As it stands, the Detroit Lions have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and it would be ideal if there was a can’t miss quarterback available when they are on the clock.
Unfortunately, that is not the case and it seems like a foregone conclusion that they will have to settle for the best defensive prospect in the draft, Kayvon Thibodeaux (Edge) out of Oregon.
In the latest 4-round 2022 NFL mock draft put out by Oliver Hodgkinson of Pro Football Network, he has the Lions going with Thibodeaux in the 1st Round but he does have them selecting a Michigan-based quarterback in the fourth round.
Here is what Hodgkinson has the Lions doing in his 2022 NFL mock draft.
1) Detroit Lions: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
Back in the early 2000s, Canadian pop-punk sensation Avril Lavigne asked us: “Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?” Well, Avril, we don’t have to. While the Detroit Lions are an obvious contender for a quarterback in this class, there isn’t an obvious QB worthy of the first overall selection.
As a result, they take the best player available in the class, Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. The junior defensive end is a glorious mixture of size, speed, explosion, and agility wrapped up in a lean 6’5″, 250-pound, pass-rushing machine. Calling him just a pass rusher, however, doesn’t do justice to the damage he can do in the run game.
28) Detroit Lions: Drake London, WR, USC
Hopefully, USC wide receiver Drake London returns to full fitness in time to test at the NFL Combine. His heart-breaking ankle injury interrupted a breathtaking season for the Trojans. At 6’5″, he makes 50/50 balls more like 80/20, posing a threat at any level of the field.
Moreover, he’s a deceptive athlete who’s just as likely to break a tackle and make 50 yards after the catch as he is to snag a 50-yard pass out of the air. London would be a valuable addition to a Lions’ WR room that is more empty than their 2021 win column.
33) Detroit Lions – Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
65) Detroit Lions – Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State
98) Detroit Lions – Kaleb Eleby, QB, Western Michigan
Nation, how would you feel about this haul?
