ok, we have been all over the place with this guy, questioning even if he’s worthy to draft at all, wondering if we should pick him @2OA. to me? It’s getting old fast. we sent 7 staff members to watch him closely, Holmes included…I haven’t heard an horror stories or negative remarks from that visit. 7 chosen staff members sent to critique KT’s game , and no real broad/general announcements . here is one. I don’t give a rats @_ _. this staff IS doing it’s homework on this guy and I’ll tell you what, IF they pick him @ 2 ? I’ll fully support their decision. I’ll judge Thibs based on how he plays HERE (if he does) , because I can’t make sense out of 5,000 talking heads. Consensus WAS He’s our sure fire #2 , to “gee I don’t know how I feel about the guy.” "look at this knock against him, and that one. to finally “I don’t think he’s worth picking at 2.” exactly like Hutch.- we are all over the road on these two. we have taken them right out of the top -talk . I haven’t heard our staff claim that’s the way it is with them as well. I will judge both of them the same, IF they play well here, I will praise them…IF they make mistakes? I will give them grief. that simple really.
It’s human nature to scrutinize when making big decisions. Like buying a house, it’s never perfect, but can you get it to where you want it with a little bit of work? Sometimes there’s a unicorn that falls into your lap, like Sewell, but most of the time people are going to nit pick a decision to death before pulling the trigger. KT has been a consensus #1 pick for about 2 years, he’s well worth the pick at 2 no matter what problems people may have with him. Hutch is easy to love, but his ceiling is definitely lower, but is also well worth the pick. Just comes down to what feels right and what you think works best for the future.
I think if Hutch’s head sat on top of KT’s body there would be absolutely ZERO discussion of him NOT being 1OA. Though we are all just Arm Chair Scouts (some with badges and titles), we can see the on field stuff. We can look at the workouts and athletic numbers. We can look at interviews where we get turned off because frankly he acts like a douche at times. But let’s be honest, I could spend the rest of the day citing examples of NFL players who act like douches, that still don’t get in trouble off field and on it, do things we all clamor for. We didn’t send 7 people to Eugene to see KT do LB coverage drills. We sent them there to fan out and talk to as many people face to face about this guy as humanly possible. If I ask you if the guy was a pain in the ass in an email. You’ll say no, that stuff is overblown. If I ask you in person you may SAY the same thing, but your facial expression as you spin BS is shall I say “priceless.”
Think about the following player. A’Shawn Robinson. Yes he was not a 2OA investment, but he was a 2nd round pick. Was A’Shawn a media darling like Hutch is?? Or was he pretty much a total jackass? Remember his self imposed silent treatment? Do you really care?? He was “solid” as an interior Dlineman, he was good enough for the SB champs and he did play quite a bit in rotation for them. My point is how often do you “really” hear from players once they are on the team outside of the QB? Do you think our starting EDGE is going to be on the weekly podium? Is his love of Crypto currency going to prevent him from beating NFL OT’s? I get the ideal. I get that you don’t want a douche at 2. In a perfect world every player would be Hutch, KVB, Spielman. But that just isn’t the case. I think the Lions culture will be strong enough to bring KT into it. It’s a gravity thing and that is what strong culture does. You don’t need all perfect culture fits. YOUR culture is so good that it alters others behavior and attitude. That is why you bring in a Dan Campbell who never called plays for Pee Wee leaguers. It’s for this moment, when you have an elite pass rusher that needs work from the neck up. This is when the rubber meets the road and DC it’s your job to win guys over who aren’t necessarily easy to win over because they think the exact same way. That’s easy. Leading those who don’t buy in easy shows the measure of a leader. I think DC is that kind. Patricia was the opposite. He HAD to have “his” guys or he couldn’t lead them. Again, that’s easy.
Forget the underwear Olympics. Forget the love me some me. Draft KT, pound tables, slap backs and let out the Ric Flairs boys. Then let the dude eat.
I think what you are saying is what most everyone here says. Nobody says he’s not talented enough to be the pick. The fear is the Lions are turned off Thibodeauxs demeanor. If that’s the case they won’t pick him.
If they think they can coach him and he will be a good player then it’s an easy pick. Is there anyone here who would be upset with the pick if he Holmes and Campbell sign off on him?
Put me on record as hoping we don’t draft KT.
And it has nothing to do with the perception of him based on his interviews. Let’s assume he’s a decent guy, which he probably is.
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He is naturally thin in the legs and hips, for a football player on the d-line. He packed on some body builder muscle weight in the chest/shoulders to get to 245. Hes not going to carry any more weight well at all, and still retain decent speed or durability.
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His pressures were almost all a result of speed to get around a few slow footed college tackles. NFL tackles move MUCH better, and will neutralize his one marketable skill at a higher rate.
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Obviously he had his reasons for not giving 100% all of the time. Maybe he doesn’t have super cardio (some don’t … ), or maybe it’s something else. Still an unanswered question.
I don’t know. I don’t think these things add up to anything close to a #2 overall.
Hey if the man gave up on plays…noticeably? then he would be in no way considered a top-level prospect in ANY draft…not even CLOSE, but yet Kayvon Thibodeaux IS a T.OP Defensive End in THEE 2022 draft. Nobody is saying he isn’t considered as one of- The BIG , top draft prospects, They question his motor, his overall effort , his overall pass rush , his ball-tracking or runners in pursuit , his love for football, and how he’s not a lock at pick #02. I say.
Thunder, you start listing off reasons to not like him, talk about "questions about KT…then say a odd general comment about unanswered questions and say “I DON’T KNOW” to me? If you don’t know, don’t fill in stuff to make an argument for not drafting him, in here you have to know that in which your stating or it gets you in trouble in a hurry. I will be the first one to admit I often don’t know several aspects of the game or all it’s players and personel. I have never played organized football anywhere ! just backyard football as a kid prior to me finding out…I had Brain Cancer…in turn, my DR’s kept me out of the game EVEN at a JR High level. anywhere around. my lack of OA knowledge is because I really struggle remembering certain things on a daily.
Is there any chance someone could start another Thibs thread, not seeing enough of them recently, haha.
well I sit here thinking "MAN !! WE just won three whole games last season, yet everyone wants to rip apart the top prospects in this draft: Hutch , Walker , Dean , Ekwonu , Gardener ,Asamoah, LLoyd, D. Wyatt, Cine , Brisker , Monday , Ojabo , Muma, Mc Bride , Skyy Moore , Burks , London…the whole rainbow. yet none of them are “good enough-for the Lions?”
that’s the way it sounds in here daily…while we’re rebuilding #phase 2.
We’re Lions fans, this is what we do! The draft is like preparing for the super bowl.
First of all … glad you are still around to chat about the Lions. Brain cancer are two words no one ever wants to hear.
And I do get it … there are no certainties in the draft, that is for sure. My blurbs on Thibbs are informed opinions, based on watching his highlights, lowlights, combine, and reading everything I can.
It’s certainly possible he turns out to be a good pro. I just have a gut feeling he’s not a gritty, everyday ass kicker type player. I’m on record as preferring Hutch, Walker, trade down, Willis, Corral, Johnson. Yes, Willis and Corrall are long term high risk, high reward prospects … but we don’t have a long term QB, so the risk must be considered.
Feel free to reference this post next year if Thibbs tears it up.
Doing this stuff is fun…. But if it becomes addictive…. Time to tap out!
I won’t play Fantasy FB or dive deep in to drafting as I can get hooked…. Like 12 hours a day type hooked….
Remember brothers and sisters… life is more that NFL football!
Whether we go 20-0!!! Or 0-17 boo!!!
My life doesn’t die either way!
Go tell someone you love them and take them to dinner of something!!
Love you all and I’m out (lol for dinner)! 
Nice post and perspective, brother.
Shit, man. I don’t even care about that. I care about commitment to football and if he can/can’t get the job done.
Agreed, there is also high school and college football!
not for us it’s not. we won’t be in bowl talk for at least another year-if then.
I get it we have to pass the time until preseason anyway, got to keep ourselves busy/entertained. that’s cool, I get that. what I don’t understand is acting like The Detroit Lions are too damn good a team for anybody…and it HAS to be a deadly-serious debate about who’s “good-enough” HERE vs just picking sure, true, productive players to BE on this team… I said it weeks back * The Detroit Lions * are kittens until proven otherwise. we even debate if we can reach 10 wins in 2022.
If you can ID prospects that check off 3-4 boxes for you, their worthy !
Truer words have never been spoken. Here we are in pregame warmups from last season.
Thin legs. He’s 258lbs. and ran a 4.58 40 and a blazing 10 time highlighting the first step quickness that is discussed in every single traits discussion. Here is the size of the NFL sack leader in 2022.
TJ Watt 6’4 252
The 2nd highest sack total
Robert Quinn 6’4 245
The 4th highest sack total
Nick Bosa 6’4 266
The 6th highest sack total
Micah Parsons 6’3 245
Other notables
Harold Landry 6’2 252
Hassan Reddick 6’1 235
Shaq Barrett 6’2 250
Von Miller 6’3 245
Maxx Crosby 6’5 255
So sorry man but there is exactly ZERO liability with a “thin legged” pass rusher that is 6’5 258 right now, who is completely rocked up, works out enough to throw up 27 bench reps and isn’t going to be deployed as a huge SSDE. Still all these guys above except for Quinn at his age and Parsons who deploys off ball are full time EDGE rushers who don’t leave the field on running downs. KT is actually quite good at stopping the run as his 35.5 TFL’s in 30 games would indicate. KT plays with excellent leverage. But if he becomes a double digit sack guy, stopping the run is secondary. We’ll live.
exactly.
a thousand likes if I could brother…let them prove it on the field, I’ll judge honestly for each and every player I recall , good or bad.
all I care is if the dude is a “pass rusher”, he gets his ass to the QB and proves it…rookie years can be rather forgiven but , after that you better ball or hit the road !
I forgave a LOT last season, because we set a Mash unit on the field , a incomplete foundation…and I mention changing up playcallers part way through the season…tricky for some players to just gel normally and shrug it off to make plays.
good job quoting his weight, but several scouts and analysts have remarked how thin he is in person. it’s not just me bro
and already mentioned that he is “jacked” in the chest and shoulders. that’s where he carries his weight.
this is the most effort I’ve put in this site since begging Quinn not to draft Okudah. I guess it’s pointless until after the draft … hell it’s pointless until after the first season. that’s why I said check back with me next year