Pro Comparisons for Lions' 2022 Draft Picks
With an eight-player draft class, the Detroit Lions are hoping the tides of their fortune will turn.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes made each pick with the mindset of continuing his team’s rebuild. At this stage, each player may play a key part in building the foundation of a winning team.
The rookies, as Holmes puts it, each have their own “flavor.”
No two players are exactly alike. Here are pro comparisons for each player the Lions selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
DE Aidan Hutchinson
Player comparison: Los Angeles Chargers' Joey Bosa
Looking at the numbers, the players from rival universities are quite similar. Hutchinson ran a touch faster at the NFL combine, 4.74 to 4.86, and performed slightly better in the other drills. Bosa’s arms are an inch longer, though, as arm length was a concern for Hutchinson.
The big question coming out for Hutchinson was whether he had a high ceiling or simply a high floor. There isn’t expected to be a lot of boom or bust potential, as the Michigan product projects as a very serviceable player without putting up too big of numbers.
This status is much like Bosa, who has put together four double-digit sack seasons but has never gone higher than 12.5. Hutchinson may not get that high in year one, but could get there soon with experience.
WR Jameson Williams
Player comparison: Will Fuller V
Though many believe Williams could bring Tyreek Hill-type play-making once healthy, he’s a bit closer to Fuller in terms of overall play style. Fuller also has had an injury history, struggling to put together full seasons.
Williams could certainly become a better player, but scouts have knocked his route-running preciseness. What he lacks in technique he makes up for with speed, as he moves down the field with ease and gets by defenders.
Coming off a torn ACL, Williams won’t be an instant contributor. However, he wants to be ready to play by training camp, and could wind up playing a significant role toward the middle of the season.
DE Josh Paschal
Player comparison: Miami Dolphins' Emmanuel Ogbah
Paschal was viewed as a potential reach when the pick was announced, but it didn’t take long for fans to warm up to the choice when they heard Brad Holmes’ reasoning. In a crowded EDGE class, the Kentucky product fit Detroit’s mold the most because of his locker room presence.
This isn’t to say Paschal isn’t a good player, as he certainly was just that at Kentucky. He was versatile in college, and took a variety of angles to get to the quarterback, meaning he lined up both inside and outside. Ogbah has done much of the same in his career, never putting up absurd numbers but providing a reliable presence.
Experts believe that Paschal will be an interior rusher at the next level, meaning Detroit could put together some packages involving four defensive ends serving as down linemen. How he adapts to that will be intriguing to see.
S Kerby Joseph
Player comparison: Kansas City Chiefs' Juan Thornhill
Joseph didn’t contribute much at Illinois until his final season, where he stepped into a starting role and had a solid showing. The late-bloomer started as a defensive back, slid to wide receiver in his junior year, then back to safety in 2021 and picked off five passes.
He tracks the ball very well on film, making plays in the pass game at a high level. His nose for the ball also led him to recover two fumbles in his final college season.
These two players match up similarly, in terms of physical measurables, and Thornhill had the same knack for finding the football during his college days. How this skill translates at the next level for Joseph remains to be seen, but there’s a solid contributor waiting to be untapped.
TE James Mitchell
Player comparison: Indianapolis Colts' Mo Alie-Cox
Mitchell is another player coming off an injury, as he suffered a knee injury in the second week of the 2021 season and missed the remainder of the season. He never put up big numbers in college, as his sophomore season was his most productive (435 receiving yards on 26 catches).
He projects to be a player like Cox, who is a serviceable backup tight end. Mitchell is a good athlete, but how the knee injury affects him remains to be seen. He won’t be asked to do too much, as T.J. Hockenson is an emerging star for the Lions at his position.
Mitchell may never be a special player, but the Lions don’t need him to be one right now. Having the ability to make plays when called upon and contribute in the run game as a blocker are the two hopes for this rookie.
LB Malcom Rodriguez
Player comparison: Denver Broncos' Josey Jewell
A compact middle linebacker standing in at 5-foot-11, Rodriguez compares favorably to Jewell. The Broncos linebacker had a very solid season in 2020, compiling 113 tackles. However, he played in just two games in 2021 due to injury.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, earned superb grades in the Relative Athletic Score assessment, receiving a 9.28 out of 10 for his position. His numbers are solid for a fifth-round player, as he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash and 4.13 shuttle.
It’s easy to believe that his playing time will come mostly on special teams at the start, but there’s a role he can carve out at inside linebacker, if the aforementioned athletic traits translate.
OLB James Houston IV
Player comparison: Philadelphia Eagles' Haason Reddick
If Houston turns out to be a stud, his production will look a lot like Reddick’s. However, Houston is a project, and will not be as impactful right away. The main tie here between these two players is that they are undersized for their position.
The two scored very similarly on the Relative Athletic Score assessment, with Reddick’s about a point higher. Houston will not be ready to produce at a high level right away, but he enjoyed a very solid senior season at Jackson State and could be a solid performer down the line in his career.
Will he ever match the numbers of a player like Reddick? Maybe not, but he’s a good athlete and could become a playmaker, despite being undersized.
CB Chase Lucas
Player comparison: Atlanta Falcons' Kendall Sheffield
An older rookie, Lucas will break into the NFL at age 25, after six seasons in college. He redshirted his freshman year, and was granted an extra year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Sheffield and Lucas put up similar testing numbers coming out of college, with the former going pro in 2019. With Lucas, an Arizona State product, the speed numbers are exciting, but the height is a concern at 5-foot-11.
With a strong camp, Lucas could create an avenue to contribute on special teams. Detroit’s cornerbacks are very young, so he could even throw his hat into competition for playing time at the position should he start strong.
