Lions general manager Brad Holmes has had more time to prepare for this year’s NFL Draft, and that’s a good thing. Because while there’s far less certainty from top to bottom in the 2022 class, there’s no shortage of draft capital in Detroit.
The Lions own five of the top 100 picks — only the Jets, Giants and Eagles can say the same — and that includes a pair sandwiched around Jacksonville’s coveted first pick on Day 2 of the draft. So in addition to adding some immediate starters to the roster, the Lions’ second-year GM likely will have opportunities during the draft to add more picks via trades if he chooses.
As for the prospects themselves, we’ve got a better idea of what he and head coach Dan Campbell are looking for now, based on their first draft class a year ago. The Lions have a better idea of their needs as well, following a 3-13-1 finish in 2021 and another round of NFL free agency this spring.
So here’s one guess at what a full Lions draft might look like later this week, using a pair of mock draft simulators (Pro Football Focus and The Draft Network), but eliminating the trade options for this exercise:
2. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
The pick at No. 1 in this mock draft was Georgia’s Travon Walker, and that seems to be where the smoke is drifting this week. Walker’s an athletic freak, and while his production last fall didn’t match the draft-season hype, it’s easy to see the potential there. It wouldn’t be a surprise, either, to see the Jags opt for one of the top offensive tackles to protect their investment in Trevor Lawrence.
In either case, it gives the Lions their pick of the pure edge rushers in this class. Kayvon Thibodeaux’s personality might be a handful for some, but the Lions did extra work on him and I don’t think they’d hesitate to pick him. Hutchinson’s still the choice here, though, as the most polished prospect on the board, with great hands, terrific agility and refined technique. He’s also a charismatic leader and self-starter, so he’ll fit right in as a cornerstone piece in the Lions’ rebuild.
32. Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
I don’t think Walker actually will be here at the end of the first round. I’m not sure the Lions will, either, especially if there’s another team offering a trade to move up and secure a fifth-year option for one of the quarterbacks. Kenny Pickett was off the board in this mock, but Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral and Sam Howell were all there.
So were a collection of receivers (Jahan Dotson, George Pickens and Treylon Burks), but Walker’s an ideal fit who also fills a huge need for the Lions’ defense. A linebacker with that size (6-4, 241), athleticism and play speed would be an immediate playmaker as a run defender for Aaron Glenn’s unit, and he’s got all the tools to be one in coverage before too long.
More: NFL Draft 2022: Your guide to Detroit Lions draft coverage
34. Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
Like Walker, Brisker adds some rare length to the athletic prototype here, and his game tape suggests he’s ready to help immediately in the Lions’ secondary. The team added a safety in free agency, but DeShon Elliott came on a one-year deal, so Brisker would give the Lions a running mate for Tracy Walker beyond 2022. He’s tough and extremely physical in the box — Brisker played through a shoulder injury last fall — and has the versatility to run and cover. He shows good awareness and a knack for making big plays in big moments.
Brisker was the fourth safety off the board, after Kyle Hamilton (9) was gone early in the first and Daxton Hill (29) and Lewis Cine (31) went late. I considered another in Baylor’s Jalen Pitre, along with the receivers and some intriguing edge options, including Hutchinson’s tag-team partner at Michigan, David Ojabo, a first-round talent who tore his Achilles this spring.
66. Jalen Tolbert, WR, South Alabama
Finally, some help for the offense. And in Tolbert, who racked up more than 2,500 receiving yards in his final two years at South Alabama and had an impressive week at the Senior Bowl, the Lions could find that X receiver they’re looking for in this draft. Tolbert possesses excellent burst off the line and the kind of spatial awareness and jump-ball ability that reminds you of Marvin Jones. Alabama’s John Metchie III was still on the board here, as were a group of guard/tackle prospects like Central Michigan’s Luke Goedeke. But I’m guessing Brad Holmes won’t wait until the fourth round to find a wideout this year.
97. Damarri Mathis, CB, Pittsburgh
Maybe Mathis ends up a slot corner in the NFL, but he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and posted some ridiculous explosion numbers (including a 43.5-inch vertical) at the scouting combine. And coming from Pitt and Pat Narduzzi’s defensive scheme, there’s no denying his competitive toughness or his willingness as a tackler in the run game. I debated picking a tight end (Virginia’s Jelani Woods) or possibly a running back (James Cook of Georgia, Dalvin’s younger brother), but you can never have enough cornerbacks in today’s NFL — something the Lions seem to remind us of annually.
177. Lecitus Smith, OG, Virginia Tech
The offensive line is the unquestioned strength of the Lions’ roster, but adding a developmental piece — even at guard, where Halapoulivaati Vaitai’s cap hit probably becomes untenable in 2023 — should be a goal in this draft. Smith, who was a tight end in high school and proved to be a reliable pass protector in the ACC, has the right temperament and enough tools to work with that he might make sense here at the end of the fifth round. But I was tempted to add some more speed to the receiving corps (Tennessee’s Velus Jones Jr. or Baylor’s Tyquan Thornton) or some interior pass rush help with a handful of options still on the board.
181. Curtis Brooks, DT, Cincinnati
This is probably a reach, considering Brooks didn’t even get an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine. But Pro Football Focus gave him the highest pass-rush grade of any interior lineman — he had 7½ sacks as a hybrid nose tackle — and his head coach at Cincinnati, Luke Fickell, called him the MVP of the Bearcats’ defense. He’s one of the oldest players in the draft after six years in college, but I’ll take a flyer on a 290-pound defensive tackle who has a 35½-inch vertical and a chip on his shoulder.
217. Markquese Bell, S, Florida A&M
Bell is another project worth undertaking. With his long-limbed size (6-2, 210) and athletic profile, this small-school safety will get a shot refine his game somewhere, either in the draft or as a priority free agent. A former three-star recruit with offers from Michigan and Ohio State, Bell signed with D.J. Durkin at Maryland but was suspended and transferred before ever playing a game there. But he became an all-conference player at Florida A&M and was one of four HBCU players invited to the combine this year.
john.niyo@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @JohnNiyo