With the 6th Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions Select...
Written By: Kory Schrauben, Edited by: VC
With the 6th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select….
The time is fast approaching, before we know it, another Detroit Lions season will be upon us. We enter 2023 with lofty expectations in sight, hopeful to not be disappointed. 2023 is going to be a unique year for our beloved Lions. 2022 was a success in the eyes of us Lions fans, the team finished with a 9-8 record in Dan Campbell’s second season as HC. Quite the turnaround from their 3-13-1 2021 campaign. If you have been following us for a while on GLSFB, we have been incredibly positive with “DC” and Brad Holmes, and we even prefaced 2022 by saying a .500%-win percentage would be a success for this team…and hell, they did just that! With the Lions expectations now raised for 2023, I would like to do a roster breakdown going into the 2023 season and discuss the Lion’s options heading into the 2023 NFL draft. So, here we go:
Heading into 2023, the Lions have some key needs for this team’s success. It starts with the coaching staff, and they address those major needs. They kept both their OC and DC, Ben Johnson, and Aaron Glenn, respectively. Keeping your coaching staff is instrumental to finding success in the NFL. Look at all the great teams, they keep their coaching talent year in and year out, which helps the players and team develop. With the retention of Johnson and Glenn, I believe the Lions can now focus on developing their young talent. The Lions can also focus more on signing free agents that fit their need, and, lastly, work towards drafting the right players who fit their roster.
So, what are their needs? Defense. No question about it. In 2022, the Detroit Lions had a historically bad defense. At one point during the season, I openly tweeted about how bad this defense was, pure garbage. Luckily, they got better over the course of the season. Detroit’s major defensive needs: CB, LB, and interior DL. They could potentially be losing some key defensive pieces such as Alex Anzalone, John Cominsky, Isaiah Buggs (Done Deal as off today 2 years, $6Mill), and Will Harris. There are more, but they are replaceable. Alex Anzalone was a key piece to their success in 2022, but I did not love him. Great on field leader, NFL vet, but makes costly mistakes in tackling and finishing plays. Anzalone is only 28, so if we can get him at a good price, he’s worth bringing back. John Cominsky and Isaiah Buggs are must-retain players for Detroit in 2023. Both are high-motor, high-production defensive linemen, who, if anything, bring fantastic depth to our front 4. Buggs played in 16 of 17 games and Cominsky 12 of 17. Lastly, Will Harris has been in Detroit for 4 seasons, and he has been okay at best. He is healthy and available week in and week out which is fantastic, but he does not do enough to stand-out. I’m not sure if he is the type of guy, we are looking for to take us to that next tier of successful NFL franchises. Also, as of today 3/13/23 we have signed Cam Sutton who has been with the Steelers since drafted in 2017. Very productive NFL CB that may change some draft ideas.
The offense is a different story. If you investigate all the major offensive statistics for the NFL, our beloved Lions were top tier in 2022. Bravo, Ben Johnson. I hope we gave him “the bag” to stay in Detroit for longer than just 2023. Let’s highlight offensive free agents that will add stress to the off-season: DJ Chark, Jamaal Williams, Evan Brown, and Brock Wright. Do you want the good or bad news first? Let’s go start with the good news: they all want to stay in Detroit, which speaks wonders about DC. The unwelcoming news: it is going to be tough to keep DJ and Jamaal in Detroit. DJ Chark set himself up for a solid pay day. Per PFF, DJ is the 5th ranked free agent WR in the 2023 class. With his size alone he is very marketable. Jamaal on the other hand at 27 years old is dwindling down in his NFL career as a RB. So, we may be able to get him at a discount vs the RB market. The other two I believe are replaceable, but I would love to retain both. Evan Brown has been a very solid depth offensive lineman for the last 4 seasons, and Brock Wright is still a young TE in the NFL, with some promise.
So, what do we need to draft? DL, CB, LB and OL; let’s make it happen. The Lions are in a unique position with possession of picks #6 and #18 and not needing a QB. If Brad Holmes wants to better his Detroit roster, you get the best defensive player available with those 2 first-round picks, and potentially trade with anyone wanting to move up into the top 10. I do not believe there is a specific order you draft those defensive needs on day 1. It truly comes down to the best available. Some names that should be available at that 6th pick: Devon Witherspoon, DB Illinois; Brian Branch, S Alabama; and Christian Gonzalez, CB Oregon. One thing I always look for from guys coming out of college is how much did they really play? Did they produce year in and year out? Or did they just have one hot season? These 3 all check that box for me. They all have decent length for the secondary, they all played in a ton of games in college, and they started multiple years at their respective schools. Lastly, their film checks out. Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez were both lock down corners, with the ability to make game-changing plays. Brian Branch is interesting because he played a hybrid role at Alabama; they used him all over the field. He played in coverage, came off the edge, blitzed a fair amount, is a stockier build, and I believe he will be a hybrid Corner/Safety/Nickel guy in the NFL. All three are great gets at #6.
With us going corner at #6, we shift to DL or LB at #18. Names such as Trenton Simpson, LB Clemson; Lukas Van Ness, DL/Edge Iowa; and Calijah Kancey, DL Pitt. All three, similar to the aforementioned DBs, have played a lot of ball. 2 of the 3 bring size to their position with Kancey giving me Aaron Donald vibes. Let’s kick this off with Trenton Simpson: fits the OLB mold in the NFL, rangy, physical, and he can cover in the pass game when needed. He’s the type of guy who has his nose in every play. I’m not exactly sure how he would fit into our defensive scheme with Rodrigo already filling that OLB role, but he would be a great player to fill a major piece on defense. Lukas Van Ness is a big-bodied, high-motor guy, but, while fast, he’s not overly athletic. He gets after the ball carrier and QB, and he does not give up on a play. He seems to have exactly what Dan Campbell is looking for when he says guys have to “fit” the type of player they’re seeking. My favorite of the 3 is Calijah Kancey: undersized defensive line prospect who is as athletic and as explosive as they come. He lined up at the 3 and shade for Pitt, but most likely will be an NFL 3tech. Gives off major Aaron Donald vibes…oh, and they are both from Pitt, perfect. If we want an interior disrupter who can rush the passer and stop the run…this is our guy.
I stand behind what I said earlier in this article: we must go best available on defense and really stick to our needs (CB, LB, and DL) in the first round. If we do that, we have found our lord saviors in Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.