2022 NFL Draft: The Rest of the Picks

Ok, so if you are reading this and have not read my post about the #2 pick, I would encourage you to go read that first, as it provides some context for where we are at in this post, which will cover the Lions’ other first-round pick, followed quickly by their second-round pick, and then the remainder of the draft as a whole.

I will be operating in this post under the assumption that we did take an EDGE with the #2 pick, ideally Aidan Hutchinson, but most likely Kayvon Thibodeaux or Travon Walker. I think that is the most likely direction the Lions will go, given the players at the top of this draft. So, players like David Ojabo from Michigan, Boye Mafe from Minnesota, and George Karlaftis from Purdue will not be discussed in detail. Those three are among the better edge rushers I could see potentially available with Pick 32, but again, if we go EDGE at Pick 2, we probably would not double up on that here.

So, where do the Lions go from here? I think there are two positions that would be very easy and smart directions for the Lions: safety and wide receiver. Both of these are positions of need, and there will be very good players at both of those positions available here, so nabbing one of each could be a home run for us. Brad Holmes has surprised us before, however, and if he has his eye on someone at a different position, he will absolutely pull the trigger on them instead.

Let’s take a look at the players that we could be looking at for Picks 32 and 34.

Daxton Hill – S, Michigan – 6’0”, 191 lbs.

Personal favorite of mine, he was amazing at Michigan. Plays with incredible speed, and can line up all over the field. I think he could be the best safety in this class. Unfortunately, I do not see him falling to us.

Jaquan Brisker – S, Penn State – 6’1”, 199 lbs.

Versatile piece that can be moved around defensive formations. Hits hard and is very capable in coverage as well.

Lewis Cine – S, Georgia – 6’2”, 199 lbs.

Aggressive player that is a hard-hitting enforcer. I could see him being a blend of in-the-box as well as over the top in the NFL.

Jalen Pitre – S, Baylor – 5’11”, 198 lbs.

Watched Baylor a few times this year and he really flashed. An explosive player that makes great reads in coverage and also flies up to make some big hits.

Christian Watson – WR, North Dakota State – 6’4”, 208 lbs.

Watson blew everyone away at the Combine, running a 4.36 40-yard dash at his size. He has all the physical tools you could ask for in a receiver. He just needs to work on sharpening up his route running, and significantly decrease his drop rate, which was one of the highest in the country.

Skyy Moore – WR, Western Michigan – 5’10”, 195 lbs.

As I said when writing about Kaleb Eleby, I got to see Skyy Moore in person three times this year. He is a very intriguing prospect. He has good speed, is quick in and out of cuts, and is tough to bring down in space. He is another local guy the Lions could be looking at.

George Pickens – WR, Georgia – 6’3”, 195 lbs.

At one time, Pickens looked like the best receiver in college football. Then an ACL tear during Spring 2021 took away most of his season. After making a full recovery, he came back towards the end of last season and looked very good. He has great hands, and is a solid route runner. He needs to work on getting stronger so he can improve his contested catching a bit.

Nakobe Dean – LB, Georgia – 5’11”, 229 lbs.

Similar to Dax Hill, this is another guy I love but do not see falling to us at 32. If he is there, I think Brad Holmes will not hesitate to grab him. A very smart player that gave me Troy Polamalu vibes when watching him in the College Football Playoff. He essentially floated around the field and made any play he saw, it was extremely impressive.

Christian Harris – LB, Alabama – 6’0.5”, 226 lbs.

I think Harris is being criminally underrated in this draft class. He had a quiet, yet productive season at Alabama, and showed out at the Combine, running a 4.44 40-yard dash. He is a fast, versatile linebacker that can rush the passer and drop back into coverage.

Quay Walker – LB, Georgia – 6’4”, 221 lbs.

An imposing figure at his size, Walker plays with plenty of speed, and is a very secure tackler, even in space. He seems to anticipate and read plays well.

Quarterback

I see a lot of people mocking a quarterback to us here, but I honestly do not see it happening. I think we will maybe take a shot at one later, but ultimately I think we are riding Jared Goff for another year, and then looking to really get our guy in next year’s draft. If we did want to look at quarterback, I think Matt Corral and Sam Howell would be the guys we are most likely looking at.

As I alluded to at the beginning of my post about the second overall pick, this draft is going to be one of the crazier ones in recent memory because nobody knows who is going to do what. As for the Lions, I certainly hope to see a lot of picks on defense, a pick in the first three rounds used on a wide receiver, and maybe even a shot at a quarterback like Bailey Zappe on the third day of the draft. Overall, I loved the draft Brad Holmes put together last year, I did not think he had a single bad pick, and I trust he will put together another strong draft this year. I think the tables are finally turning in Detroit’s favor, hopefully this draft is another step in the right direction towards building a winner here.