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During conference title game weekend in college football, here are five 2022 draft prospects Lions fans can have their eye on.
The college football regular season is over, and for NFL teams the pre-draft process will hit fever pitch with the Senior Bowl in late-January. Between now and then there’ll be conference championship games, other bowls and the College Football Playoff as showcases for 2022 draft prospects.
This weekend is championship game weekend for college football. Every conference from the SEC, Pac-12 and Big Ten to the Sun Belt, the MAC and Conference USA will determine its 2021 champion. Saturday, Dec. 4 will bring an all-day slate of conference title games, with kickoffs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time.
The Lions will have ample opportunities to add young talent in the 2022 draft, with needs all over the field. Here are five incoming draft prospects to watch during conference title game weekend.
Lions 2022 NFL Draft: 5 prospects to watch during conference title games
5. Utah LB Devin Lloyd
Lloyd was tabbed to the Lions with their second first-round pick by Brentley Weissman of The Draft Network back in November. He finished the regular season with an even 100 total tackles (22 tackles for loss), seven sacks, three interceptions and six pass breakups. He is now widely being comfortably projected as a first-round pick.
The Utes beat Oregon back on Nov. 20, so they’ll be looking to do so twice in a short span and got to the Rose Bowl. Lloyd himself will be looking to make more of an impact than he did in the first matchup (six total tackles, one tackle for loss).
Lloyd will get a rare big stage to showcase himself on Friday night with few other games going on on a primetime window. Even if the odds he lasts to the Lions’ second first-round pick are diminishing, he’s still someone who should be broadly on the radar for the Detroit front office and fans.
How to watch Lloyd: Pac-12 Championship Game vs. Oregon, Friday, Dec. 3, 8:00 p.m. ET, TV: ABC