WTF are the Lions doing?

(NFL Draft Edition)

We are one day away from the NFL draft and B-Rad (Brad Holmes) and MCDC (Dan Campbell) have yet to tip their hand on what their doing with the No 2 overall pick. Luckily Hank is here with all the answers (probably not) that any Lions fan may be searching for going into the NFL Draft.

Trade the Pick

Coming in hot with the sexy option of trading out of the No 2 overall pick. This is the dream scenario if you’re basing you’re decisions off of Mock Drafts, get extra draft picks and save the fanbase panic of taking a guy whos “Raw” (Travon Walker) or “Doesn’t Love Football” (Kayvon Thibodeaux) at No 2. I’m not buying Jacksonville loves Walker over Aidan Hutchinson, the sports books and mockers are just doing this to get some money and clicks IMO. But let’s look at the past and see how we can use history with this year’s draft and come up with some trade scenarios.

There are two recent trades involving the No 2 Pick.

  • 2017 Bears and 49ers
    • Bears received – No 2 overall (Mitchell Trubisky)
    • 49ers received – No 3 overall (Soloman Thomas), 3rd round pick no 67 (traded to NOLA – Alvin Kamara), 4th round no 111 (traded to Sea) 2018 3rd round pick
  • 2016 Eagles and Browns
    • Eagles Received – No 2 overall (Carson Wentz) and a 2017 4th round pick
    • Browns Received – No 8  overall (Traded to Ten – Jack Conklin), 3rd round pick no 77, 4th round pick no 100 overall, 2017 first Rd pick and 2018 2nd rd pick

So what should the lions expect? If I’m B-Rad  I expect this to play out similarly to 2017. No true No 1 QB prospect, multiple QBs projected in the mid to late first rd and a team trading up to get a guy they fell in love with over the past week. What im gonna tell B-Rad if he ever lifts the restraining order is that I call up Seattle and Pittsburgh (my dark horse trade team) sell my ass off that we have teams talking to the other teams in the top 10 about trading up for Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis. Then you do what Bobby Q (Bob Quinn) and Matty P (Matt Patricia) couldn’t do in 2019 and get a deal done.

  • Pittsburgh deal – 
    • Detroit gets, 2022 No 20, 52, 208 and 2023 1st Rd pick
    • Pitt gets, 2022 No 2 overall and a 4th Rd pick in 2023
  • Why does Pitt do it?
    • Simple they have really good pieces on offense and defense but no one is sold that their QB of the future is on the roster. (My evaluation of Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph – 🤢)
    • But isn’t it a lot to give up?With 3 really good QBs in the division and a franchise that has been recently successful (despite a limited Ben Roethlisberger the past few years) they’ll need to draft someone to keep up. So no it’s a fair price and gives Pittsburgh a chance to keep up with the Jones’ in their division.
    • Pitt has a day one starter and eventual competitive back up in Trubisky and Rudolph is a risk to get his face smashed by a helmet at any moment. So there will be no pressure to start a rookie QB today and they could make a playoff run similar to San Francisco while their young QB develops (take it easy the 10 gods been to the playoffs 3x in his 5 years despite not winning that experience helps and hes got a good defense, great coach and offensive skill players now)
  • Why does Detroit do it?
    • Moving to No 20 is tough pill to swallow most fans would prefer to stay in the top 10 and as they believe it’s more likely to get a day 1 starter, but getting no 52 and next year’s first makes it a no brainer. Having  5 picks from 20 – 66 + 3 first next year gives B-Rad a lot of ammo.
      • Including enough future picks to not rush a trade for Deebo during the draft
      • More then enough picks to lure a high caliber QB to Detroit in a trade next year (if they move on from Goff)
      • Opportunity to move up in the current draft if a QB or player they love starts to slide
      • Or finally stand pat and fill in a lot of holes, this team does have quite a few holes at LB, DE, DB, WR and OLine depth so those 5 picks in the first and second could really help fill them
  • Seattle deal –
    • Detroit gets, 2022 No 9, 72, 109 + 2023 2nd (from Denver)
    • Seattle gets 2022 No 2 overall and 2023 5th rd pick
  • Why does Seattle do it?
    • They’re one of the few teams that is in year one of a complete rebuild, they have a piss poor defense and 0 competent offensive lineman, but they have some positives DK Metcalf and Tyler Locket are studs and when Healthy Chris Carson is a very dependable running back.
    • They keep their two 2nd round picks this year and give up what they predict will be a late 2nd rounder from Denver next year. Keeping those picks allows them to stay put and pickup some good talent or move back into round one to get a player the covet.
    • They make splashy trades with draft picks, they traded 2021 1st (No 23 – traded to Minnesota) 2021 3rd, 2022 first (No 10) for Jamal Adams and a 2022 4th round pick…this trade worked out great for the Jets and 😬 for Seattle.
  • Why does Detroit do it ?
    • Staying inside the top 10 is a huge win for Detroit and their fans, you can let the board play out and take best player available.
    • The lions have a lot of that need to be filled so at No 9 you’re comfortable taking the highest rated player available on your big board, you could even have your pick of the litter at WR (Drake London 🤤)
    • You just stacked the next 2 drafts, let’s just look at the top 3 rounds of the draft, you’re gonna have 2 picks in each round this year and 4 picks in the first and second round next year.
      • Having that extra pick will come in handy if there happens to be an elite QB come available via trade in the 2023 off-season or it keeps your options strong to make a trade for the top QB in next year’s draft. (This assumes they are moving on from Goff)

Keep the Pick

Hey Hank thanks for explaining those 2 plausible trades to us and not using ridiculous madden numbers like the Lions get a teams first Rd and 2nd Rd picks from 2022-2026 for the No 2 overall pick. But what if they can’t make a trade and have to keep the pick? That’s easy there are 3 options when staying at the No 2 pick.

  1. Take a pass rusher
    • I know you didn’t see this one coming, so take a moment to gather your thoughts…Ok it’s simple Okwara coming off an achillies tear, lil Okwara showed flashes but he just seems to be a fine player with some potential and Charles Harris (this guy hurts me as a Dolphins fan I thought we were gonna have TJ Watt he was right there in 2017 but no who would want that future DPOY id rather Chuck Harris stink his way out of town…, sorry sorry I digress) fine player and had a strong season and got a good contract to come back to Detroit.
    • So this draft also happens to have 3 maybe 4 guys (Hutch, Travon, Kayvon, Jermaine Johsnon) who are really good pass rushers who could go in the top 10 so Detroit at worst can have the second best guy or heck if the Jags decide to go Tackle (which I’ve heard recently more and more how Doug Pederson wants to *Donald Trump voice* build a great great wall, probably the best wall ever some people are saying around Trevor Lawrence) You can get whatever pass rusher you think is the best (it’s Hutchinson I’ve said this since Michigan’s first game that his game tape is a propaganda video for MCDC knee cap biting culture.
  2. Take a DB
    • Ok Bobby Q (He reads the blog…possibly) I saw how pissed off Lions fans were when you failed to trade out of pick 3 with 2 Elite QB prospects on the board (Fuck you, Tua is elite! *said regrettingly*) and you ended up with Jeff Okudah (he’s had bad injury luck and people forget he was the “Safe Pick”) so as I prepare to duck and dodge flying tomatoes let me say I think taking a DB at no 2 is a really good idea.
    • Aaron Glenn is a hell of a defensive coach and did wonders with random Arena Football League players last year (just don’t let him call a 4th and 20+ with the game on the line) so unlike 2019 you have a guy who’s development with young DBs is really strong and 2 really talented prospects top this class.
      1. Kyle Hamilton a bit more of a hybrid safety can play anywhere and do it all really well but a safety this high is very rare, and piss off that he ran a slow 40 watch the tape.
      2. Sauce Gardner was hands down the best coverage man in college last year, and at 6’3″ with long arms and speed to match is a freak athlete who lets you start dreaming about a Lions no fly zone with Amani. Also Stingley is a fine DB but he’s not right now in a position to be considered at no 2 and is far behind Sauce.
  3. Take a O lineman
    • But Hank we already have a dominant offensive line. Kinda correct but outside of this year you got a lot of money tied up in aging players in Big V (Google can’t even spell his full name) and Taylor Decker plus Jonah Jackson might be Larry Warford 2.0 and leave after next year or he just might start to stink? He’s gonna need/want to get paid next year and idk if hes worth it.
    • There are a lot of real good options and two guys who you could make an argument are worthy of the no 1 overall pick in Ickey Ekonwu and Evan Neal. Both could be day 1 starters on this OLine and I won’t BS you as if I’m not an expert in Oline but I’ve heard analyst mention that either could kick inside to guard .

Crazy Hank Takes?

  • Trade for Michael Thomas + Saints pick
    • Its no secret the lions want a No 1 receiver, The Sun God (Amon-Ra St Brown) is a BALLER but analyst question if he’s a No 1 WR. So enter the saints and 2021’s WR Diva Drama storyline where he wanted to be traded and then had a late surgery and missed the season. Really talented WR has a big contract, super productive in a familiar system (MCDC would’ve been on the saints as the assistant coach during his break out seasons), and its been crickets with him all offseason but I believe he could be a draft day trade candidate.
      1. First Scenario – Trade No 2 overall and 6th round pick No 181 for Michael Thomas, No 16 overall, 3rd round No 98 and 2023 3rd
        • Complicated trade because your adding a player and picks, but the Lions get to move into the middle of the round where they can let the draft play out and NOLA moves up for Malik Willis who they can develop behind Jameis Winston for a year or two. (I don’t appreciate the Jameis is bad how can he be a good mentor? He’s been through alot as a player and before his injury really modified his game within the Saints system so he can help a young player grow….he also makes funny unintentional funny videos and gifs and im thankful for that)
      2. Second Scenario – Trade Second Round Pick No 34 for Michael Thomas.
        • Simple one for one trade and moves NOLA into a spot where they can have their choice of the 2nd Round QBs where most of the QBs grade out as.
  • Trade for Deebo Samuel
    • Its not happening, I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who once had a field trip in 7th grade the Lions HQ who told me that the Lions made a call to San Fran but that is as far as it went. Deebo is the 2022 version of Michael Thomas (minus the weird surgery).
    • Sure here’s a trade Pick 32 and 34 enjoy, go ahead add it to your spank bank and keep dreaming(this may come back to haunt me).
  • Trade for Kadarius Toney + giants pick
    • Is this guy a Diva? Something off with his mentals ? or did the New York Giants just hate draft him last year?
    • I think you can easily acquire him for like a 3rd round pick, and if his attitude is right watch out this guys an electric factory with lightning feet could be a hell of a combo with the Sun God.

What Hank wants to see Happen (Hanks Perfect Draft)

  • Round 1
    • Pick No 2 – Aidan Hutchinson Edge Michigan falls and Dan Campbell (who ran a 4.86 40 at the combine) sprints to the podium
    • Pick No 32 – The Lions get lucky and are able to pickup Lewis Cine S Georgia who will be a another great fit for what the lions are building
      • I think a team is watching the teens (that sounds really weird out of context) for Malik Willis and someone will miss out allowing the Lions to swoop into that late teens early 20s if they want
    • Pick No 34 – Lions will possibly get a Stud who I recently stumbled upon in Leo Chanel LB Wisconsin, he had a great combine and is a real down hill thumper who could pair well opposite Derrick Barnes
    • Pick No 66 – This is the easiest pick and one my favorite player of the whole draft “White Lightning” himself Chad Muma LB Wyoming
    • Pick No 97 – Jalen Tolbert WR South Alabama, I saw him play randomly on a espn + game and holy smokes did he just dominate and could be a steal
      • If he is gone I Love Jeremy Ruckert TE Ohio State, hes big time, great size, great blocker wasnt super productive in the OSU pass game but was still solid and he would give the lions a great no 2 TE allowing Hock to play off the line a bit to help cut down on injury.
    • Pick No 177 – Bailey Zappe QB Western Kentucky – Smart kid if you go off Wunderlic scores, has crazy numbers but played at a small school but the talent is there and with no solid backup QB on the roster I love taking a chance on this guy who now gives you an option if you decide to get out of Goff next season and cant find a QB you love in the 2023 drafft.
    • Pick 181 – IDK who will be left but this feels like a offensive lineman so have at it because idk how to scout a Olineman especially this deep into the draft.
    • Pick No 217 – Again a crap shoot of who will be there at the end of round 6 but I have some names of players i would love to see here in order Connor Heyward TE/FB Michigan St, Jack Sanborn LB Wisconsin, and Bubba Bolden S Miami
    • These are players I just could find a spot where the Lions Draft them but want to aknowledge if things shake out differently they’re all good prospects imo: Troy Anderson LB Montana St, James Cook RB Georgia, Kingsley Enagbare DE South Carolina, Dane Belton S Iowa, Calvin Austin WR Memphis, George Pickens WR Georgia, Isaiah Spiller RB Texas A&M, Matt Araiza P SDSU, Markquesse Bell S Florida A&M, Isaiah Likely TE Coast Carolina, Charleston Rambo WR Miami, Slade Bolden WR Alabama, Pierre Strong RB SDSU, Percy Butler S Lafayette and Luke Wattenburg C Washington.

What Hank thinks is gonna happen

Alright so what we all have been waiting for, I think the Lions are going to follow the outline below

  1. Keep the No 2 Pick and draft Aidan Hutchinson, Jags build their O line and let Hutch come to the hometown team.
  2. They trade 32 or 34 to pick up a first round pick in 2023 and a extra mid round pick this year
  3. with the 32nd or 34th pick the Lions will address WR, DB or LB there are gonna be a ton of WRs around this area and I keep hearing on NFL live that Nakobe Dean or Devin Lloyd will fall to the 2nd round
  4. The 3rd round picks are No 66 and 97, and this is where I expect a deep research player we never heard of and potentially a player who fell because of injury (Think David Ojabo?)
  5. Now I can throw darts at guys ive watched grainy youtube highlights of like Markquesse Bell, Pierre Strong, Bailey Zappe and Percy Butler but ill wrap it up by saying I expect the lions to be active and find some good steady picks to be excited about similarly to St Brown and Derrick Barnes last year or theyre gonna take some Olineman and Tight Ends who just block and no one besides that one friend who’s an asshole will know anything about how good they’ll be.

For all these reasons I see the Lions being in a great spot for this draft and some luck will break the Lions way. They have a great foundation with Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell running the team and everyone loves their culture. Add this to a very strong OLine and rising skill players this draft should be something that leads the Lions to just focus on the QB and if Goff is the guy or what you are going to do to replace him next year.

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Published by Helmet Hank

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