Pre-Draft Post Season Thoughts

[Just Want A Title]

Now that the dust has settled on free agency and most of the pre-draft prospect evaluations (Senior Bowl, Combine, pro days, prospect visits, ect) are pretty well done it seems like a good time to look at what the Lions have done and see what is left to do.  My thoughts:

1.  The Lions were smart not to go crazy for a free agent WR.  Their deal for DJ Chark is affordable and low-risk.  WR contracts were crazy and this draft class is loaded with quality WR prospects.  The secondary effect of all of that is that a quality veteran WR will probably become available after the draft.

2.  I am starting to like the Chris Board signing.  He may not be an all-pro but he gives us a versatile LB who might have been buried on the Ravens depth chart to pair with Derrick Barnes.  He should get a lot of snaps at OLB.

3.  The reality of being focused on signing most of "our guys" was that they will provide depth and follows the philosophy of building through the draft.  

4.  The only thing I disagree with in their free agency decisions was not signing a proven LB.  Chris Board was a solid signing but Kyzir White would have been a huge help to the second level of our defense and he signed a one-year $5-million dollar deal with the Eagles.  Personally, I think they should have signed fewer of their low-level free agents to get him into the fold.

5.  The strength of this draft lines up very well with the long-term needs of the Lions.  There are a number of very good DE/Edge players at the top of the first round.  We should be able to get a starting caliber WR or S at #32.  #34 should let us fill whatever need we didn't fill at 32.  There will be some pretty good LB prospects available at #66.  Even if we let the draft come to us without any trades, we should be able fill our biggest needs with quality prospects.

6.  The biggest risk the Lions face in the draft is from the trades made by Green Bay and Kansas City as well as Jacksonville sitting at #33.  All of these teams have legitimate needs at WR.  Kansas City has a need at S also and have two picks right ahead of the Lions.  Jacksonville still has legit needs at WR and S even after their free agent signings (Zay Jones and Christian Kirk aren't #1 WRs).  As much as I would like to see the Lions pick up additional draft picks by moving out of 32, they may not have the luxury of trading back.

7.  Sending such a large contingent to Kayvon Thibodeaux seems like a ploy to get someone to trade up.  He is a tremendous athlete but hasn't really done much to dispel the questions about his motor and commitment to football. Whoever is advising him in his pre-draft process is not helping him at all.  If those questions haven't been answered at this point, I don't see how the Lions risk the #2 pick on him.

8.  I am starting to warm up to the idea of taking Travon Walker.  I think the "lack of stats" was a product of how he was used and having so much talent around him.  When a guy like Jermaine Johnson transfers from Georgia because he is too far down the depth chart, that says a lot.  The thing that he has that stands out:  size.  He is 270 lbs which should allow him to thrive as an edge-setter and doing inside stunts.

What is everyone else thinking right now?

[jrry32]

Being blunt, I think it's odd to consider Kayvon too much of a risk while you're warming up to Travon. The rest of your notes seemed like fair points to me. If I'm stuck picking at #2 and Hutchinson goes #1, I'd take Kayvon. Yes, Walker theoretically has more upside, but you're betting a lot on a guy who still hasn't put it together as a pass rusher. Kayvon has massive upside as a pass rusher and has already shown a lot of great things. There aren't many guys who have the physical attributes needed to win the corner with speed and put OTs on their arses with power. Kayvon has that. Plus, he can rush effectively on the outside and inside.

[Nnivolcm]

53 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

Being blunt, I think it's odd to consider Kayvon too much of a risk while you're warming up to Travon. The rest of your notes seemed like fair points to me. If I'm stuck picking at #2 and Hutchinson goes #1, I'd take Kayvon. Yes, Walker theoretically has more upside, but you're betting a lot on a guy who still hasn't put it together as a pass rusher. Kayvon has massive upside as a pass rusher and has already shown a lot of great things. There aren't many guys who have the physical attributes needed to win the corner with speed and put OTs on their arses with power. Kayvon has that. Plus, he can rush effectively on the outside and inside.

I feel like the Kayvon worries is just another team hoping he falls to them. 

[BarryTheBest]

Thibs is who I want at 2 regardless of Hutch's availability. If we draft Hutch at two over Thibs, I am still excited. But Thibs to me is the #1 prospect in this draft. 

[Louis Friend]

My big board hasn't changed much since pre-combine. London is still my top WR, Willis and Pickett are still the only QBs I like in the draft, but not in the first. Hutch is #1, Kayvon #2, Hamilton #3. Walker isn't even in my top ten. People fall in love with speed at the combine and never watch the tape. Walker is that guy this pre-draft. I do have concerns about Kayvon, but not enough to completely ignore what he is and what he's shown. 

[Just Want A Title]

I think this quote from Dan Campbell is shows how people are still not sure what they are getting with Thibodeaux.  

“You just want to make sure that any questions you have, that you have them answered,” Campbell said. “That’s the best way to say it. Some guys, you can get those questions a lot sooner. Some guys, those questions got answered two months ago. You know? And some, it goes all the way down the line. And that’s top to bottom, that’s across the board, that’s not always just the athletic ability, that’s the other things. So could be the mental, could be anything. That’s just kind of the nature of it.”

https://www.mlive.com/lions/2022/04/nfl-mock-draft-roundup-focus-mostly-shifts-to-kayvon-thibodeaux-travon-walker-for-detroit-lions.html

From my perspective, if you are this late in the process and there are still questions about what someone's motor, taking a guy like that is like Courtney Brown 2.0.  

[jrry32]

Seems like Trent Baalke is going to do the Lions a major solid:

 

[Just Want A Title]

9 hours ago, jrry32 said:

Seems like Trent Baalke is going to do the Lions a major solid:

 

Folks were starting to focus on Travon Walker in the middle of the season.  His measurables are ridiculous:  6'5", 270 lbs, 35.5" arm length, 10.75" hands.  At that size, he has the ability to move almost like a LB.  I was skeptical because of his stats but the more I look at how Georgia runs their defense, I think his lack of stats has a lot to do with what he was asked to do in their system.  People talk about Kayvon Thibodeaux's ceiling and how high it is.  It seems like Travon Walker's ceiling could be even higher because he could cause havoc all over the D-Line.

[jrry32]

24 minutes ago, Just Want A Title said:

Folks were starting to focus on Travon Walker in the middle of the season.  His measurables are ridiculous:  6'5", 270 lbs, 35.5" arm length, 10.75" hands.  At that size, he has the ability to move almost like a LB.  I was skeptical because of his stats but the more I look at how Georgia runs their defense, I think his lack of stats has a lot to do with what he was asked to do in their system.  People talk about Kayvon Thibodeaux's ceiling and how high it is.  It seems like Travon Walker's ceiling could be even higher because he could cause havoc all over the D-Line.

Georgia's defense may have given him a role that allowed him less freedom than ours, but the defense isn't the biggest reason for him not having elite production. He's simply not a great pass rusher at this point in time. The tools are there, but he hasn't put them together. He's consistently the last guy out of his stance, he doesn't have a varied pass rush approach or a deep arsenal of moves, and he doesn't use his powerful hands all that well. On one hand, that means he has a lot of upside based on what he could do if he puts it together. On the other hand, you're not guaranteed he does put it together.

[Karnage84]

16 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

Georgia's defense may have given him a role that allowed him less freedom than ours, but the defense isn't the biggest reason for him not having elite production. He's simply not a great pass rusher at this point in time. The tools are there, but he hasn't put them together. He's consistently the last guy out of his stance, he doesn't have a varied pass rush approach or a deep arsenal of moves, and he doesn't use his powerful hands all that well. On one hand, that means he has a lot of upside based on what he could do if he puts it together. On the other hand, you're not guaranteed he does put it together.

He has even openly acknowledged this in interviews. I believe it was during the combine. 

Apparently we (the Lions) liked him a lot during LB drills, which is nuts for a guy at 270 lbs. 

From what I've seen, he seems like a great kid and has a ton of tools. If he goes #1, I'd be quite happy with either Hutchinson or Thibodeaux (if he checks the boxes that need to be checked). 

[Whistle Britches]

I'm still gonna be mad if we draft a early rd qb 

Have no problem double dipping on pass rusher early

I want breece hall

I'd trade up in the first talking 17-21 range

 

 

 

 

 

[Sllim Pickens]

8 minutes ago, Whistle Britches said:

I'm still gonna be mad if we draft a early rd qb 

Have no problem double dipping on pass rusher early

I want breece hall

I'd trade up in the first talking 17-21 range

 

 

 

 

 

You want to trade up in the first to draft Hall? 

I would be so irritated if we did that.  I would be mad if we drafted him at 32/34.  

[Whistle Britches]

1 minute ago, Sllim Pickens said:

You want to trade up in the first to draft Hall? 

I would be so irritated if we did that.  I would be mad if we drafted him at 32/34.  

No not for hall

There's a few prospects I like in that range

[Sllim Pickens]

Just now, Whistle Britches said:

No not for hall

There's a few prospects I like in that range

Ok.  I wouldnt mind using 97 to move up from 32 a few picks and grabbing Devin Lloyd or if a top WR falls.  But wouldnt want to give up much.  

Where do you expect Hall to go? I have seen the top RBs all over the place. 

[Whistle Britches]

1 minute ago, Sllim Pickens said:

Ok.  I wouldnt mind using 97 to move up from 32 a few picks and grabbing Devin Lloyd or if a top WR falls.  But wouldnt want to give up much.  

Where do you expect Hall to go? I have seen the top RBs all over the place. 

Exactly

24-40 imo