We are just over two weeks away from the 2022 NFL Draft and the speculation as to who the Detroit Lions should select throughout the draft has continued to grow.
During a recent interview, Lions head coach Dan Campbell was talking about S/CB Will Harris and Campbell revealed that Harris has a new position and he is now a “cafety.”
From Detroit Free Press:
“He’s a cafety,” Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell joked Thursday. “Yeah, he’s a hybrid. He really is. He’s a jack of all trades.”
“Part of his strength is his versatility,” Campbell added. “That’s one of his greatest attributes, which we came to find out last year,” Campbell said. “I mean, we wouldn’t have known that. You guys heard me talk about it. We would have not known that had we not had the injuries and COVID and everything else. So I think he’s a jack of all trades.”
By calling Harris a “cafety,” (CB and S combined) which is essentially a hybrid defensive back, Campbell showed that he and the Lions' defensive coaches believe Harris can play all over the place in the secondary.
Campbell did add that a final decision has not yet been made about where Harris will start out on Day 1.
“We’re still talking right now, you just go out Day 1, do you put him at corner? Do you put him at safety?” Campbell said. “And I’ll be honest with you, we haven’t just locked that down right now. We’re still kind of talking about it. And that’s not a bad thing. That’s not a bad thing.”
What this means for the Detroit Lions in terms of the 2022 NFL Draft
First of all, anyone who has followed Walker closely knows that he has struggled at the safety position on a regular basis. Because of that, I do not believe it would not be wise for the Lions to move forward with him as a starting safety. Especially as part of their long-term plan.
Second, when Harris had the opportunity to play some cornerback for the Lions in 2021, he actually played pretty well and, more importantly, look pretty comfortable.
With those two points being made, I truly believe Walker will play more cornerback/nickelback in 2022 than safety, which will have a direct impact on what the Lions decide to do in the 2022 NFL Draft. If the Lions decide to play Walker more at cornerback than safety this coming season, I believe they will select a safety high in the draft and could wait much longer before taking a cornerback.
Safety options for the Lions in the upcoming draft
Now, I personally do not advocate for the Lions taking S Kyle Hamilton with the No. 2 overall pick but I absolutely believe they should take a safety at either No. 32 or No. 34 and possibly a second safety as the draft rolls on (depending on who is available).
Look for the Lions to select Daxton Hill (may go too early), Lewis Cine, Jaquan Brisker, or Jalen Pitre at either No. 32 or No. 34.
Nation, which of these safeties would you like to see the Lions select in the 2022 NFL Draft.
