The Detroit Lions are heading into summer with their entire 2022 NFL draft class under contract.
The Lions signed second-round pick Josh Paschal to a standard four-year contract Friday. As the No. 46 pick of the draft, Paschal was due a total contract worth $8.4 million under the NFL’s slotted salary system, including a $3.3 million signing bonus, according to OverTheCap.com.
Paschal missed all of mandatory minicamp last week with a lower-body injury. Lions coach Dan Campbell said it was related to something he was dealing with during his final season at Kentucky.
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Paschal is expected to play a rotational role on the Lions defensive line this fall, seeing time at both end and as an interior pass rusher.
At Kentucky, Paschal had 13 sacks over 45 games in five seasons. He was a three-time team captain for the Wildcats and a player Lions general manager Brad Holmes said the team talked about with their picks at the end of the first round and beginning of the second, before packaging those choices to move up and draft Alabama receiver Jameson Williams.
The Lions, who took Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2, acquired the No. 46 pick in the deal, which they used on Paschal.
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“I was even called being greedy at times (because) I wanted to get another (defensive lineman),” defensive line coach Todd Wash said. “But no, we addressed our needs. It worked out exactly the way we planned it out in all of our scenarios and stuff, and to get the players that we got for our team, it’s really good. They did a tremendous job, all the administration of giving us players where we can go out and try to win some football games.”
Front office
The Lions announced the hire of Brandon Sosna, reported last week, as senior director of football administration. The team also promoted Ademi Smith from personnel assistant to scout, named Joe Kelleher assistant director of pro scouting, Brian Hudspeth assistant director of college scouting and Lance Newmark senior director of player personnel.
Mike Disner, who was named senior vice president of football and administration after he helped run the Lions’ coaching and general manager searches last winter, is now chief operating officer.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.