Detroit pulled a bit of a surprise with their second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Instead of choosing a safety, linebacker or quarterback, the team doubled up on the defensive line. Josh Paschal from Kentucky got the call with the No. 46 overall pick.
Paschal is a power-to-speed player with the ability to anchor and set a hard edge. He’s a very smart player both on and off the field, an attribute that matters to this Lions regime very much.
He’s not the same type of player as No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, though their positions and skills do have some overlap. Paschal is more strictly a hand-in-dirt DE who can also kick inside and play some defensive tackle. At just 268 pounds he’s very light for that duty in the NFL, however. He does have excellent play strength and very good initial burst off the snap.
In Detroit, Paschal is more like holdover starter Romeo Okwara. He could be and insurance policy and a replacement-in-waiting for Okwara, who is coming off a torn Achilles.
Many expected the Lions to attack the hole at safety, or bolster the linebacking corps. Several prominent quarterbacks were also still on the board, but the Lions continue to use Day 2 picks to build up the trenches. Paschal joins Levi Onwuzurike (2nd) and Alim McNeill (3rd) from last year’s Day 2 on the defensive line.
