more talented with Montgomery and D’Andre Swift. Receiver, while top-heavy, is very talented with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jones. Goff is even playing perfectly fine football.
Considering all the moves and one-year contracts, the secondary is better than last season. Gardner-Johnson, Tracy Walker, and Kerby Joseph are likely the best group of NFL safeties. The defensive line and linebackers are more than capable. Meanwhile, at corner, even without Okudah, Sutton playing on the inside with Moseley is a phenomenal start.
Less than two weeks from the 2023 NFL Draft, the Lions don’t need to go out of character or do anything rash. While you can never honestly know what someone is thinking, there are a few likely scenarios we could see play out on draft night with the all-important No. 6 selection.
Stay Put, Draft the Best CB at Pick 6
Plan A for Detroit is simple. When picking No. 6, don’t pick up the phone for anyone, and draft the best cornerback available. It’s the logical move when looking at the Lions’ depth chart.
Having spent most of this offseason addressing the secondary, why not cap it off with your first-round pick? The Okudah trade truly signified what direction the Lions are likely going to go as they cut bait and opted to close this chapter.
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As for which corner Detroit drafts, that is up for debate. But for me, it’s between Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez and Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon. Both have sensational length, speed, physicality, and natural instincts, and play in press man or zone coverages.
Trade up To Take the QB of the Future
Last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals had received calls from at least six different teams interested in trading up to No. 3. It just so happened the Lions were hosting C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., both of which are expected to go in the top three.
Of all the potential options the Lions could be thinking of, this is the riskiest. How often have we seen trading up in the draft work for a quarterback? Even from a defensive side of the ball, go back to when the Texans drafted Jadeveon Clowney over Khalil Mack. There are no guarantees.
A move to three would be costly, likely involving a second this year and potentially a first next year, plus some extra compensation added to both sides depending on how good of a mood they’re in. Is that too much? It’s hard to tell until we see how the career paths pan out.
Based on the current rumors, a move to No. 3 would put the Lions in range for Florida QB Anthony Richardson. He’s been the standout winner of the draft cycle and was the talk of the town in Indianapolis, with the highest ceiling of any QB in this class.
At the same time, Goff is coming off his best season since 2019 and made his first Pro Bowl appearance since 2018. Could Richardson be worth the gamble? Absolutely. The Lions could essentially redshirt him behind Goff for one more year and then hand the keys over while trading out the older model Toyota Camry for a bonafide Lamborghini.
Additionally, it would put them in the prime spot in case one of Bryce Young or Stroud fell. On defense, Anderson is the obvious choice and had a claim to be the top-rated prospect. Yet, in a QB-driven league, trying to justify that kind of draft capital for someone who doesn’t have the ball in his hands is difficult.
However, while I find this one a bit unlikely, Holmes has shown no qualms about taking a big swing at someone they believe in. Just look back to last year’s draft when Detroit moved up 20 spots to select Jameson Williams.
“I’ve always told you guys, if we have the conviction and we have the buy-in, we know that we’ll be aggressive and go get that player,” Holmes said the night of that trade.
Don’t forget, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, the Lions approached the Atlanta Falcons in Holmes’ first year to try and trade up to fourth overall to select Ja’Marr Chase.
Are Richardson, Anderson, or someone else one of those players? Who knows, but at least we won’t have to wait long to find out on draft night.
Trade Back From 6 and Add More Draft Capital
Holmes is not taking a traditional approach to the draft. He’s taking a bold step in rejecting the use of a depth chart in the draft room, prioritizing talent and traits on needs.
In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Holmes explained, “I just think you can make a lot of mistakes with that. I’ve been in regimes in the past that have had a depth chart in the draft room, and I’ve just never been a fan of that.
“Everybody has question marks on their team,” Holmes said. “When you’re approaching the draft, and you’re just looking to fill those question marks, fill those holes, I do think that, that can equate to some mistakes cause I say back in St. Louis even, it got to a point where we had a pretty strong defensive line, and we had some concerns elsewhere, but we just kept adding to our defensive line. And it just turned into this beast that was just a strength of the football team.”
By prioritizing talent over need, Holmes is more flexible than anyone else. The Lions can organize their draft board based on talent and maneuver their picks accordingly, making sure they land in the prime sweet spots for players they want.
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Detroit may want Jalen Carter, as Holmes does know a thing or two about dominant DTs and what they can do for a defensive line. Perhaps other corners graded out higher, such as Kelee Ringo or Joey Porter Jr. It wouldn’t make sense then to take someone above them, so a move back would allow the Lions to get their best-ranked player still, address a need, and acquire more capital. Win, win, win.
The philosophy of no depth chart was made easier by the work the Lions did this offseason. Sure, we mention corner as a need, but the rest of the depth chart is at a point where they can go BPA to a certain extent. While not “luxury” picks, given the amount of one-year contracts filling out the roster, Detroit needs to have complete conviction with every selection that’s at No. 6 and beyond.
I don’t believe there’s a wrong way of thinking for the Lions in regards to pick 6. This is a team ready to take the NFC North crown. Whether they stay put, move up, or move down, Detroit is a far more dangerous team in 2023 and one I would not want to see popping up on my schedule.