Man, what an exciting year this past season was. As disappointing as that second half against San Francisco was, it’s hard to be disappointed by the season as a whole. I was thinking last year would be the first real shot at making the playoffs but never imagined they would be a full blown contender in year 3 of the Campbell-Holmes era. This coming season comes with big expectations and it all starts with nailing the draft. Last year they got crushed for taking Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell in the first round by almost everybody. Personally, I loved the players they took with their first four picks but wondered about the positional value of the Gibbs/Campbell picks…and naturally that went out the window rather quickly. As soon as Holmes started talking about them as chess pieces, you knew they had a plan in place for them and they could not be put in a typical RB/LB box. Like I’ve said many times, when you have that many picks early, you have to draft starters. The position doesn’t matter all that much. You have to draft guys that are every down players and contributing to the teams success, whiffing will kill you. This year, same thing, they have to hit on their first three picks. What do I want them to draft? Many things, but they have earned carte blanche with me…I trust them with whatever direction they go.
On a different note, if the uniform re-design is any indication, more good things are ahead. They absolutely knocked the re-design out of the park and they went the direction I was hoping. The refreshed blue looks fantastic and the home uniform itself is perfect. The only gripe I have is the lack of striping on all of the pants except the home pants, but I’m guessing that makes it easier to mix and match the blue pants with the white, blue and black jerseys. Still, some striping on the white pants would have been a nice touch. Overall, I love what they’ve done with it. The font is an improvement and it’s great to get rid of the grey color rush in favor of a black alternate. It makes it even better that Dan Campbell requested a black jersey when he got the job and Rod Wood said he would get one done when they won the division.
Alright, now back to the draft. It’s safe to say with Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker that they will not be drafting a quarterback. Whether you love Goff or not, unless something ridiculous happens, they will be signing him to an extension and he’s going to be your quarterback for the foreseeable future. I’m hopeful he will take a bit of a hometown discount and not crater the cap, but we’ll have to see how these negotiations progress.
Looking at running back, there is a zero percent chance they draft one before maybe like round 5. They might take someone on day 3 as a depth option to challenge Craig Reynolds/Zonovan Knight/Jermar Jefferson, but they really won’t need to. Bam Knight should have an expanded role with the new kick return rules and everybody seems to love Reynolds.
Wide receiver is where it gets interesting. I think that wide receiver will be on the table at #29. They have Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond…but past that they need another impact player. Donovan Peoples-Jones is expendable and so is Antoine Green. I think that it would be a major upset if they didn’t take a WR in the first four rounds, especially with how deep the class is. Hell, they could draft two wide receivers and it would not be that ridiculous.
Given this is a weak tight end class and they just matched Brock Wright’s offer from the 49ers, I’ll say that they’re good here. Sam LaPorta was simply incredible and I liked the flashes James Mitchell has shown. I don’t think LaPorta can match his rookie season, but there’s no reason to think he will take some huge step back…the guy is a star and a bonafide top 5 TE in the league.
The offensive line is the next spot on the offense that they definitely need to spend some draft capital on. I love Jonah Jackson but the Lions did the right thing letting him walk. He got paid on a monster deal and he was banged up often…the Lions need to conserve their resources with some of the impending contracts they need to hand out. Bringing Graham Glasgow back was a no brainer after the year he had and the price point he was at. And the signing of Kevin Zeitler is sneaky great. He will be a rock solid starter for this line no problem. But they need to start planning for the future. Zeitler is on a one year deal, Taylor Decker is getting older and his contract will be up soon, and most importantly, Frank Ragnow isn’t going to play forever. He’s an absolute warrior but he has been on the injury report for what seems like 3 years straight, and he’s not going to play forever unfortunately. I think the Lions will spend one of their two day 2 picks on an interior offensive lineman, but it wouldn’t shock me if the board shook out and they took one in round 1. the Lions offensive line is an integral part of the offenses success and they need to continue to invest in it. Colby Sorsdal looks like he has some potential, but they need a bonafide future starter in the interior.
Looking at the defensive line, it’s clear many people will want the Lions to address EDGE in the draft, but it would not shock me if they skipped it. They need someone to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson and be productive, but they might take the committee approach again. Marcus Davenport is a band aid but he has been productive in the NFL before. James Houston is a stud and needs to get more reps. And they still have John Cominsky and Josh Paschal, the latter of which could take a step in year 3 or find himself on a different team next year. I would expect the Lions to potentially add someone late, but I’m not sure they will draft someone here early.
As for the interior defensive line, signing DJ Reader should solidify that for next year no problem. Reader next to Alim McNeill will be a potent pair and they also have Tyson Aluali, Levi Onquzurie and Brodric Martin. Martin will be able to learn from Reader and that should help his development tremendously. Now, while I do not expect any additions here, they are big fans of Johnny Newton (Illinois, DT), so it is hard to rule anything out totally.
Like the interior DL, I think that LB is pretty well set and I would be surprised if they added anyone. Derrick Barnes emerged as a starter last year and they took Jack Campbell round 1. Add in Alex Anzalone, a leader of the defense, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, one of the best special teamers in the league, and you’re pretty well set. I’ll be very curious to see if Campbell overtakes anyone as a starter, but they have a solid group here on the two-deep moving into next year.
The secondary is where the next batch of work needs to be done, and everyone knows it. The Lions made a splash trading a 3rd for Carlton Davis and then they signed Amir Robinson, a smaller corner that has inside/outside versatility. Losing Sutton will create a hole at the CB2 spot, and will likely cause the Lions to take a look in the draft. But they’re very comfortable with Brian Branch playing in the nickel (obviously) and it would not shock me if they did not take a corner early if the right guy is not there. Brad Holmes said himself that he was corner crosscheck for the Rams and he’s very picky with corners. After letting CJ Gardner-Johnson walk and cutting Tracy Walker, they’re pretty thin at safety. Kerby Joseph and Iffy Melifonwu are solid players, but both have injury history and Iffy has not been a full time starter for an entire season. It’s a weak safety class and there are still a plethora of free agents available, most of whom I think are waiting to see how the draft pans out prior to signing. I would love for the Lions to draft a corner and allow Branch to play some safety if need be, or sign a safety in free agency post-draft. It’s a weak safety class so they may not be able to fill the hole in the draft.
Looking at special teams…for the love of god get a kicker. Free agency, draft, whatever, they cannot have Michael Badgley be the kicker next year.
As we start to look at who they might take, let me just say I have full confidence in Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell and will trust whoever they take. If history tells us anything, they’re going to take the best players available and they won’t draft for perceived needs. That is how the best teams do it and they have shown they know how to draft. If you waste picks reaching for needs, that is how you miss and end up scrambling. My preferences will be discussed below and if I were them, I would try to trade out and acquire more picks. I like the depth in this draft and it would be great if they could add a few more picks in the top 100. I would be stunned if the Lions don’t pick from 73 to 164 and stay right where they are at. Most importantly, this draft is important because many key players are coming up for contract extensions the next couple of years…Jared Goff, Amon-Ra, Penei Sewell, Alim McNeil, Aidan Hutchinson…are all going to get paid, so they cannot afford any mistakes.
1st Round, 29th Overall: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Kool-Aid has a great pedigree starting off as a five-star recruit in high school and playing for one of the best coaches of all time. He’s played against great competition and got better each year he was in college. He’s not a great athlete, particularly when it comes to his twitchiness, but he has experience as a press-man corner. I think the biggest question mark is his compete and will that fit in with the Lions. They went to the Alabama pro day and brought him for a Top 30 visit and met with him at the Combine, so it is safe to say that they have done their homework on him. I would love for them to trade up for Quinyon Mitchell or Terrion Arnold, but I don’t think they will spend the capital to go get them.
Graham Barton, IOL, Duke or Jackson Powers-Johson, IOL, Oregon or Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
2nd Round, 61st Overall: Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan
Here is where you will see some bias start creeping in. I love Roman Wilson’s athletic profile and I think he would be a great fit for the Lions offense. Imagine Jameson Williams blowing the top off of defenses while Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Roman Wilson work the defense underneath and on crossing routes. Roman made a habit of running away from defenders underneath and his blocking ability fits perfectly with the run-first Lions offense. You know he’s unselfish after playing WR for Jim Harbaugh.
Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan or Javon Bullard, S, Georgia or Christian Haynes, OG, UConn
3rd Round, 73rd Overall: Zak Zinter, IOL, Michigan
I’ve been having a hard time with Zinter here. I thought he was more of a 2nd-3rd round prospect and everywhere I look I see him being talked about as a 4th round pick. I think Zinter is a plug and play starter at right guard, especially in a run heavy offense. With Glasgow and Zeitler, he would not have to start right away and I think he has all of the makings of being an impact player. Zeitler could start at right guard for a year on his one-year deal and then Zinter could take over fall of 2025. He reminds me a lot of Jonah Jackson and he would be great up front for the Lions.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington or Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State or Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
5th Round, 164th Overall: Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian
An athletic, small school developmental prospect is exactly what the Lions tend to target on day 3 in the draft…at least for a pick or two. This pick is all about upside and his athleticism gives you a lot to like. He’s relatively inexperienced, but that’s okay, you cannot teach the traits that he has.
Mohamed Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State or Trevor Keegan, IOL, Michigan or Jha’quan Jackson, WR, Tulane
6th Round, 201st Overall: Sione Vaki, S, Utah
Vaki played safety and running back at Utah and is truly just a football player. He honestly might as well have Dan Campbell written on his forehead. He plays physical and downhill and the fact he was willing to play running back after there were injuries to the Utah backfield shows he’s a team-first guy. I don’t think he’s a future starter, but a backup/core special teamer sounds like a great combo. Remember, kickoffs will be relevant again this year.
Jamari Thrash, WR, Louisville or Braiden McGregor, EDGE, Michigan or Qwan’Tez Stiggers, CB, Toronto (CFL)
6th Round, 205th Overall: Karsen Barnhart, IOL, Michigan
Man, I have had a lot of kool-aid this year. For me, looking at the prospects in this area, I think you pivot and go to high-floor and versatility. Barnhart can start at every spot on the line except center. This type of versatility would be great to carry on game days and he would be a tremendous asset. He’s never going to be a starter and that’s okay. He can be a utility backup that will provide depth at many spots.
Jalen Coker, WR, Holy Cross or Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech or Steele Chambers, LB, Ohio State
7th Round, 249th Overall: Will Reichard, K, Alabama
I’m afraid that they would have to draft Will sooner than this, but I would love for him to fall into the Lions lap. His long in college was only 52 yards, but his last two seasons he was 84.6% or better on field goals and 100% on extra points. He’s worth a look, that is for sure.
Michael Barrett, LB, Michigan or Jordan Jefferson DT, LSU or Trey Taylor, S, Air Force
As you can see, my draft would have a lot of Michigan flavor…I have a little bias and they had their best team in a long, long time so how can you blame me? I think a couple of the Michigan guys really fit the bill for the Lions, but I don’t have any expectations they will draft any of them. In terms of need/want, give me a corner, an offensive lineman, a wide receiver, a safety and an edge rusher. Or double up at corner and get ready to move Branch to Safety full-time…hell that might happen anyways. This draft has a lot of good players in the top 100-120 and it drops off late…ideally the Lions add more picks in the middle and maybe move up from the end of the draft.
It’s exciting to head into a draft and have full confidence in the front office and the coaching staff. Gone are the years of feeling anxious and wondering how they are going to mess this up. Draft weekend is here and it is going to be glorious.
Here’s a look at some of their visitors from Pride of Detroit:
“Top-30” visits
- OT Giovanni Manu, CFL (source)
- RB Cody Schrader, Missouri (source)
- WR Roman Wilson, Michigan (source) also was at Lions local pro day (source)
- EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, WMU (source)
- EDGE Nate Lynn, William & Mary (source)
- DT Michael Hall, Ohio State (source)
- DT Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa (source)
- DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois (source)
- CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama (source) — formal at Combine (source)
- CB Qwan’tez Sitggers, CFL (source + story)
- CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama (source)
- CB Andru Phillips, Kentucky (source)
- CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri (source, Note: Not the steadiest of sources, but it was retweeted by Rakestraw himself, and Rakestraw also posted an Instagram photo of him in Detroit consistent with this timeline)
- CB Caelen Carson, Wake Forest (source)
- CB Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn (source)
- CB Mike Sainristil, Michigan (source) — also was at Lions local pro day (source)
- S Sione Vaki, Utah (source) — formal at Combine (source)
Lions local day:
- QB Theo Day, Northern Iowa (source)
- RB Blake Corum, Michigan (source)
- WR Hamze El-Zayat, EMU (source)
- WR Tanner Knue, EMU (source)
- WR Tre Moseley, MSU (source)
- OL Karsen Barnhart, Michigan (source)
- G Trevor Keegan, Michigan (source)
- DT Judge Culpepper, Toledo (source)
- DT James Ester, Northern Illinois (source)
- DT Justin Rogers, Auburn (source)
- DT Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson (source)
- EDGE Ovie Oghoufo, LSU (source)
- EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri (source)
- EDGE Jaylen Harrell, Michigan (source)
- LB Michael Barrett, Michigan (source)
- LB Chase Kline, EMU (source)
- CB Kalon Gervin, Kansas (source)
- CB Chris McDonald, Toledo (source)
- DB Josh DeBerry, Texas A&M (source)
- S Jordan Anderson, UCLA (source)
- S Reggie Pearson, Oklahoma (source)
Other meetings:
- WR Xavier Legette, South Carolina (source) — Formal @ Combine
- WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU (source) — Formal @ Combine
- WR Devontez Walker, North Carolina (source) — Formal @ Combine
- WR, Anthony Gould, Oregon State —Pro Day (source)
- OT/G Kingsley Suamatala, BYU (source) — Formal @ Combine
- EDGE Nelson Caesar, Houston (source) — Formal @ Combine
- EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, WMU (source) — Formal @ Combine
- EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri (source) — Formal @ Combine
- EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington (source) — Formal @ Combine
- EDGE/SAM Javon Solomon (source) — Virtual meeting
- DT Johnny Newton, Illinois (source) — Formal @ Combine
- LB Aaron Casey, Indiana (source) — Formal @ Combine
- CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo (source) — Formal @ Combine
- S Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest (source) — Formal @ Combine
List of meetings from Walter Football:
- Terrion Arnold, Cornerback, Alabama (T30)
- Karsen Barnhart, Offensive Tackle, Michigan (LOC)
- Khristian Boyd, Defensive Tackle, Northern Iowa (T30)
- Caelen Carson, Cornerback, Wake Forest (T30)
- Brandon Coleman, Offensive Tackle, TCU (COM)
- Blake Corum, Running Back, Michigan (LOC)
- Anthony Gould, Wide Receiver, Oregon State (VIR)
- Michael Hall Jr., Defensive Tackle, Ohio State (T30)
- Marshawn Kneeland^, Defensive End, Western Michigan (COM, T30)
- Nate Lynn, Defensive End, William & Mary (T30)
- Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cornerback, Alabama (T30)
- Joe Milton, Quarterback, Tennessee (T30)
- Johnny Newton, Defensive Tackle, Illinois (T30)
- Bo Nix, Quarterback, Oregon (COM)
- Andru Phillips, Cornerback, Kentucky (T30)
- Nehemiah Pritchett, Cornerback, Auburn (T30)
- Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Cornerback, Missouri (T30)
- Darius Robinson, Defensive Tackle, Missouri (COM)
- Justin Rogers, Defensive Tackle, Auburn (T30)
- Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Wide Receiver, Georgia (VIR)
- Ainias Smith, Wide Receiver, Texas A&M (PRO)
- Javon Solomon, Defensive End, Troy (VIR)
- Loren Strickland, Safety, Ball State (VIR)
- Sione Vaki, Safety, Utah (T30)
- Jordan Whittington, Wide Receiver, Texas (COM)
- Roman Wilson, Wide Receiver, Michigan (LOC)
I went through some other super trade down options for those of you that have a lot of time to kill like me right now.
Photos via: Lions.com
The Daily Traub 