Here we go, you knew it was coming and thought I thought it would come from me first, Pro Football Focus beat me to the punch.
On Tuesday, Brad Spielberger of PFF dropped a 2022 NFL Mock Draft that is sure to get a rise out of Detroit Lions fans, one way or another.
In Spielberger’s most-recent mock, he has the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
The Jaguars keep left tackle Cam Robinson in the fold with a second franchise tag or a multi-year extension — or perhaps go after a big-name free agent such as left tackle Terron Armstead — paving the way for Hutchinson to be the No. 1 overall pick.
Hutchinson recorded 74 quarterback pressures from just 429 pass-rush snaps in 2021 — a staggering 17.25% pressure percentage — which help him earn an elite 93.3 pass-rush grade. Hutchinson was just as good against the run with a 90.8 run defense grade.
So, if the Jaguars do decide to take Hutchinson, which many believe is the Lions’ No. 1 target, which direction will Lions GM Brad Holmes decide to go?
Well, according to Spielberger, the Lions will grab their QB of the future by selecting Malik Willis out of Liberty.
Here is what Spielberger has to say about the Lions taking Willis with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Lions get a jumpstart on their future, selecting quarterback Willis with the No. 2 overall pick while keeping quarterback Jared Goff in the fold for the 2022 season so that Willis has time to learn the NFL game.
Willis had his ups and downs in 2021 but finished the season with a 91.6 overall grade and an 11% big-time throw rate while playing behind a shaky offensive line. Of all the quarterback prospects in this year’s class, Willis has the highest upside by a good margin.
Nation, if you have been following Detroit Sports Nation over the past year-and-a-half or so, you are well aware of how we believe Malik Willis is not only the best QB prospect in this year’s class, but we believe he is going to be a special player in the NFL.
Do you believe the Lions should select Malik Willis with the No. 2 overall pick if Hutchinson is off the board? Should they grab him even if Hutchinson is still available?
