The Detroit Lions currently stand with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft as part of the Matthew Stafford trade, and the 18th overall pick on their own. After doing a marvelous job of addressing their secondary in free agency with the additions of Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, in what direction should general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell point all of this draft capital? Doug Farrar and Kyle Madson have a few ideas.
Doug: Here’s one place I think would be a great fit for Jalen Carter. Carter will need a strong environment around him, and starting with Campbell and going through a list of assistant coaches with a ton of NFL playing experience, that group will get respect. The Lions have enough on their defensive line where Carter won’t be asked to do everything, but he’ll be an absolute net gain every time he steps on the field. I think that’s how you get the most out of Carter’s phenomenal talent while sidestepping the ancillary issues. That’s why I have him going sixth in my latest mock.
With the 18th pick, I have Detroit making a move that will absolutely get me drummed out of the analytics community – I think they should select Texas running back Bijan Robinson, the best prospect at his position since Saquon Barkley. Robinson can do everything on the field, and he can be the epicenter of Detroit’s offense while the Lions continue to mine the most possible out of Jared Goff, which is still a low-ceiling proposition. I could see them going quarterback or cornerback if things set the right way, but that’s how I have it going now.
Kyle: The Lions are fascinating. I’m in the ‘Detroit should draft a QB’ camp, and their really strong free agency where they bolstered their secondary changes how I think they should attack the draft. Now I think they have a little more leeway if they want to snag a QB at either spot. Jalen Carter is a great idea here though. If they like Tyree Wilson, the DE from Texas Tech I think it makes sense here even if it’s a little bit of a reach. Best defensive lineman on the board tracks here though.
18 is where things get interesting. If Anthony Richardson specifically falls that far I think they have to go that route. It’d be a perfect landing spot for him and Detroit can afford to take this swing thanks to their adds in free agency. However, Mel Kiper has them going with Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer here. Dalton Kincaid from Utah is another fun TE option. I think a safety blanket for Jared Goff after trading TJ Hockenson last year would only help their already-ascending offense.
