2023 Offseason Thread

[NYRaider]

Who do you guys want at #6 / #18?

[LionArkie]

1 minute ago, NYRaider said:

Who do you guys want at #6 / #18?

You’re going to get 30 different answers.

[Louis Friend]

1 hour ago, NYRaider said:

Who do you guys want at #6 / #18?

I want Jalen Carter at 6 and BPA at 18.

[rob_shadows]

3 hours ago, Just Want A Title said:

Here you go:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10048274-calijah-kancey-nfl-draft-2023-scouting-report-for-pittsburgh-dl

When there are scouting more reports that say he has good upper body strength then those that don't I'm going to go with the more common take. 

I'm not saying he should be in play at 6 by any means but if he's still there at 18 and they decide to grab him I'm certainly not going to be complaining.

[Superduperman]

8 hours ago, NYRaider said:

Who do you guys want at #6 / #18?

I want Will Anderson at 6, or with a small trade up. I think it's unlikely but not impossible. 

Then at 18, Calijah Kancey.

Hutch, McNeill, Anderson, Houston, Kancey, Paschal, Buggs, Romeo, Harris and Cominsky would be a group to rival Philly. They'd have the flexibility to play any kind of front and their ability to keep guys fresh would be unmatched.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Superduperman

[LionArkie]

1 hour ago, Superduperman said:

I want Will Anderson at 6, or with a small trade up. I think it's unlikely but not impossible. 

Then at 18, Calijah Kancey.

Hutch, McNeill, Anderson, Houston, Kancey, Paschal, Buggs, Romeo, Harris and Cominsky would be a group to rival Philly. They'd have the flexibility to play any kind of front and their ability to keep guys fresh would be unmatched.

That’s actually a great plan if Anderson falls. I don’t think he will and I don’t want to give up too much to move up for him, but that would be great.

[Karnage84]

39 minutes ago, LionArkie said:

That’s actually a great plan if Anderson falls. I don’t think he will and I don’t want to give up too much to move up for him, but that would be great.

At 240 lbs, Anderson would likely force us to change up our base alignment. At 253 lbs, he's still a bit light but we can play him on the line in a Haason Reddick type role. 

[LionArkie]

2 hours ago, Karnage84 said:

At 240 lbs, Anderson would likely force us to change up our base alignment. At 253 lbs, he's still a bit light but we can play him on the line in a Haason Reddick type role. 

Yeah, it would definitely be a light line. But I feel confident both Anderson and Kancey could put on 10 -15 pounds with a NFL program in the next couple of years and not lose any sort of athleticism. The problem for me is I really don't like the top 10 prospects. If Anderson could put on a little weight AND if Kancey doesn't have a strength issue this could be best case scenario for me. However, I don't think we have a shot at Anderson.

[Just Want A Title]

I was going to try to do another mock but free agency has changed a lot of things.  At this point, if the Lions make the pick at 6 it will be because they think they are getting an elite talent.  I doubt Jalen Carter is on that list for the Lions after his pro day fiasco. 

Right now, the players that will probably be available as #6 that can be described as "elite" is pretty short.  Tyree Wilson, Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon would probably be on that list.  Peter Skoronski might be on that list but if he projects to be more of a guard, he won't be taken at #6.  Myles Murphy might be on that list also but it seems like he will be taken at #10 or later.  

[Superduperman]

My opinion is, the Lions have filled needs so well in free agency, and have accumulated so much good depth, that we can give up some picks. We can go from 6 to 3 without giving up #18, and I'd absolutely include some future non-first round picks as well.

The rebuild is over and the time is now. It's time to pull the trigger on an aggressive move for a superstar piece to put them over the top. The Lions have also shown they agree with this by their free agency moves.

[Sllim Pickens]

13 hours ago, NYRaider said:

Who do you guys want at #6 / #18?

Of guys likely to be available at 6, I would still prefer Witherspoon or Gonzalez at 6 if we stay there.  If Carter is still there I would have a hard time passing on him.  If we did pass on him I would trust that our staff did their due diligence and didn't like what they saw since his elite on field play and need on our team line up perfectly.  

If we go CB at 6, I am kind of open at 18.  Could grab an OL like Skoronski or Johnson, a CB like Porter Jr. if they go DL at 6, or grab a DL like Murphy, Kancey, Van Ness.  Maybe Nolan Smith but he seems like a tweener that doesn't have a defined role and if it is more LB, we wont draft one that high.  I initially was on the Branch or Antonio Johnson train but after the combine both fell down my board a little. I dont want to draft Bijan at 18, but I wouldn't be mad and would expect us to move Swift for a mid/late pick.  

I think my first choice at both spots is to move down and gain more assets.  I would drop from 6 as far as we need to in order to gain a future first and add something else in this draft.  With 18, unless one of the guys I want at 6 drops to us, I would prefer to drop to the 25ish range and gain a late 2nd or early 3rd, or picks next year while letting the picks in between sort of help narrow down a BPA.  

[Sllim Pickens]

2 minutes ago, Superduperman said:

My opinion is, the Lions have filled needs so well in free agency, and have accumulated so much good depth, that we can give up some picks. We can go from 6 to 3 without giving up #18, and I'd absolutely include some future non-first round picks as well.

The rebuild is over and the time is now. It's time to pull the trigger on an aggressive move for a superstar piece to put them over the top. The Lions have also shown they agree with this by their free agency moves.

I wonder if we could pull off something like 6, 18 and 55 for 3, 34 and 66.  I am guessing the Cardinals would get better offers from other teams but if not, this may intrigue them enough to drop down a few spots and we still have the same number of top 75 picks.  

[Superduperman]

17 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

I think my first choice at both spots is to move down and gain more assets.

I really disagree with this. I think this is reflexive thinking for Lions fans over years but now is not the time for more picks. We almost don't have roster space for that many new players, and the Lions' increased standing among free agent players makes it much easier to fill in depth.

In the past we had to hope for as many darts to throw as possible because the Lions had so many holes to fill and most of their picks were going to bomb out anyway. It's just not the case now.

[Louis Friend]

1 hour ago, Superduperman said:

I really disagree with this. I think this is reflexive thinking for Lions fans over years but now is not the time for more picks. We almost don't have roster space for that many new players, and the Lions' increased standing among free agent players makes it much easier to fill in depth.

In the past we had to hope for as many darts to throw as possible because the Lions had so many holes to fill and most of their picks were going to bomb out anyway. It's just not the case now.

I agree. IMO, we need less picks and more elite talent. I want impact players that will challenge for starting roles. Like Brad Holmes said at the combine, it’s time to be selective. 

[Sllim Pickens]

1 minute ago, Superduperman said:

I really disagree with this. I think this is reflexive thinking for Lions fans over years but now is not the time for more picks. We almost don't have roster space for that many new players, and the Lions' increased standing among free agent players makes it much easier to fill in depth.

In the past we had to hope for as many darts to throw as possible because the Lions had so many holes to fill and most of their picks were going to bomb out anyway. It's just not the case now.

Thats not at all the way I am looking at it.  I don't love the prospects at 6 outside of Anderson and Carter if the staff feels comfortable.  So if we can move down a few spots and gain a future 1st, I am all for it.  We still get a guy I am high on and can gain additional value from it.  Why would I want to take Gonzalez or Witherspoon at 6 if I can get one of them at 8 and add extra picks?  If there is an elite talent, like when Sewell fell, or last year grabbing Hutch, I am all for it but I just don't see that at 6 unless something crazy happens.  

Its the same for me at 18 unless again somebody drops. I don't see a huge difference in talent between about 20 guys in that range, so if we can drop down and add more assets this year or next, then great.  

Given that we don't have massive holes in our starting lineup, adding more assets, especially future assets would help sustain. Our need for starters is not huge, but finding guys who can be starters next year is since we have a bunch of 1 year deals and I dont think anyone has separated themselves enough to have to take at 6 or 18 to get that.