I think the Lions will have their choice of OL at 7. If that’s the route they go I’d fully understand it. The Bengals are going to Bengal and pick Chase at 5. Leaving Miami with the choice of DeVonta, Parsons (hopefully),or Waddle. Then Lions with choice of remaining WR and OT of their liking. Possibly even Lance. I can’t see how we could screw this up. I check back on that comment in 216 hours…
Man, if they do that… well said.
I agree on the OL in the first three rounds, I might lean towards the first 2 rounds, buts that’s semantics. I certainly prefer a trade down or two, but I’m not a huge fan of a parsons (although I’d be fine with him in a trade down. As for WR… I think Smith or Waddle have big bust potential. I crave Bateman as the best fit for the Lions. All I want is for the Lions to draft a RT fairly early and a WR that become a stud. I’m fine going defense after that… S, CB, LB, in no particular order.
You read and study much more than I do. But I know the needs probably as well as you do. And we share the same hopes… so however it plays out, I hope we’re both excited about the results on the field.
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Times aren’t really “changing” that much though. I brought this point up in the mid-2000’s. People overvalue LTs and under value RTs. Reggie White made a living clobbering RTs. Robert Porcher lined up all over the place, and spent a fair amount of time destroying RTs.
I know people love the old school blindside strip sack and that used to be a game changer. But with so much shotgun being ran these days, its really not as “blind” as it was decades ago. And when teams do go from under center and it becomes blind, playcallers are much more aware of the risk so they design it to get the ball out.
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Would be fine with Oline at 7OA. In fact it is my preferred pick.
I haven’t formed an opinion on which one I prefer more and I’ve read that Slater and Sewell are both high high level prospects. I will defer to our new GM and hope they get it right. A Pro Bowl OT would be the most value for us if we can get one. Teams just don’t let the good ones walk in Free Agency.
Orlovsky thinks the Lions go OL.
I’ll just say this right now. If we pass up on Devonta Smith for Teven Jenkins and like a 2nd round pick, I’m going to be pissed.
That would also piss me off with that OT. He’d be a 2nd rounder to be. I would see the OT from Va. Tech, Darrisaw, that a LB and reciever in 2nd with added pick. I just see Darrisaw as a road grader at RT.
I have a feeling, they’ll surprise us and piss off most of this board.
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Agree. I would rather have Jenkins over slater
On the flip side … even in NFL circles RT is viewed as a less prestigious position.
Players get upset when asked to play RT. Some demand trades because of it.
That’s to fill immediate need …but what about 5-7 years down the line when Decker gets older? Do we worry about LT then or do we slide Sewell or Slater over?
It’s crazy to think we’d just draft a RT at 7 overall, that’s almost unheard of.
Good point… perhaps a better way for me to write that post would have been to say that NFL teams should value the ORT position more than it was in the past. Perhaps they have already started as well.
Lane Johnson, DJ Fluker, McGlinchey, Conklin, Andrus Peat, and Wirfs have been taken in top 13 picks in past 9 drafts.
From the 2000 draft to the the 2013 draft… no other other tackles were drafted in the top 10 picks with the intention of playing them at right tackle. Mike Williams of Buffalo and Leonard Davis of Arizona were drafted with the intent of them playing left tackle. Williams gained weight and never moved over from ORT because he gained weight and was out of NFL pretty quick, and Davis played more OG in his career.
Also… the financial commitment has increased at ORT.
There have been 7 ORTs signed to contracts with AAV > $10 million/year in the past 3 years… so nearly 25% of the league is OK with paying decent money to the position now.
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You won’t get an argument from me about it. To me its just a reality that a smart GM needs to find his way around. Taylor Decker was given advice as a rookie to refuse to play RT. I think on the left side people completely overthink what a good LT can do…for for some strange reason thin they can toss castoffs on the other side to face Von Miller and Khalil Mack. An 8 at LT and a 4 at RT is a bad way to build a line. You are better off shooting for 7 and 5 or at least 6 and 6 (using the same total math).
As the old saw goes, your LT is your pass blocker and RT your run blocker.
However, Sewell can do both. Indeed, his pass and run blocking grades were almost identical.
This is why my preference is to draft a guy who plays RT now, not a rookie that has never played RT with the hope he can transition, or asking our 5 year vet to move to RT and create another hole. Parsons all the way for me
Khalil Mack loves that saying
I agree with you and I find it weird how even NFL players seem to get offended when asked to play RT. Who cares as long as your getting paid right?
I also agree that a good GM and HC should be able to lay that ground work. Especially if the long term plan is to move them to LT.
So if they do decide to draft an OT at 7OA I hope that it is someone they think can eventually take over for Decker.
I would as well. That’s part of the reason I haven’t been looking towards OT round one and instead round two.
I’d prefer Parsons round one and OT round two. I think there’s enough OT talent in this draft that we could get a solid RT at 41OA.
Yep, that is how I am thinking. Parsons in the 1st best available RT in the 2nd, Safety and WR in the 3rd
In a trade down situation, the Lions could be faced with the very real decision:
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Do I stay at #7, draft Sewell & draft WR Moore/Marshall in Round 2…OR
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Trade down to ~ #15, draft OT Jenkins, & draft WR Moore/Marshall & “XXX” in Round 2…
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