Lions 7-round mock draft mission: Fill needs, draft good players, obtain great value
With only a few days before the 2022 NFL draft officially kicks off in Las Vegas, it seems like the perfect time for yet another Detroit Lions mock draft.
Throughout the process, there are a ton of mock drafts completed by all types of experts, but it is always fun to see who your local team might come away with once these simulations are complete.
In this mock draft, there was a mission and it was simply this: fill needs, draft good players, and obtain great value.
Filling needs and drafting good players are self-explanatory and obvious goals, but the key part comes in the “obtain good value” portion of the mission statement. Good value with each pick is key in the NFL draft and that is getting players that will help your football team, but getting the most value out of each of those picks based on who you select and when.
Heading in with glaring needs such as defensive end, safety, wide receiver, linebacker, defensive tackle, cornerback, quarterback, and tight end. The depth of this draft appears to be along the defensive line, offensive line and pass catchers for the most part. To accomplish our mission, let’s try to marry the needs by trying to fill some of those early with game-changers, look for good football players throughout, and then as the draft progresses, wait on certain spots in hopes to find the best value possible.
Let’s go.
Round 1 Pick 2: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
An elite athlete who is projected by most experts to be a better pro than a college player. Lions coaches will get the best out of Walker and he will excel at multiple positions as this defense continues to improve.
Tape Takeaways:
He plays all over the defense. EDGE, Defensive Tackle, and you also see him at multiple linebacker spots and even Nose Tackle at times. He explodes off the ball and his range to find the ball plus finishing when he gets there is fun to watch.
Combine Measurables:
6’5″ 272 lbs
40 (4.59), Vert (35.5″), Broad (10’3″), 3 Cone (6.89), 20 Yd Shuttle (4.32)
Round 1 Pick 32: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
A hard-hitting safety that flies around the field at all levels. In this mock draft, he was the best player available at the time, a position of need, and feels like a good value picking him here at the end of the round.
Tape Takeaways:
A fearless player that will hit anything that moves. He’s athletic enough to do anything you ask him to do at the position both deep and near the line of scrimmage. You would like him to have more turnovers in his college career, but he is the type of explosive safety the Lions need.
Combine Measurables:
6’1″ 190 lbs
40 (4.37), Vert (36.5″), Broad (11.1″)
Round 2 Pick 34: George Pickens, WR, Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Pickens has all the traits of a top wide receiver, but the concern has been this injury history. Adding a player of this caliber with DJ Chark, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Josh Reynolds will give the Lions the type the trio they need to make plays in the passing game.
Tape Takeaways:
Has the length and frame you look for in a top-flight wide receiver. He can go up and get the ball when it’s in the air and runs very nice routes for a guy his size. The production would have been there without the injuries and when he was healthy he appears to possibly be the best pass catcher in this class.
Combine Measurables:
6’3″ 205 lbs
40 (4.47), Vert (33), Broad (10’5″)
Round 3 Pick 66: Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Another freak athlete at a position of need with this selection. Love the value and upside here. The way the Lions plan to use their linebackers and how they feel about the guys they currently have at the position is a bit of a mystery, but Harris again was the best player available and seems like the type of playmaker they need.
Tape Takeaways:
His NFL scouting combine performance matched the tape. He’s a dynamic linebacker that explodes on blitzes and attacks anyone with the ball in their hands. Harris can be over-aggressive at times, but you would rather have that than a player you have to teach how to be ferocious on the field.
Combine Measurables:
6’2″ 232 lbs
40 (4.44), Vert (34.5″), Broad (11′)
Round 3 Pick 97: Phidarian Mathis, IDL, Alabama
[Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
The team invested highly in two interior defensive players during last year’s draft but getting this type of value on Mathis who is the type of bully and penetrating defender that Detroit needs upfront to fortify their defense for years to come.
Tape Takeaways:
Athletic big man who seems has very long arms (34 5/8″) and a unique ability to be a fluid mover at his size. He finds the football, he creates turnovers, and he finishes with violent intentions.
Combine Measurables:
6’4″ 313 lbs
Vert (23.5″), Broad (9’1″), 20 Yd Shuttle (4.91)
Round 5 Pick 177: Josh Thompson, CB, Texas
Ricardo B. Brazziell /American-Statesman-USA TODAY Sports
You can never have enough cornerbacks and Thompson has some position versatility too, which is always a plus. The Lions just added DeShon Elliott, who is a former Texas defensive back and the team had success with Quandre Diggs who played at Texas too, so why not go to that well again. A four-star coming out of high school that played at a big-time college program and has the speed and explosiveness needed to be a playmaker in the NFL.
Tape Takeaways:
Willing tackler, a very consistent hitter, and a player who you can tell absolutely loves football physicality. Has the ability to match up against tight ends and other players in the slot. He has a thick build to him, which will serve him well at the next level.
Combine Measurables:
5’11.5″ 194 lbs
40 (4.40)
Round 5 Pick 181: Verone McKinley III, S, Oregon
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Another quality safety later in the draft may seem like a luxury pick, but based on the Lions’ current roster it seems to be more of a necessity. Verone McKinley is another physical player that also has played a lot of football which should translate well at the next level.
Tape Takeaways:
Vocal, excitable, and cerebral leader type of player that gets the best out of those around him. Most of his big plays come from the big hits he delivers. Good ability to drive on the football and find it when it’s in the air. McKinley comes across as the quarterback of the defense type from the back end at Safety.
Combine Measurables:
5’10” 196 lbs
Did not participate
Round 6 Pick 217: Connor Heyward, TE, Michigan State
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
This pick just seems like a “Dan Campbell Guy” type of selection. He is tough and comes from a football family. He’s no-nonsense, versatile, and just a straight-up football player. They list Hayward as a Tight End, but he’s more a Fullback/H-Back type that can also catch passes when needed. This selection seems just seems to make sense based on the player and the team fit over everything else.
Tape Takeaways:
Probably would be a short-yardage type running back or flex option pass catcher for the Lions. His tape shows everything from kick returns, special teams, blocking, running plays, and his use as a pass-catcher. There are other highly rated players and better athletes, but you are betting on his toughness and love for football to make him successful overall in whatever role he is given.
Combine Measurables:
6’0″ 230 lbs
40 (4.72), Vert (32.5)
This is just a mock draft but is an important exercise to imagine which players might be available for the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft. Often the NFL is unpredictable when the draft starts as medical and character both on and off the field contribute to where players are picked that the outside world doesn’t have intel on to combine with how a player performs between the lines on game day, so you just never know how it all may shake out.
We will soon see how Brad Holmes does in his second draft as the key decision-maker for the Lions, but if he can fill the needed holes while drafting players that love football, and finds that value that every NFL General Manager covets then Detroit will be very excited to see this young and hungry team continue to grow in 2022 and beyond.
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