Are the Detroit Lions falling in love with Malik Willis?

[Snags]

@3rdRGR

@Gerwinke

Everyone here talking about Willis and I’m just waiting for us to build a team and wait till baby Manning declares in like 3-4 years.

I’d bet if you laid out your ideal offseason that you feel is realistic, and then laid out the positions and who’s there, you’d be surprised what’s really left to fix. If you build around Goff, yes you get there faster. But you get there with Goff, and no chance if he can’t bring you a ring. Then you end up selling your future to move up and take a swing not unlike the one we’d be taking with Willis.

Or you roll with Goff, build the roster around him, and if he can’t take you deep into the playoffs, you trade for a better QB or then draft your QB.

[NowFromTN]

@Air2theThrown

However I think we’re better off passing on a QB for another year. I want to improve the overall roster more to give that young QB the best opportunity for success.

Thank you, I can’t like this enough. I have been stating this for the last 3 weeks

[Snags]

@NowFromTN

@Air2theThrown

However I think we’re better off passing on a QB for another year. I want to improve the overall roster more to give that young QB the best opportunity for success.

Thank you, I can’t like this enough. I have been stating this for the last 3 weeks

Yep, I’m in that camp as well.

If there were some generational QB though, I might think otherwise… but there’s not.

[JimInTN]

Ask me after senior bowl and combine.

[Phunnypharm]

@detroit1811

I know I am in the minority, but safety play is extremely underrated in the eyes of many. People always say how CB’s are so highly valued, and they are, but they mainly have one responsibility. That is why you saw a player like Jalen Ramsey be used as a moveable chess piece this season. They wanted to put him in the best positions to make a greater impact on the game. The best safeties have that ability.

I may be the only one here willing to do this, but I would have no issues signing Marcus Williams, bringing back Tracy Walker and drafting Kyle Hamilton. He can be that moveable chess piece that can drop in the slot, can move into the box, guard TE’s one on one, blitz off the edge or drop deep into coverage. I would use him very similar to what the Steelers did with Polamalu. He never had a specific role and that allowed him to be one of the most impactful defenders in the NFL.

The thing is… the best safeties can be acquired as free agents at times… ot later in draft… without spending a top 5 pick on them… or even any 1st round pick.

Most safeties are drafted outside of the 1st round.

Tyrann Mathieu… has played with 3 teams and is currently a UFA.

In fact… 7 of the top 10 safeties on a list by PFF are playing with their 2nd or 3rd team now… or are currently slated for UFA because their team didn’t lock them up already.

Safety Rankings: The 32 best safeties entering the 2021 NFL season | NFL...

There are only a few safeties drafted in the 1st round that have made big impacts on playoff teams. Everybody wants the next Ed Reed, Polamalu, or Earl Thomas… but if we have to go back 20+ years to find a handful of those kind of guys… we should also realize they only are slightly more likely to find than unicorns.

Teams let safeties hit free agency all the time… no need to use a premium draft pick on a safety.

[HSVLion]

Some things we need to clear up…

1. Nobody is worthy of 2OA this year

2. If we took Malik Willis, he would not start this year. Maybe not the year after.

3. If we took Willis and Goff wins the franchise QB job, we can trade Willis (Josh Rosen)

4. If nobody wants to trade for 2OA then that should tell you how valuable it is.

5. Willis has generational upside

[Air2theThrown]

@Phunnypharm

Teams let safeties hit free agency all the time… no need to use a premium draft pick on a safety.

For the most part the Rams have done well at grabbing Safeties in round 2 or later with solid success. So you’d think Holmes would be influenced by that.

I do think there’s a chance they would go DB at 2O2 but I think it’s more likely they would take a CB over a safety there.

I honestly think we will draft a CB at some point in this draft so why not at 2OA?

Okudah is a big question mark.

Our pass defense was 23rd while our run defense was 28th. We clearly need help on defense.

[Phunnypharm]

@Air2theThrown

I do think there’s a chance they would go DB at 2O2 but I think it’s more likely they would take a CB over a safety there.

I honestly think we will draft a CB at some point in this draft so why not at 2OA?

I think a stud CB can justify the #2 pick…,

But… this draft is deep at CB… and there doesn’t seem to be a CB that really stands out from the rest to pick one at #2 OA.

If they really wanted to fraft a CB in the top half of round 1… I would hope a trade down would be made… even if for less than “chart” value.

[KingSlappy]

[Phunnypharm]

@KingSlappy

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKd3fg9XEAYR_tl?format=jpg&name=large

zooming in a bit….

[rw979802]

And JaMarcus Russell downside

[Phunnypharm]

@rw979802

And JaMarcus Russell downside

that take is almost as lazy as JaMarcus was…
just kidding… he took lazy to a new level.

[rw979802]

Which is why you take the guy most likely to succeed, at a position of need. 30 sacks last yr, 28th vs the run. You have most likely the consensus no.1 player available at 2, at a position of need. That fits the plan, and MC/DC correctly believe the game is won or lost in the trenches, Hutch is the right pick.

[Mike0618]

If the lions were able to drop down a few spots and grab an additional 2nd rd pick i would have no issue with a high upside qb with their 1st pick.

[WestCoastLionsFan]

@HSVLion

Willis has generational upside

Sorry, but there are guys of Willis’ caliber EVERY draft. By very definition, that’s not “generational”.

People have a habit of thinking that this years “X” is the best ever and conveniently forgot they said the same thing last year.

[Gitche]

Hopefully they love him just enough to hype him heavily, and convince someone else to trade up and get him.

Fill in the blank

________ wins championships.

[MotorCityMadhouse]

@HSVLion

Some things we need to clear up…

1. Nobody is worthy of 2OA this year
2. If we took Malik Willis, he would not start this year. Maybe not the year after.
3. If we took Willis and Goff wins the franchise QB job, we can trade Willis (Josh Rosen)
4. If nobody wants to trade for 2OA then that should tell you how valuable it is.
5. Willis has generational upside

Points 1-4 seem valid to me
I’ll let Holmes & Co decide on #5

IF they fully believe they can coach him up in a year or two then they likely would pull the trigger.
Fully believe…

If they view it as too risky they won’t make the move.

As someone mentioned earlier, at some point they will have to make a move for a QB

But they will not put it all on the line for a high risk proposition. They may view Goff as good enough to run with until he proved himself one way or another.

The flip side — the risk someone else takes him and he develops into a nice QB. Then the crowd tells them they blew it in 2022.

I’m in no position to take a firm position on any of this.

Odds are they pass on him at #2

[detroit1811]

The facts are one of these QBs are likely to be very good and if the Lions pass on that QB fans will always look back and play the woulda coulda game a la Justin Herbert.

[HSVLion]

@Phunnypharm

@Air2theThrown

I do think there’s a chance they would go DB at 2O2 but I think it’s more likely they would take a CB over a safety there.

I honestly think we will draft a CB at some point in this draft so why not at 2OA?

I think a stud CB can justify the #2 pick…,

But… this draft is deep at CB… and there doesn’t seem to be a CB that really stands out from the rest to pick one at #2 OA.

Yes there is. His name is Derek Stingley.

And he is going to be the best player from this top 5.

[DefendTheDen]

@Snags

Or you roll with Goff, build the roster around him, and if he can’t take you deep into the playoffs, you trade for a better QB or then draft your QB.