The Detroit Lions landed hometown hero Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Other things happened, and we’ll get to them shortly. But I wanted to lead with that sentence because, regardless of all the moving and shaking Lions GM Brad Holmes dabbled in after the no-brainer selection of Hutchinson at No. 2, this draft was house money after the Jaguars passed on the universally agreed-upon top player in the class. I’m not a sunshine and rainbows type of guy, so my tone will shift as I nitpick Holmes’ decisions as this draft unfolded. But to be clear, I am pretty f’n pumped that we will get to see Hutchinson in Honolulu Blue for years to come.

Not much analysis needs to be done at No. 2, but for the rest of this draft review, I will be using a combination of Dane Brugler’s “The Beast” scouting guide, Pro Football Focus‘ draft board, and the “Consensus Big Board” published by The Athletic (a meta-ranking of 82 boards across the industry) to determine whether the Lions maximized value at each of their selections.

Round 1(2): Aidan Hutchinson – EDGE – Michigan

Consensus Big Board: 1 | PFF: 1 | Brugler: 1

Turns out Detroit’s late-season respectability campaign that saw them go 3-3 over the final six games and push themselves out of the cellar – and the top pick in the draft – meant little in the grand scheme of things. Little except player development and good locker room vibes of course. Which aren’t nothing. They are very much something.

But while this draft class has been labeled as not top-heavy, Hutchinson had been identified as the favorite to go No. 1 for months. When Jacksonville opted to snag Georgia’s Travon Walker instead (the guy I originally wanted at No. 2 FWIW) the stars aligned for the Lions for once since 1957. Those stars being a) best player available, b) area of need, c) culture fit, d) premium position, and…oh yeah…e) the kid was born in Plymouth, went to HS in Dearborn, and played college ball for The University of Michigan. He also wrecked Ohio State in the most fun I’ve ever had standing in a blizzard.

It’s just a perfect marriage. While his ceiling is TBD I’d be stunned if Hutchinson wasn’t a productive player for the Lions for many, many years. Why? Try these nuggets from Brugler’s scouting guide and see if failure is an option for a guy with these traits…

“hyper-alert playstyle…ball carriers go lifeless when he strikes, and missed tackles are rare…intangibles are off the charts…elite preparation and practice habits…plays with maniacal effort…“

And most importantly for a guy coming to a franchise that’s never won anything ever: “competitive play personality that raises the level of his teammates”.

I’m making a one-time exception to my “no draft grades” policy and giving the Hutchinson pick a 42.27. My favorite number since 11/27/21.

Round 1(12): Jameson Williams – WR – Alabama

Consensus Big Board: 13 OVR – WR3 | PFF: 9 OVR – WR1 | Brugler: 13 OVR – WR2

The spotlight was stolen from Hutchinson just an hour after his selection when wheelin’ and dealin’ Brad Holmes made the bold-yet-controversial move to trade up to select Williams, the burner from ‘Bama currently on the mend from a torn ACL. The Lions swapped picks 32, 34, and 66 for Minnesota’s 12 and 46.

The cost of the trade-up – in a vacuum and without inserting the player names that were eventually drafted in those slots – was a bargain and an opportunity most GMs in Holmes’ position would pounce on in a heartbeat. To take advantage of a division rival in Minnesota was just icing on the cake. A vast majority of the time it is the team trading UP that has to pay the tax in overall value and assets. That’s why trading back is such a popular pre-draft scenario seemingly every year. Somehow it was the Vikings that paid the tax to move back. A 20 spot first-round jump is a massive leap, which is why the draft value charts have the Lions making out like bandits. There are several ways to frame the trade, but the Lions essentially bought two 20-spot jumps (32 > 12 and 66 > 46) for the cost of pick No. 34. That’s good business.

When the announcement of the trade came in I was hoping they would take S Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame and terrified they would take a QB. Hamilton was once in the discussion at No. 2, eventually settled in the 4-10 range on most boards and safety was one of the top needs for Detroit. I’m not of the belief that Goff is the future of this team beyond the length of his current contract, but in a weak QB class, this wasn’t the opportunity to take that plunge. Just too many studs still available at other positions.

Enter Jameson Williams, who definitely has studly qualities and likely would have been the No. 1 receiver everywhere had he not tore his ACL in the NCAA title game. Hell, he still was considered the top wideout by some, including PFF. And give Holmes credit for swinging for the fences when seeing a game-breaking receiver at an attainable price and beating everyone to the front of the line.

The injury isn’t a dealbreaker for me, since the Lions can PUP Williams and give him all the time he needs to get right since 2022 is just another year in the rebuild (albeit a much more entertaining one). My concern is that Goff is not the long-term answer at QB and doesn’t have the big arm or aggressiveness to fully utilize the dynamic weapon that Williams is (miss U Staff). With the wealth of weapons Goff now has at his disposal, I see this year as his final chance to show Holmes and Dan Campbell he is good enough to be the QB once they are ready to push for the playoffs. Anything less than a league-average season for Goff (think QB12-18 range) and we should see the QB of the future either drafted in RD1 or acquired via trade next year.

The final point on Williams for me is the fact that the WR market is exploding right now, with significant money being dished out for No. 1s left and right. A total of 21 different veteran receivers are making more than $14.75 million in average annual value. This includes the likes of Robby Anderson, Christian Kirk, and old pal Kenny Golladay (anyone still mad we didn’t franchise tag him? Bueller?). Not exactly franchise cornerstones, yet those are the names commanding big paydays on the open market. It makes more sense than ever to take a shot at a high-end receiver in the draft because if you hit on a star you are giving your team a tremendous amount of cap flexibility to shore up other areas. Williams will be making (estimated) just under $20 million total on his four-year rookie contract.

Bonus points go to Williams for coming to his senses and transferring from OSU before being snowballed by Big Hutch and the Wolverines. This guy is going to be fun to watch. Just get him the damn ball, Jared.

Round 2(46): Josh Paschal – DE – Kentucky

Consensus Big Board: 70 OVR – DL5T3 | PFF: 44 OVR – EDGE9 | Brugler: 83 OVR – EDGE15

Here’s where things start to get tricky.

After the Jaguars gifted Hutchinson to the Lions at No 2. Holmes opted to dip back into the defensive end waters, using a premium pick on a guy that few outside of PFF had ranked anywhere near pick 46. Nothing wrong with the player, who by all accounts is a better human being than you or I (three-time captain and cancer survivor), but I am very concerned that Holmes let a day-one starter (or even a potential star) slip away by using this pick on Paschal.

That’s not to say Paschal can’t start or at least play a healthy amount of snaps right away. But the pass-rush unit is getting very crowded all of a sudden. With Hutchinson, the brothers Okwara, Charles Harris, Austin Bryant, and sixth-rounder James Houston (among others) you now have quite the rotation and a lot of mouths to feed. Dare I say a position of strength? Paschal is a better run-stopper than pass-rusher, so he’ll be able to play more inside with the big boys at DT like Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill, who Holmes also double-dipped for in 2021. So at least Holmes is acquiring players with disparate skillsets, giving DC Aaron Glenn the ability to mix and match bodies to fit what opposing offenses are scheming.

That being said, there was a lot of meat still left on the draft bone at this stage. QB Malik Willis was still lingering. You could have at least entertained the idea of taking a shot on a guy that could be the eventual successor to Goff, even if taking a QB in 2022 originally wasn’t in the cards. Georgia LB Nakobe Dean was there for the taking, whom many had pegged somewhere in the 20s, but slipped due to medical concerns (again, less of a concern for the Lions who should be in no rush in 2022). This also seemed like the perfect spot for Penn State S Jaquan Brisker (generally rated in the high-30s-40s), a huge area of need for Detroit that they ended up addressing with their next pick wayyyyyy down at 97. Brisker ended up going two picks later to Chicago. That Bear might end up biting them in the butt.

Still, there are some that think Paschal is much closer to the top of his class positionally than middle-of-the-pack. This is a questionable pick purely based on the rankings and depth chart, not the player. He will be a guy that’s easy to root for given his personality and the adversity he has overcome. But I can’t help but wonder if Paschal was originally Holmes’ target at 66 and the trade forced him to take “his guy” a round early rather than recalibrating the board.

Round 3(97): Kerby Joseph – S – Illinois

Consensus Big Board: 96 OVR – S8 | PFF: 73 OVR – S7 | Brugler: 100+ OVR – S8

Prior to the draft, I would have been very surprised if the Lions waited this long to address safety, a position group that still looks shaky even after the selection of Joseph. It’s basically Tracy Walker and friends back there. But concessions had to be made after the trade-up for Williams and depth pick of Paschal, so Joseph it is.

Joseph doesn’t have a long resume, basically bursting onto draft boards on the heels of leading the nation in individual takeaways as a senior in 2021 (5 INT, 3 FR). He’s supposed to have some of the freaky athletic traits that are all the rage these days, including a 6’8″ wingspan that Dwane Casey and the Pistons might need to borrow in a pinch. He and Tracy Walker might be able to touch sideline-to-sideline if they stand next to each other. PFF likes him quite a bit more than the consensus, so let’s hope they are seeing the same things Holmes sees.

The one that got away here may end up being LB Leo Chenal from Wisconsin. PFF’s third-rated linebacker, whose run-stuffing they compared to Micah Parsons, ended up going six picks later to the Chiefs. Thankfully, it looks like the Lions ended up getting some nice value at LB in round 6, but that deep in the draft is typically dart-throwin’ territory and it would have been nice to add a round 2 talent at a barely top-100 price.

Round 5(177): James Mitchell – TE – Virginia Tech

Consensus Big Board: 216 OVR – TE11 | PFF: 109 OVR – TE4 | Brugler: TE9

Brad Holmes must’ve signed up for that PFF Elite account. Every selection up to this point has the Lions drafting great value relative to their PFF ranking, none more so than Mitchell. It looks like a torn ACL scared most teams away from Mitchell, who likely would have been rated and drafted much higher than the end of round 5. More good business for the Lions here, who won’t need to rush Mitchell into action in 2022. The position group is pretty meh behind TJ Hockenson, so it makes sense to develop an eventual TE2 (or a TE1 successor in case Hock becomes a free agent in 2024).

In terms of what was still on the board here, Detroit still had not addressed their gross LB depth chart, and Cincinnatti’s Darian Beavers was still lingering. Beavers was rated solidly ahead of the LB they eventually took in round 6 by all the boards used in this breakdown, with the consensus board slotting him at 111 overall. I hear Beavers is a dam good player who can chew a hole through opposing ball carriers.

Round 6(188): Malcolm Rodriguez – LB – Oklahoma State

Consensus Big Board: 170 OVR – LB15 | PFF: 153 OVR – LB15 | Brugler: LB13

It took until round 6, but the Lions finally addressed what is arguably the worst position group on the entire roster. That’s saying something coming off of a season where Detroit ranked 31st in points allowed. Holmes passed up a ton of LB talent in the rounds leading up to the selection of Rodriguez. That being said, some are calling this pick the best value of the weekend for Detroit, which is supported by the rankings I used for this draft review. Bonus points for Holmes trading back from 181 (picking up 188 and 237) and still getting the guy he wanted at a great price. Solid work late in the draft.

Rodriguez went to Oklahoma State and wore #20. Something tells me he was meant to be a Detroit Lion. It’s sexy these days to prioritize athletic traits and measurables over production, but Rodriguez bucks that trend. This dude has a resume that would make Barry proud (since 2018):

398 TKLS | 35.5 TFL | 8 FF | 13 PD | 2 INT

My favorite part of that line might be the PDs and INTs, and the fact that Rodriguez did not allow a TD in coverage in 2021. Could it be that the Lions went out and found a linebacker that excels in coverage? I’m so tired of Detroit getting shredded by mediocre journeymen TEs year in and year out. I did some quick research on this and it turns out the Lions have been much better in this area over the past five seasons, but it’s still true in my mind. If Rodriguez can help hold Cole Kmet under 150 yards and 3 TDs he will be my new favorite player.

We’re so deep into the draft at this point that looking at who else was still available will probably be a waste of time. So the rest of the way we’re going with comedic names only.

Russ Yeast, safety from Kansas State, goes to the Rams at pick 253. I have a feeling he will grow on them.

Round 6(217): James Houston – EDGE – Jackson State

Consensus Big Board: N/R | PFF: N/R | Brugler: EDGE36

I think Holmes hit the wrong button here. Or he was one too many cocktails deep after celebrating a very solid weekend up to this point.

Houston was unranked on most boards and the Lions already sunk significant draft capital into EDGE/DE, so I’m not sure what the point of this selection was. Houston was suspended for his freshman season at Florida after being investigated for credit card fraud, which isn’t great, and could be a major character red flag. Odd since the Lions tend to emphasize “culture” over all else under this regime. Per Chris Burke of The Athletic, Houston had no contact with the Lions during the draft process prior to getting the call that he was being drafted. Surprising that they didn’t take the time to vet this guy personally.

In the team-sponsored highlight package above, the first clip is little more than a missed tackle disguised as a forced fumble and sack. I’d much rather have taken a shot on Chris Paul, who slipped all the way to the Commanders at pick 230. “CP3” is third on the all-time assists list and, while not conventional wisdom to take a 36-year-old basketball player in the NFL Draft, shows no signs of slowing down. Washington fans are getting a future hall of famer at little more than a UDFA price. “Steal” of the draft (4th all-time).

Round 7(237): Chase Lucas – CB – Arizona State

Consensus Big Board: 214 OVR | PFF: 336 OVR – CB38 | Brugler: CB25

PFF’s not a believer, but Brugler and the consensus say the Lions ended their draft with a nice value pick here. The Lions have no shortage of bodies at corner, but are we sure any of them are any good besides Amani Oruwariye? Even Jeff Okudah can’t be considered a definitive starting corner given the way his NFL career has started. May as well add to the stockpile this late in the draft, and the 25(!) year-old Lucas will make a nice cohort with the rest of his teammates, many of which he is actually older than after a six-year stint at ASU.

I really want to dip back into the legendary point guard jokes here and talk about the Lions missing out on drafting Isaiah Thomas, but technically he was off the board already (went 223 to CLE). Plus, we all know that’s not how you spell ISIAH Thomas.

Instead, we’ll do a “best of the bums” roll call. Here’s hoping any or all of these undrafted hopefuls can claw their way onto an NFL roster. Purely due to their awesome names, not because they are any good.

Names of actual human beings that exist

The bright but hard-headed: Stone Smartt | The draft’s most honest man: Sincere McCormick | The draft’s least honest man: Devanaire Conliffe, and his partner in crime: Justin Rigg | Both follow orders from criminal mastermind: Luiji Vilain | Wide receiver: Andrew Parchment (ball never sticks to his hands) | They never forget Mother’s Day: Sam Flowers and Jay Rose | The walking penalty: Cyrus Holder | Make sure you get a good appraisal on: Cody Ruby | Always finds the best deal: Clay Markoff | Truth or: Dare Rosenthal | Asking for trouble: Baer Hunter | Mom never had to tell him twice to do the dishes: Nick Sink | The hopefully benign and not malignant: Kameron Toomer | Eco-friendly: Bryce Notree | Weakness – limited visibility: Tyshon Fogg | Mom and dad couldn’t agree on his name: Jeffmario Brown | Chef Ramsay does not endorse: Daron Bland | He may be a founding father, but only his friends can call him: Benjie Franklin |

Final thoughts

Overall, I think Brad Holmes and co did a nice job with this draft. They came away with potential franchise cornerstones on both sides of the ball with Hutchinson and Williams, which established a really high floor for everything post-round 1. I was confused by the EDGE/DE overload, which in turn spread the prospects thin at other areas of concern (LB, S, CB), but at least all of those needs were addressed.

The Athletic had the Lions entering the draft with the fifth most draft capital and, after the smoke settled, emerging with the eighth-most total value. This is based on the rankings of the consensus board and adjusting for positional importance, need, and fit.

For those that love the pageantry of post-draft prognostication, I give you the Oscars of draft grades:

The above Tweeter did a nice job of summarizing the talking heads’ perceptions of Detroit’s draft by making a cumulative GPA for all of those that like to participate in the futile activity of draft grading. The Lions clocked in at No. 5 overall on the backs of an A+ from the fine folks at PFF. Hey, that means a lot more than the grades from the Mel Kiper’s of the world. Or does it? Who the hell knows. As always, we can revisit these grades in three years, but probably won’t.

I’m handing out an A+…for my comedic names section. No draft analyst worked harder than I did sifting through the names of a thousand undrafted bums for your amusement. I also did it with a non-COVID illness. So that section was basically my Jordan flu game.

You’re welcome.

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