My niece got married this weekend to an NFL player for the Chargers. I sat next to his agent during the reception and we discussed the upcoming draft. He obviously makes no decisions but was more in tune with things than the average fan. I told him that I was a big Lions fan and after getting through the cliché (sorry to hear that) type stuff, he said he thought the Lions are primed to make a big improvement next year and the fact they have draft capital to really improve the team this year and next. He were a couple things he heard that I found interesting.
He told me it would be Hutch or Walker for our #2 pick. Also said Sauce Gardner is an option. He said Mark Brunnell told some folks he can make Malik Willis a Pro Bowler in a couple years if they were able to get him. Didn’t think the Lions will go QB at two though. I told him that I like Thibodeaux and he said his position is more of a stand up rush end 3-4 type guy. He didn’t think he was a position or personality match with Detroit. I disagreed with him but he didn’t budge.
He said the Lions might be in the absolute perfect spot for some trades with pick #32 and 34. His rational was teams that didn’t go QB (Carolina, Seattle, Washington, Atlanta, Giants, Tennessee) early might be looking to trade up into the 1st round to get any of their potential QB targets later in round 1. Thinks the Lions can snag some good offers at pick 32. What was interesting was if the Lions do make the trade out of 32, and a team takes a QB in that spot, there might be a run on QB’s early in round two. He said if QB needy dont go QB in round 1, they will definitely look at one in the 2nd round. Teams will need to get in front of Seattle if they have a QB target that potentially falls. The Lions could double down and trade for a 2nd time. He said hypothetically, they could net two future 1st of the board falls right. I was salivating hearing of that trade potential opportunity.
He has specifically heard that the first round will be way different than any mock drafts are predicting. He has heard rumblings that draft boards are all over the place for different teams and there will be many “whoa” type moments in the first round.
His buddy is the agent for the kick/punter from San Diego St. I guess they think the kid is going to go in the 2nd round. Said he can kick and punt which would open a roster spot for another player if they decided to use him for both roles.
He thinks Jordan Davis will go way higher than what everyone thinks. A guy his size and measurables don’t come along very often. He think someone will trade up for him in the top 8 picks.
I appreciate you sharing. Everything you posted seems plausible but would a player really know much of anything outside of perhaps his own team’s leanings?
But wouldn’t an agent say whatever he needs to say to give his client an edge?. I’ve seen several episodes of Ballers so I feel like I’m an authority here.
Players generally want to know where they are expected to go in the draft. If an agent tells them 1st round but they last until the 3rd, I doubt that agent will get many more clients.
The agent also represents a couple draft prospects this year. I am not gonna name them but they are all mid to late round guys.
One other thing I forgot to mention, he said there are tons of guys with mid-round grades that teams really like. He thinks we will see lots of trades on day 2 and 3 because of how deep the draft is. He thinks we see quite a few teams unloading 3rd rounders next year for 4th rounders in this years draft. I guess Covid made this years class a lot bigger than most. Said next year is probably gonna be too heavy and smaller.
Makes me disappointed we don’t have the early 4th rounder or 5th rounder this year. Trinity Benson trade just never made sense to me.
Bro → thanks for posting this. So cool. So interesting. Feels perfectly on point. OMf’n’G if we get even one extra first in a trade down, that would be amazing. Next year we could boost this roster SO much. I’m still extremely cautious about moving forward with the assumption that Goff is “the guy,” but think of what the rest of the roster would look like if we had 3 first rounders next year.
It’s not hard to draw up a scenario where a B/B+/B- QB is the weakest link by a mile.
Super-fun scenarios.
I want Willis or Jordan Davis. Would be so happy if it happened in a trade down.
Lions trade back, snag Willis around pick 4-7, use additional draft capital from the trade, along with pick 34 to trade up and get Davis as well.
Trade 32 for a first next season, which moves them back 3 or 4 spots. They trade that pick for ANOTHER first in 2023.
We still pick #2 in the third round, and move into next season with FOUR first round picks.
Our 10-7 2022 team is then ready to compete for the SB in 2023
Word!
One thing with an eye on the future…Rams pick could potentially be higher than I anticipated. It goes off of playoff wins, but holy shit…I bet they have the toughest schedule in the NFL next year by a sizable margin. This is brutal. Even for them, almost no 'gimmies" on there. Observe…
Also, if we see Homes loading up on 2023 by trading 32 and or 34 for mid rounders this year and 1st or 2nds next, this is him setting up to trade down and get a QB at the top of the 23 draft
Maybe to a football professional, but, to a fan at a wedding? I don’t see why.
I used to coach a NFL Scouts kid. He and I had many conversations, and, he was right a lot more than he was wrong.
He made me look good a few times on here. I called the Larry Warford pick. Actually, Russ did, and I parroted it.
Everything in the OP makes good sense. Thanks for sharing.
Pat McAfee is convinced this will never be “a thing.” Pat was both a kicker and a punter before entering the NFL. He said its hard to be an NFL level kicker while also being an NFL level punter…skill wise. However, even if someone could get to that level it would be too much wear and tear on their leg to constantly practice both.
Who knows what to believe or not believe nowadays but one thing I’m becoming absolutely certain of at this point is that the Lions will take Walker over Thibodeaux assuming that Hutch is off the board.
I had a chance to listen to some Walker interviews for the first time and he’s a great kid, seems like the exact type of character that Holmes and Campbell would fall in love with. Not to mention that he seems to be a better schematic fit than Thibs so I’m embracing for Walker to be the pick. It’s a pick that carries a ton of risk in terms of on the field impact, more than I’d be willing to wager on if I was Holmes and co. but I’ll support the pick regardless. I was a big fan of his demeanor in the interviews and his athletic profile is off the charts so that’s a start.
Interesting about 32 because, in a way, I could see that pick being more valuable than 29-31 for instance because it’s a last ditch effort for inquiring teams to get that 5th year option on a QB and with the Lions having spent their 4th to get Barnes, I could see Holmes being really interested in adding a few mid round picks to trade down a few spots into the 2nd round.
Actually, looking at the QB needy teams. Carolina, New Orleans, Pittsburgh. Not much draft capital for them to make such a deal so unless Holmes wants future draft picks, there doesn’t seem to be many options to trade out of 32 either. Ugh
Honestly, if any team offers next years 1st for pick number #32 or 34, we better jump on it. Unless that team wins the Super Bowl, our pick would improve next year. If the team is taking a QB with either of those picks, my opinion is that it might actually be a decent pick in the first. Unless someone falls that we absolutely have to have, I would love to see us trade out. Pick #32 is soooo darn foreign to us Lion fans, haha.
I don’t see any scenario where a team offers a future 1st (unless it’s way in the future) for #32. I was thinking more along the lines of a 3rd in addition to a 2nd if there was a team drafting high up in the 2nd like Carolina for instance but Carolina doesn’t have any picks until late in the 4th (Yikes for them) so they aren’t an option unless they offer a couple of future 2nds?. Just like with #2, the Lions aren’t in a good position for a trade down with the first two picks and of course because… Lions.
I met and hung out with Titus Young for a few hours at the Lions Bass Tournament at Kensington and walked away with the same impression. Great kid!
I still pray for him.
