@MotorCityMadhouse I’ll also take a vet safety in FA… Marcus Williams come on over
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The reality is that we’re simply trying to get NFL players on to our starting lineup. If you are going to “finish” building anything you have to have depth.
Haven’t been able to watch much this year. Are either of the two rookie DT’s looking like solid building blocks?
Yes, but too early to tell where it will end up w them. With Brockers being MIA/DOA, they could need another DT/3-4DE for sure.
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I’d take him or Jessie Bates.
The dynamics of this draft seem to be that WR is deep, CB is deep, pass rushers dominate the top of the draft and LBer maybe is’t as deep.
Concerning free agency the Lions are a position to spend $. We have to lock down Tracy Walker and DE Charles Harris. Tracy is starting to flex a real attitude out there with swagger and I love that. Charles Harris is MUCH better than Trey Flowers as he is playing and Trey isn’t. Charles has six sacks on the season and he should be locked down. Alex Anzalone should be locked down too BUT…hopefully as a depth player. We need younger, better players to beat him out. We also get Romeo Okwara back and he is locked down. We also need to lock down Jalen Reeves Maybin too IF he is healthy as he looked good gere at LBer.
Concerning the offense, yes it is closer than people think. We need a true #1 WR and we have the $ to find that guy in 2022. If we get a true #1 WR we add that to a fine OL, Hock and an interesting stable of backs. I am okay going into 2022 with Jamaal Williams, Swift, Jefferson (I am excited to see him play today) and Godwin I. But we have Amon Ra developing, Cephus (who was on track for 700+ yards and likely 7+ TDs in 17 games) and then we can keep Josh Reynolds as a depth WR. I am okay with that IF we add a solid #1 and draft a WR in likely the 3rd round.
With that in mind if we go DE early (where the draft value is likely)…this draft is likely set up for us to really put the long term pieces together for the foundations for this defense. We have Derrick Barnes in development and I think he has potential still. But I also think we need a 3 down LBer that is currently not on the roster who can play big in big moments. I think Barnes, Reeves Maybin and Azalone are complimentary pieces overall.
If we add say Hutch and then a Devin Lloyd or Nakobe Dean fall to our 2nd 1st rd. pick I pull that trigger quicker than quick. Nakobe Dean is the most likely to go in the 15-25 range I think. Imagine this core:
Kayvon Thibs./Hitch, Nakobe Dean, Levi and Alim. That is how a Championship is built. If we add a solid strong safety this draft too (I am looking at Jaquan Brisker right now) that is strength through the middle with pressure possibilities on the outside with the top rookie, Charles Harris, Romeo and Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant. That is building a defense the right way as long as we are not passing up a clearly better offensive player in the process.
I want LB’s that are 6’3" or taller. For every inch shorter, they better do something “all-world” for me to even consider them.
Bingo.
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Interesting preference… very few LBs that tall can cover well.
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Very few LB’s can cover well.
Guys like Isaiah Simmons are RARE and you should draft them whenever you have the chance. Devin Lloyd would be this year’s example. Not as physically gifted but he’d be the LB I’d take first if available. The kid from Texas was #2 on my list but he’s staying put for 2022.
A big 6’3" safety can effectively be your OLB in passing downs so keep your eye on those as well.
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Not many safeties that tall can cover either.
Which is why you need to take them when available.
why?
The overwhelming majority of great safeties and LBs that can cover are shorter than 6’3" tall.
Why chase unicorns?
Just draft good football players.
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Both first round picks have to be defensive players but after that you still want to get good players at any position.
Need WR
More o-line depth
Everything else on defense.
Draft in 2022 is another crucial step in the rebuild.
Lions are 29th ranked scoring offense… and 28th ranked scoring defense.
Let’s not limit our options.
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In 2020 draft we passed on a “unicorn” and went with a slower CB.
There are some tall guys who work out… but your initial statement that they MUST be 6’3" tall to consider drafting them is the part that doesn’t check out.
Simmons and guys like him don’t always work out.
Even really athletic tall guys like Tremaine Edmunds and Vander Esch struggle in coverage.
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Has anyone from Michigan decided not to play in their playoff games?
Nobody is going to opt out a CFP game….a championship is at stake. But The Holiday Bowl or the Buffalo Wild Wings bowl…there’s nothing to play for