5 Players The Detroit Lions Should Consider With The No. 2 Overall Pick In The 2022 NFL Draft
The Detroit Lions are still in the early stages of their rebuild. Moving Matthew Stafford last season was the confirmation of a near complete teardown of this roster and there’s still plenty of work to be done during the 2022 NFL Draft and beyond for this front office.
The good news for Lions fans is the foundation is starting to come into focus for the new-look Lions. Detroit has made investments in the offensive line, including 2021 first round draft pick Penei Sewell. Sewell, along with Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow, provides a strong unit up front.
In addition to the line, there’s been solid additions in the form of playmakers. D’Andre Swift, T.J. Hockenson and Amon-Ra St. Brown have all shown potential in Detroit. While consistency still remains to be seen, the talent is there, which is the first step. Now, the Lions went out and added D.J. Chark to the unit and brought back 2021 addition Josh Reynolds.
Where the Lions need the most work is the defensive side of the ball. Eventually a quarterback will be needed, but Jared Goff is a serviceable starter for the time being and buys the front office time to invest in other areas of the roster before seeking out the quarterback of the future. Luckily, the Lions have the capital to make the needed improvements in a short period of time.
Those improvements will continue in the 2022 NFL Draft, beginning with two picks in the first round. Holding not only the second overall pick, but three selections in the first 34, the Lions have the assets to make huge strides early in this year’s draft. But who should they target?
Detroit Lions: Five Options at Pick 2 in the 2022 NFL Draft
With such a wide range of selections between the second and 32nd, we’re breaking up the first round for Detroit. This time we take a look at the second pick in the draft. With only the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the Lions, Detroit will have the opportunity to take one of the top two players in the 2022 NFL Draft class. However, who that is could still be up for debate.
Detroit Lions First Round Target #1: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE
Largely considered the top prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft, Aidan Hutchinson would be the ideal selection for the Detroit Lions with the second overall pick. The Lions ranked 30th in the NFL for team sacks a season ago with only 30, so adding a force off the edge like Hutchinson would transform this defense. The only issue is the Lions hold the second pick and Hutchinson is the best player in the class.
A few weeks ago it seemed like Offensive Tackle Evan Neal was the favorite to go to Jacksonville at the top of the draft. The Jaguars needed to protect Trevor Lawrence and Neal was the best option to do that. However, the Jags made heavy investments in the offensive line by franchise tagging Cam Robinson and signing Brandon Scherff, making Neal seem less likely.
The moves by Jacksonville should direct their attention away from offensive line with the first pick, meaning Hutchinson could be on his way to Duval County. While Jacksonville’s pass rush was better than the Lions, they ranked only 28th in the league with 32 sacks, so Hutchinson makes a lot of sense there as well.
Long story short, the Lions would love to have Hutchinson but that chance seems to be dropping. If Hutchinson is on the board at number two, this should be a no-brainer pick for the Lions. However, that’s becoming a less likely scenario.
Detroit Lions First Round Target #2: Kyle Hamilton, DB
After Aidan Hutchinson the view for the second best player in the class becomes a bit foggy. A few different names have been thrown around, but one that seems to be surfacing more and more is Kyle Hamilton.
Standing 6-foot-4 with a 220-pound frame, Hamilton is a different breed of safety. He ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the combine while registering a 38-inch vertical and 4.32 shuttle. Athletic is an understatement for the defensive back who received the best “Prospect Grade” at the Combine and is receiving comparisons to Legion of Boom member Kam Chancellor.
When on the field, Hamilton was dominant at Notre Dame. He tallied eight interceptions and 16 passes defended across 31 games on top of 138 tackles. The only problem is he wasn’t always on the field. Hamilton played just seven games in 2021, a number that decreased each season with the Fighting Irish after playing in 13 as a freshman.
For a front office that has struggled to see the results from the third overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft Jeff Okudah due to injuries, that could cause a bit of hesitation. However, the pure talent of Hamilton is hard to overlook. As the draft draws closer, expect Hamilton to emerge from the pack as the best option for Detroit if Hutchinson is off the board.
Detroit Lions First Round Target #3: Malik Willis, QB
I know I just said that the Detroit Lions should put off quarterback until the rest of the roster is up to speed, but it’s hard to look past the options that are on the table with the second overall pick here. If there is a quarterback that separates from the pack in the last month of the draft process, the Lions could have first dibs at taking them.
The question also has to be asked, how often can you have a top 10, or better yet top five, pick and pass on a quarterback? In 2020 the Lions took Okudah over Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert. In 2021 they turned away from Justin Fields and Mac Jones. Now, Matthew Stafford was still in the picture in 2020 and during the 2021 draft, Sewell made sense. However, at some point the Lions are going to have to select a quarterback and it’s better to do it early in the draft.
Malik Willis is arguably the best quarterback in this class. Is he number two overall pick good? No. But we’ve learned in the past that doesn’t necessarily matter with quarterbacks. After the 2022 season the Lions can cut or trade Jared Goff with only $10 million in dead cap. Perhaps taking and sitting a quarterback for a year is the right option.
We’ve watched the Kansas City Chiefs do just that with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. The San Francisco 49ers just did so with Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance. Goff and Willis in Detroit could be next. With the Lions in this draft position, it’s a route they have to at least consider taking.
Detroit Lions First Round Target #4: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE
We already talked about how the Lions lacked a threatening pass rush a season ago, meaning they might not shy away from the position just because Hutchinson is off the board. While Hutchinson is the best of the bunch, the edge rusher unit is deep in the 2022 NFL Draft.
One name that used to top lists before the season was Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux didn’t necessarily do anything wrong in 2021, but it wasn’t enough to maintain the hype of being the best prospect in the class. He tallied 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks, neither of which were career highs, but are still impressive.
If the Lions do decide to stick with the best edge rusher available, no matter what, at number two Thibodeaux could very well be in play. However, a lot of others could be as well. Georgia’s Travon Walker and Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson continue to climb boards and there’s a chance either of them could be in the mix as well.
The fact with Thibodeaux is that he’s proven he can perform at a high level consistently. He didn’t emerge during the 2021 season, but put together three strong collegiate seasons. The Lions need consistency and that’s what Thibodeaux brings, making him the best of the edge rush bunch for Detroit after Hutchinson.
Detroit Lions First Round Target #5: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner
The Lions secondary needs work. Aaron Rodgers is staying in Green Bay and that alone is enough to reconsider how to build a defense in the NFC North. As previously mentioned, the Lions have Jeff Okudah and they also just added Mike Hughes to the secondary. However, the cornerback unit still needs work in Detroit.
While Kyle Hamilton is the best defensive back in this class, some front offices value cornerbacks and safeties much differently. If Detroit is one of those front offices, a cornerback could be the preference to improve the secondary group.
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is an intriguing prospect. He was electric at Cincinnati, but some still don’t consider him the top cornerback, let alone the second best player in the class. However, what makes Hamilton intriguing as a safety applies to Gardner as well.
Gardner can do just about everything in coverage. He knocked down 16 passes as a Bearcat and intercepted another nine. He even made his way into the backfield for five tackles for loss and three sacks.
Gardner tested off the charts at the combine, being the fifth player on the “Next Gen Stats” grading system of the entire Combine. That paired with another Legion of Boom member comparison, Richard Sherman, illustrates why looking at Gardner could be worth Detroit’s time with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.