10 Takeaways from Bob Quinn's Post-Draft Press Conference
Following the 2020 NFL Draft, Detroit general manager Bob Quinn met with reporters via a Zoom video conference to discuss a myriad of topics.
Here are 10 takeaways from Quinn's media session:
Lessons learned from virtual draft process
Bob Quinn let reporters inside his thought process regarding the sheer amount of work a general manager is required to take on.
One of the primary lessons Quinn learned was recognizing NFL staffers need to have more balance in their lives.
Quinn is considering toning down the hours in order to work smarter rather than longer.
Quinn's thoughts on the strength of the 2020 draft class
When asked, Quinn replied, "I think we have playmakers on both sides of the ball, and probably on special teams with a couple of these guys as well. So yes, I hope it is. I hope to improve every year. Listen, the Draft is an inexact science. I wish I batted 1.000, it’s be a lot better, our record would be better and all that. It’s a hard thing. We work extremely hard at it."
What the virtual offseason will entail for veterans beginning Monday
For veterans, the Lions are going to use two hours every day during phase one to do online classroom work.
The training sessions will be voluntary -- four days a week, beginning April 27, and veterans will work out on their own at their various locations.
What does Quinn define as a successful draft?
For Quinn, a successful draft entails a "great" majority of picks becoming contributors.
"You build a team that’s good enough to compete week in and week out no matter what the situation, you’re building up depth, you have enough talent, you have enough star power that can go out against the best players in the League and win on a consistent basis," Quinn said.
Why WR Quintez Cephus was drafted, despite past history of legal issues
The Lions conducted research on Cephus, and no problems were discovered.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has significant relationships with Wisconsin's football program, and the majority of people on Wisconsin's campus spoke glowingly of Cephus.
Lions drafted three players from Ohio State
It was not by design. But, after watching film on the prospects from Ohio State, Quinn understood why so many Buckeyes were drafted in 2020.
"Ohio State is one of the top teams in the country year in and year out. I think everyone would agree with that. So, I would say in Jonah’s (Jackson) case we watched his film, but then we had him at the Senior Bowl. I think out of the Senior Bowl guys, he’s the one guy that we just fell in love with there," Quinn said.
The virtual draft was a positive learning process, but Quinn stated he still loves the Lions' draft room
Quinn expressed that the virtual draft showed him that the draft could be conducted virtually, if needed. Quinn wants to use the experience as an opportunity to learn going forward.
"We’ll chalk this up as a learning lesson, and we’ll keep everything that we learned and what we can improve on if this ever happens again," Quinn said.
Quinn discusses how CB Jeff Okudah and RB D’Andre Swift will be utilized during their rookie season
Quinn explained what his early expectations are for Detroit's top draft picks:
"I would hope that Jeff Okudah would come in and start day one. I sure hope so. I mean, I’m very confident that even if we do a virtual offseason program for six weeks, he’ll know enough of our defense to be a very capable player very, very early in his rookie season.
The whole ‘starter’ word, especially for the running backs and receivers, it really depends on what package you’re in. D’Andre’s not going to carry the ball 35 times a game, we know that. We’re going to use our backs, we’re going to use all of them. That’s why we drafted D’Andre, he’s going to be part of that package."
With that said, Quinn explained why he wanted to pump the brakes on early expectations, as he first wants to see players in person and take baby steps with them due to the current climate the league is operating in.
Based on the speed of round three, Quinn will learn more about the selections in the NFC North after the draft
The picks occur at such a fast pace on Day 3 that Quinn cannot be locked into what other teams are doing that day.
After the draft, one of the team's staffers will create a chart for Quinn to study, which contains all the picks.
"Honestly, as you get into Day 3 of the draft, the picks are coming off so fast and I’ve got trades going and I’m trying to figure out who to pick for us, I don’t know who the Packers took in rounds 5-7, just to be honest with you guys," Quinn said. "Literally tomorrow, that will be one of the first things that I do because you want to take a look at that. You kind of knew what their needs were heading into Thursday, but how did they do.”
Quinn loves OL Logan Stenberg’s blue-collar attitude
“I love his attitude. I told him that when we drafted him, when I got him on the phone," Quinn said. "We all want our offensive line to be old-school guys – tough, gritty, powerful. Those are the words I would use to describe Logan. That’s kind of what we look for and I think that’s how he plays, and I think there’s a place for that in football. We want a balance of the tough and gritty guys up front and the fast and explosive guys outside.”
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