Roundtable: Are Lions Drafting a Wide Receiver This Year?
1.) What was your biggest takeaway from the annual league meetings?
Christian Booher: My biggest takeaway has to be Dan Campbell addressing what all fans are thinking: The Lions are coming for the NFC North title. He didn’t talk his way around it. He straight up addressed it. He’s been that way for the entirety of his tenure, and so I didn’t expect him to change his tone.
Still, him admitting that the Lions are pushing for a division title -- and the confidence with which he spoke -- was a surprise. This Lions team wants to contend right away.
Vito Chirco: To me, it's the fact that the Lions are going to approach this April's NFL Draft with the strategy of selecting the best player available (regardless of position). I'm a fan of that approach, and believe it can only help the Lions take the next step as an organization.
It was also interesting to hear that Brad Holmes & Co. are open to the idea of taking a signal-caller at some point in the draft. Jared Goff is defenitely the franchise's guy under center at this point, and there was no wavering from that from Holmes. However, just to hear that the team would be willing to draft a quarterback -- if the stars aligned -- was an interesting development.
2.) Are the Lions drafting a wide receiver this year?
Booher: I believe the Lions will indeed draft a wide receiver this year. Now, I’m not certain when it will happen. The thought of adding another young talent next to budding stars Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams is very exciting, but it’s unclear when the right time to do it is.
We’re not privy to the conversations being had in Allen Park about how important receivers are on their needs list. Signing Marvin Jones Jr. adds another body, but expect Brad Holmes and company to add another young talent to the mix.
Chirco: I believe so. As much as the Lions have some nice receivers and just added Marvin Jones Jr., I don't think it would hurt Brad Holmes & Co. to add more depth at the position.
Since it's not a big need, I don't think the Lions should target a receiver on Day 1 or 2 of the draft. However, I could see Holmes addressing the position on Day 3, and that's when he could add a pass-catcher like Princeton's Andrei Iosivas.
Iosivas is the type of prospect you could stash away for the time being. But, with some development, he has the potential to move up the depth chart and contribute to the team one day. If I'm Holmes, I'm taking a hard look at the Ivy League product this April.
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3.) If the Lions trade out of the first round, would you rather they deal out of the No. 6 or the No. 18 overall pick?
Booher: If the Lions trade out of the first round, I’d rather see them do it with the No. 18 overall selection. This team is by no means a finished product, and it shouldn’t take for granted the opportunity to add a premium talent in the Draft.
If the Lions can gain the right amount of draft capital for the 18th pick, then they should explore the move by all means. However, I think the organization is best suited to hold on to the sixth overall selection or try to move it for a better choice.
Chirco: I'm like Booher. If the Lions are going to trade out of one of their two first-rounders, I'd like it to be the No. 18 overall pick.
The reason why: I believe the No. 6 selection is too valuable of a pick for the defensive-hungry Lions. I'd like to see Detroit hold on to the aforementioned pick and grab one of the top defensive prospects in the draft: Alabama's Will Anderson, Oregon's Christian Gonzalez or Georgia's Jalen Carter.
All three of those prospects would be invaluable assets to a Detroit defense that definitely needs the help. That's why if I'm Lions general manager Brad Holmes, I'm looking to deal the No. 18 pick before parting ways with the sixth pick.
4.) How many Lions games do you think you will attend at Ford Field this year?
Booher: I am not local to the Detroit area, as Ford Field is roughly a three-hour drive from my hometown. This makes it difficult to make the trip to Motown for a game of any sort. I’d like to get to at least one, though, and experience the atmosphere Dan Campbell is building.
Chirco: For the first time in a while, I'd like to attend a Lions game at Ford Field. With all the buzz that Detroit has created with a great finish to the 2022 campaign and a solid start to the offseason, I might even have some friends that want to tag along with me for a game this fall.
I'd love to have an in-person look at how good Dan Campbell's team truly is. So, I think you'll see me at a Lions game during the 2023 season.
5.) What are the odds that Jalen Carter ends up being a bust in the NFL?
Booher: It’s too early for me to declare odds on Carter’s future, in all honesty. So much of his NFL future depends on where he lands and the patience his team is willing to have with him.
I think we’ll be able to gain more clarity about Carter throughout the rest of the pre-draft process. But, ultimately his successes or failures will be tied to the situation he ends up being drafted to.
Chirco: I believe the odds are very low. As much as I think Carter's stock has taken a hit because of his off-the-field issues (which could cause Detroit to pass on him), I still think he ends up having a solid professional career.
Based on talent alone, he's still the second best defensive prospect in the entire draft (behind Alabama's Will Anderson).
So, while Carter might fall past the Lions at No. 6 overall, I don't think the Georgia product has "bust" written all over him.
