Inside the Article:
Currently, the Detroit Lions possess a total of nine picks in the NFL draft, five of which fall within the top 81 overall selections. To anticipate their actions in the draft, Detroit Sports Nation has opted to publish a set of articles that will forecast the Lions' decision for each pick. The series will commence with their sixth pick and span the entire draft. In this installment, we will examine the Lions' strategy for the 18th selection.
Past Lions Draft Prediction Articles
2023 NFL Draft: With the No. 6 pick, the Detroit Lions select…
Key Points
- The NFL Draft begins on Thursday night
- The Lions CURRENTLY have nine total picks throughout the draft
- The Lions have five of the Top 81 overall picks
- Lions trade No. 18 pick to Jacksonville Jaguars
2023 NFL Draft: With the No. 24 pick, the Detroit Lions select…
In case you did not notice by the title of this article, I have the Lions trading the No. 18 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In exchange for the No. 18 pick, the Lions are able to get No. 24 and No. 56 from the Jaguars, giving them a total of six of the Top 81 picks.
Had the Lions stayed at No. 18, I would have had them select either CB Deonte Banks out of Maryland or DT Calijah Kancey out of Pittsburgh.
Instead, moving down six slots AND picking up an additional second-round pick would be too good to pass up for the Lions.
With the No. 24 pick, the Detroit Lions select DT Brian Bresee out of Clemson
Lions make bold trade, land DT with HUGE potential
There was a point in time when I was mocking Brian Bresee to the Lions with the No. 6 overall pick, but, for one reason or another, he has slid down draft boards a bit. (at least down draft boards of the so-called “experts”)
As much as I love Kancey out of Pitt, his size really bothers me (probably more than it should), and I see HUGE potential with Bresee.
From Dane Brugler:
“The No. 1 overall high school recruit three years ago, he was the “best player” on the team as a freshman, according to head coach Dabo Swinney, but his last two seasons were marred by injury issues (ACL tear, kidney infection) and personal tragedy (passing of his younger sister after an 18-month
cancer battle). Powerfully built and naturally gifted, Bresee is a balanced mover and carries his weight well to burst off the ball and make plays versus the run and the pass. With his heavy and active hands, he flashes the ability to stack, shed and finish, but his inconsistent leverage through contact will slow down his pursuit.”
