A writer from The Draft Network has laid out a pretty interesting scenario for the Lions in a recent two-round 2022 mock draft.
The Detroit Lions will have two first-round picks in April, and another pick early in the second round (No. 34 overall). Then as of right now they’ll have two third-round picks to give them five of the first 100 selections.
The Lions coaching staff will get a nice start on the prospect evaluation process in two weeks down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama (#TheDraftStartsinMobile). It’s also going to become mock draft season in earnest.
Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network has added the second round to his most recent mock draft, which I might call a bold move if my shortest mock thus far wasn’t three rounds–albeit for only one team.
In any case, Crabbs has laid out a pretty interesting scenario for the Lions.
TDN mock draft gets interesting for the Detroit Lions
With the second overall pick, Crabbs has the Lions doing the expected (with Aidan Hutchinson off the board) and taking Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Unlike the Jaguars, the Lions DO have the temptation of drafting a quarterback. But I just can’t imagine Detroit, who has largely accepted the magnitude of the rebuild in front of them, bypassing on an elite physical talent like Kayvon Thibodeaux in favor of this year’s quarterbacks. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and Detroit would be wise to act like it by simply drafting the best player available at a primary position. That’s Thibodeaux.
Late in the first round, at No. 28, the plot thickens.
Lions-Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
The Lions could very easily pick a quarterback here but I still find myself in the school of thought that this team should #DraftGoodPlayers and take their sweet time with that commitment. This is simply a “best player available” choice and Devin Lloyd’s three-down skill set guarantees he’ll see the field early and often for Detroit.
A scenario where Lloyd lasts to the Lions late in the first round feels far-fetched. He’s almost sure to be a top-20 pick, and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network has him going No. 7 to the New York Giants in his new mock. But if he’s there for Detroit, they should nab him.
In the second round, at No. 34 overall, Crabbs has a pick for the Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown should like.
Drake London, WR, USC
The #DraftGoodPlayers campaign continues in Detroit, with another USC wide receiver being added to the mix alongside 2021 rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown.
London has been a first-round pick in some mock drafts. At 6-foot-5 with the requisite (to be a little crass) go-get-it and out-muscle cornerbacks skill set, he has easily drawn comps to Mike Evans (great) and Mike Wiliams (not quite as great). Over just eight games in his final season at USC, due to a season-ending leg injury, he had 88 catches for 1,084 yards (both Pac-12 leading numbers) and seven touchdowns.
Two of the top 10-15 defensive players in the 2022 draft class and a wide receiver who has a chance to be a first-round pick would be quite a two-round haul for the Lions. That isn’t to call it likely, but it shouldn’t be entirely dismissed as possible either.