While it’s still early when it comes to the draft process for 2022, Lions general manager Brad Holmes made it clear that he’s not leaving out any options during the offseason, even with regard to the team’s second overall pick in April. He stated the team is “definitely open for business” when asked about the availability of that selection (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).
During an interview with Pelissero at the Senior Bowl, Holmes said, “I’m never scared to move around” during the draft. In a year without a consensus top choice, not to mention one where Detroit has another first-round pick (as a result of the Jared Goff trade), moving down the board would make a good degree of sense.
The two highest-rated prospects in this year’s class, according to most, are edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson. While the Lions would be guaranteed at least one of them by remaining at No. 2, they could end up with both on the board if the Jaguars use the first pick on Alabama tackle Evan Neal, as some believe they will.
Prioritizing the defense in the draft would certainly make sense for the Lions after they finished 31st in the league in points allowed in 2021. That could still be accomplished with the likes of cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. or safety Kyle Hamilton, though, if the team moved down slightly.
With plenty of holes to fill this offseason, Detroit has a number of decisions to make to rebound from the first season of the Dan Campbell era. Flexibility in the draft would certainly go a long way to helping rebuild the roster, even if it were to mean moving out of a top-two draft slot.
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