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With 4 Top-55 picks, the Detroit Lions have the capital to dominate the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft
We’re just days away now from the 2023 NFL Draft, and there are still plenty of unknowns. And while teams like the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals have left plenty of people scratching their heads at what will happen at the top of the draft, it is the Detroit Lions who may hold the key to everything. With the sixth overall pick and a bevy of draft capital beyond that, the Lions are one of the sneaky teams who could control how the top 10—and beyond—plays out.
Let me explain.
No pressing needs
It’s not often you have a team picking in the top 10 that has no pressing needs, but thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade two years ago, that’s where the Lions find themselves. They’re far from a perfect team, but with nothing that has to be immediately filled, that makes Detroit both wildly unpredictable and open to do just about anything. Don’t just take my word for it, here’s Lions general manager Brad Holmes.
“I do like the fact that we can pretty much go any direction we want, and we can feel pretty good about it, just get the right football player for us.”
With no pressing needs, that leaves the Lions open to taking pretty much any position. Defensive end? Sure. Cornerback? Why not. Quarterback? Well, I’ll get to that…
Tons of draft capital
That above quote from Holmes suggests the Lions are capable and willing to move in the draft, and that could very well include trading into the top three in the draft. With the amount of draft capital they have—four picks in the top 55, including the sixth and 18th overall pick—they have more than enough capital to trade up.
It is perhaps no coincidence, too, that the Lions have had top-30 visits with three prospects who are regularly projected to go in the top five: Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, and Alabama edge defender Will Anderson.
We also know that Holmes has no fear in moving aggressively to get his guy. Last year, the Lions traded up from 32 to 12 to get Jameson Williams, and the year before that Holmes nearly made a play into the top five for Ja’Marr Chase.
Per PFF, the Lions have the third-most capital in this year’s draft—nine picks total—and with little pressing needs on their roster, it’s a safe assumption that they’ll package some of those picks to move up at some point this weekend.
Perfect opportunity to take QB of the future?
The Lions are not a team that have been connected to a quarterback in many mock drafts this offseason and for understandable reasons. Jared Goff is still under contract for two more seasons, and he’s coming off a season in which he made the Pro Bowl and helped lead the No. 5 scoring offense in the league.
But because the Lions are in such a comfortable position with their roster, they can afford to take a swing on a quarterback. Much like the Chiefs with Alex Smith and the 49ers with Jimmy Garoppolo, the Lions find themselves potentially in quarterback purgatory. They have a good quarterback who is right on the borderline of Super Bowl capable—but if the opportunity arises, it may be worth it to swing for that elite game-changer.
It worked for the Chiefs, not so much for the 49ers—but both teams remain super competitive since taking this chance. Because Detroit is a team on the rise, don’t expect to see them picking in the top-six again anytime soon. So this could be the last time Detroit has a shot at a top quarterback prospect without having to completely mortgage their future to get him.
Additionally, if a player like C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, or Anthony Richardson is there with the sixth pick, the Lions would be in a great position to sit him on the bench for a year, get him up to speed, and then make a changing of the guard at quarterback before having to hand an overly expensive contract to Goff.
The Lions have done a good job keeping their quarterback intentions secret. Take this quote from coach Dan Campbell at the NFL Combine, which playfully teases both sides of the argument.
“We believe we can win with Jared Goff,” Campbell said. “And in the meantime, we also know he’s not going to be here for the next 10 years. It’s not like Jared Goff is a rookie. So certainly our eyes are on potentially a quarterback.”
So don’t be surprised on Thursday night if the Lions logo spontaneously appears on your television when they’re not scheduled to be on the clock. They’re a team with a ton of capital, an unpredictable general manager, and just enough of a need at quarterback to potentially throw all of your draft day predictions in the garbage.
