Roundtable: Review of Lions' Hits and Misses in Draft
1.) What are your overall thoughts on the Lions' 2021 draft?
Vito Chirco: I think the Lions executed a sound strategy, grabbing prospects that they deemed to be the best players available at each spot rather than focusing on specific areas of need.
It also doesn't hurt that a potentially franchise-altering offensive lineman in Penei Sewell fell into their laps at No. 7 overall.
From my vantage point, Detroit's rebuild, under the guidance of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, is off to a solid start.
Adam Strozynski: I thought they did a great job. I think they did what good teams do, and allowed the draft to come to them. I feel like this draft was more about adding studs than players at positions of need. If a guy was highly rated on their board, they took him, if he was available.
2.) Outside of Penei Sewell, who are you most excited about adding to the Lions?
Chirco: I'm going to go with Syracuse cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu, who the Lions drafted with their second of two third-round selections (No. 101 overall).
The athletic, nearly 6-foot-3, 212-pounder brings a myriad of attributes to the table, including the ability to effectively cover receivers both on crossing patterns and downfield. With that said, he should be a perfect complement to fellow corner and Detroit's 2020 first-round pick Jeff Okudah.
Melifonwu totaled 54 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, an interception and six passes defensed in 2020.
Strozynski: Levi Onwuzurike is an interesting guy, with my kind of mentality and personality. His draft press conference was entertaining, and I think it's a great indicator of what this team wants in its players going forward.
3.) Is there a player you felt the Lions reached for?
Chirco: No. As much as I don't love the fact that Holmes & Co. traded back into the fourth round to get Purdue linebacker Derrick Barnes at No. 113 overall, he does fill a position of need.
Also, and most importantly, he has the necessary intangibles, including the athleticism and instincts, to develop into a solid off-ball linebacker at the next level.
For that reason, I'm fine with the Barnes pick, and don't view it as a reach by the Lions.
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Strozynski: If there was a guy they reached on, it would be Derrick Barnes. You trade up to make back-to-back picks in the fourth round, and give up a fourth-rounder next year while doing so. For a team in a rebuild, draft capital is a prized possession. That being said, trading up for Barnes tells you what this front office feels about him.
4.) Who is the one player you wish Detroit would have selected?
Chirco: I'll go with Texas EDGE/linebacker Joseph Ossai. I had him going to the Lions at No. 41 overall in several of my mock drafts, and he fell all the way to No. 69, which is where the Cincinnati Bengals nabbed him.
In my estimation, the Bengals got a steal in getting him there.
There's no doubt that he's tremendously raw, which played a factor in him falling to the third round. However, it's also true that the 21-year-old possesses a high degree of upside, and could very well develop into an upper-echelon pass-rusher one day.
Heck, last season, in his first campaign as a full-time EDGE defender, he recorded a 80.5 pass-rushing grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
So, Ossai is the one player that I feel slipped through the cracks and whom the Lions could regret not taking down the line.
Strozynski: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was a guy I was in on. I felt like he was the right mix of disruptor and competent coverage guy. I viewed him as an explosive player that would have been a nice piece to build around in that linebackers room.
5.) What is your grade for the Lions' 2021 draft haul?
Chirco: I think Holmes had a very nice first draft as Lions general manager. I'm willing to give him a "B" for his seven total selections, and I believe this draft has a chance of looking even better as time progresses and players develop.
Strozynski: B+. I thought Brad Holmes did a masterful job in his first draft as the lead man.
