FOFC GroupThink 2023: We take over the Detroit Lions

[QuikSand]

WR Jameson Williams suspended for 6 games, WR Quintex Cephus and two others suspended for the entire season for gambling. Cephus and CJ Moore already released.

NFL suspends Jameson Williams, 3 other Lions for gambling violations

That WR room will likely need another guy.

[thesloppy]

Oof that hurts

[Honolulu_Blue]

It really does.

[stevew]

That’s pretty classic Lions

[albionmoonlight]

Damn.

[albionmoonlight]

And he didn’t even bet on NFL games. But he placed the bet from the team facility.

These kids don’t realize how seriously the league needs to take this stuff

[QuikSand]

PFF draft, their ranking have changed (Mike Renner picked a big moment to pick up and walk, he must have another gig totally lined up), but this is still pretty familiar territory for my drafts there... dealt down a couple times and still got a DT I like (I now think I am MSmith > BBresee there, btw):

https://snipboard.io/wlHK6R.jpg



Loving this draft... even if you slot in Tyree Wilson (more reasonably) at 6 instead.

[Bobble]

Interesting drop from Motor City Football. He put together a Lions Fit Board spreadsheet of 197 players with columns for RAS, speed, explosiveness (speed and explosiveness are what he sees Brad Holmes valuing most), scheme fit, intangibles, productivity, and a few other things. Interesting list even if I'm not quite sure how to use it...

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Bobble

Interesting drop from Motor City Football. He put together a Lions Fit Board spreadsheet of 197 players with columns for RAS, speed, explosiveness (speed and explosiveness are what he sees Brad Holmes valuing most), scheme fit, intangibles, productivity, and a few other things. Interesting list even if I'm not quite sure how to use it...

Okay... guys from the A list here who have been popping up on our various mocks, and seem like need/slot connections for the Lions in this draft:

1.6:
DE Anderson (if he falls, maybe a shade less impossible than a month ago)
CB Gonzalez
CB Witherspoon
RB Robinson (putting him here as buzz seems upward)

1.18:
QB Levis
TE Mayer (but not Kincaid)
CB Banks
S Branch
DE Murphy
LB Simpson

2nd-3rd round:
CB Forbes
TE LaPorta
LB Henley
WR Mims
DE Anduike-Uzomah


I'll take this list as a useful composite of that guy's thorough team-based work plus our own leanings, and make this list a sort of "focus" group for now.
LB Sanders
G Steve Avila
T Matthew Bergeron

The guys I will downgrade (for DET) based on this guy's work will be:
DT Carter
DT Bresee
DE Wilson
LB Campbell
CB Williams
LB Nolan Smith

[albionmoonlight]

Robinson is fun at 18.

I’m still against him at 6.

If there is still a QB on the board, maybe trade down a few spots and grab Robinson then.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Only a day out...

It does seem like, barring a trade down, the sixth overall pick comes down to:

Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, Tyree Wilson, Devon Witherspoon or Gonzalez.

In all of the various mock draft simulators, I have never really liked the mocks I've done where I've gone corner with 6. What's left at 18 just doesn't feel great in combination with a corner.

It will be really interesting to see who the Lions take on Day 2. We all seem to have the same group of players we like at those spots. so I can't wait to see if the Lions manage to draft any of them. There are definitely a number of players that would make me very happy if the Lions drafted them.

I distinctly remember hanging out with a friend watching Day 3 of the 2021 draft and literally banging my coffee table for the Lions to draft Amon-Ra St. Brown with their 4th round pick. I had never watched him play, but had read about him and thought his name was sweet and look how that turned out!

[Honolulu_Blue]

All three "final" mock drafts I looked at this morning and the betting odds all say that the Lions will be taking Devon Witherspoon at 6.

He fits the mold of cornerback they are looking for, especially Aaron Glenn, and among him, Jerry Jacobs, Gardner-Johnson they would perhaps lead the league in secondary trash talking.

It's not really what I would want at six, but a two of the mocks had all of the top d-line men - Anderson, Carter and Wilson - already gone by six and the other had the Lions passing on Carter, which could definitely be a thing.

At 18 the Lions could be in a prime spot to trade down and get more assets if a team gets nervous about a positional run. If the Lions do go CB at six, there really isn't a D-Line player, which I think is a big need, that really jumps out. It seems to be down to Kancey, Breese or Miles Murphy, assuming Van Ness doesn't slide.

[QuikSand]

I like Witherspoon, but it does sound like the Eagles are looking to trade up, presumably to land, Jalen Carter. Move down to 10, with appropriate conversation or a little more, sounds just great to me.

For what it’s worth, I invested pretty heavily in looking at the Giants roster last season, and spending a lot of time thinking about who might be good fits there. But, for some reason, the Lions are just more entertaining this way… They’re in a more interesting position, and I am pretty deeply invested in what they are going to do in this year’s draft.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I like Witherspoon, but it does sound like the Eagles are looking to trade up, presumably to land, Jalen Carter. Move down to 10, with appropriate conversation or a little more, sounds just great to me.

For what it’s worth, I invested pretty heavily in looking at the Giants roster last season, and spending a lot of time thinking about who might be good fits there. But, for some reason, the Lions are just more entertaining this way… They’re in a more interesting position, and I am pretty deeply invested in what they are going to do in this year’s draft.

Interesting you mentioned the Eagles looking to trade up, because the Motor City Football guy just sent around an email about a mock he did where that happened and the Lions added their first second rounder and got the 10th, 30th, 94 and a fourth next year. He had the Lions taking Witherspoon, Breese and Drew Sanders in the first round.

[Solecismic]

Witherspoon seems fine, a good fit. A lot depends on how many QBs go in the top three. If Anderson somehow slips to six, I think the Lions should take him.

The suspension issue makes me wonder if they should consider trading down with 18 and using one of those picks on a WR. But... rookie WRs tend not to contribute right away, so it probably doesn't solve anything. Ultimately, they should focus on the defense as much as possible.

[Bobble]

Welp, there goes Anderson at #3. It was too much to hope for...

[sterlingice]

Gotta be honest: this thread has me more invested in the #6 pick in the draft that I thought I'd be


SI

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Gotta be honest: this thread has me more invested in the #6 pick in the draft that I thought I'd be


SI

I think you mean #12 now...

[Bobble]

Glad Wilson is gone. Didn't think that was a good fit for Lions.

[thesloppy]

I like to believe that since the Lions already have that 18th pick they'll already have plenty of solid preparation & preferences for that 12th pick.

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I like to believe that since the Lions already have that 18th pick they'll already have plenty of solid preparation & preferences for that 12th pick.

If you don't want Carter and the top guys you did want (Anderson, Witherspoon) are gone, it makes sense to move down and collect more talent. They should be ready for this scenario.

[sterlingice]

After all the action, are the Lions going to get Gonzalez while also picking up a top pick in the 2nd round (for a 3rd)?



SI

[Honolulu_Blue]

Whaaaat?!?

[sterlingice]

That seems... sub-optimal


SI

[Bobble]

Gibbs!? That's a shocker. Really wanted Gonzalez Yikes....

[Atocep]

Lions are still the Lions

[bronconick]

Same Old Lions

[NobodyHere]

It's so cute when a Lion's fan has hope.

[Solecismic]

Words fail me. I thought they finally had it together.

[sterlingice]

Like he was going to be around at 18, right?


SI

[thesloppy]

I wonder if they thought Bijan Robinson would still be around

[sterlingice]

SI

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I like to believe that since the Lions already have that 18th pick they'll already have plenty of solid preparation & preferences for that 12th pick.

Seems like they did NOT prepare.

[thesloppy]

From a fan perspective on the day of (AKA truly worthless) that sure seemed like taking the worst player available at the position of least need. Will be interesting to hear Holmes'es rationale after the fact.

[NobodyHere]

I think we'll be seeing a lot more perspectives like this one

Originally Posted by Pete Prisco - CBS

12. Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
Grade: D

Yes, he's an air back. Yes, he can do a lot of things. But, again, why take him here when there is a guy like corner Christian Gonzalez on the board? He's good but he's a back. At least it wasn't a top-10 pick.

[Bobble]

I'm afraid to type it but I'd be happy with Gonzalez or JSN at #18. Could possibly be talked into Kincaid.

[Honolulu_Blue]

The Athletic gave the Lions a “F” for that pick.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Bobble

I'm afraid to type it but I'd be happy with Gonzalez or JSN at #18. Could possibly be talked into Kincaid.

Well it won't be Gonzalez...

[bronconick]

Probably going to take a Tight End here.

[thesloppy]

If they pick from the relative dregs at CB here it will really seem like they played this wrong

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

If they pick from the relative dregs at CB here it will really seem like they played this wrong

So a standard Lion's pick?

[Bobble]

The Motor City Football guy is a big Deonte Banks fan and Joey Porter is still out there. I don't know if I'd call that "dregs".

[thesloppy]

Yeah, that was probably too harsh.

[Solecismic]

If they didn't want the elite speed, Porter is a nice combination of speed and size. They could do a lot worse if they don't want to trade down again.

[thesloppy]

Wow I think everybody loved the potential Lions/Campbell combo, but that sure seems early.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Big, slow Jack Campbell?

Oh, man….

[Solecismic]

OK. Not terrible. He was mentioned far too many times to be available much into tomorrow, no matter how many mocks had him in the 2nd.

[Honolulu_Blue]

This first round has made me sad and unhappy.

[Atocep]

So maybe the Lions should be banned from groupthink exercises.

Jack Campbell would have been a solid pick in 1991.

[bronconick]

Brad Holmes rips off his mask to reveal...Bob Quinn.