The 2022 NFL Draft is now behind us and our Detroit Lions ended up with a total of eight picks over seven rounds, including two picks in the top 12 after trading up.
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Here are all of the Lions’ picks:
- 1 (2) Aidan Hutchinson – Michigan – DE
- 1 (12) Jameson Williams – Alabama – WR
- 2 (14) Josh Paschal – Kentucky – DE
- 3 (33) Kerby Joseph – Illinois – S
- 5 (34) James Mitchell – Virginia Tech – TE
- 6 (9) Malcolm Rodriguez – Oklahoma State – ILB
- 6 (39) James Houston IV – Jackson State – OLB
- 7 (16) Chase Lucas – Arizona State – CB
Following the conclusion of the draft, Pro Football Focus released their grades for each team and as you can see below, they absolutely loved what Lions GM Brad Holmes came away with.
We don’t want to spoil the grade but here is what PFF has to say about the Lions 2022 NFL Draft haul.
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Day 1: The Lions gladly take the hometown Hutchinson falling into their laps. The Michigan product has been labeled as the “high floor, lower ceiling” prospect of the top group of edge defenders, but that may be underselling his upside. The only edge rushers drafted in the first round over the last five drafts with a higher overall PFF grade in college than Hutchinson are Chase Young, Nick Bosa and Myles Garrett. The high-end production and athleticism are both there in a versatile 6-foot-7, 268-pound frame.
Detroit also made a massive move up the board for Williams, who is a game-changing talent when healthy. No one else in this class sniffs Williams’ speed or movement skills. You don’t need to look much further than what he was able to do to Georgia’s defense to see the kind of impact that he can have. In 2021, Williams tied Ja’Marr Chase’s 2019 record for the most 50-plus-yard receiving touchdowns since 2014. Williams teams up with second-year wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown to give the Lions two building blocks to work with at receiver.
Day 2: Detroit is beefing up the defensive front with Aidan Hutchinson in Round 1 and now Paschal in Round 2. The Kentucky Wildcat was quietly one of the highest-graded edge defenders in the country this past season with a 90.0 overall mark. Paschal is a strong, explosive player who can play on the interior and the edge. He may be a tad stiff and can get out of control from time to time, but this is good value for an all-around solid player.
Joseph is still very much learning the safety position, but he has uncoachable ball skills and length. He’s also such an easy mover and should get looks at split-field safety and in the box in Detroit. He just needs more experience at the position to really develop into a legitimate starter in the league.
Day 3: Mitchell was a hit as a sophomore in 2019 when he proved to be one of the best big-play tight ends in the country. He averaged 17.2 yards per reception that season. With Dalton Keene out of the picture in 2020, Mitchell started to be featured more while still maintaining a high 17.3 yards per reception average. With high hopes for his draft potential in 2021, Mitchell unfortunately went down with a torn ACL in Week 2 against Middle Tennessee State.
Draft Grade: A+
Nation, do you agree with Pro Football Focus? What grade would you give the Lions draft?
Was Desmond Ridder the Right Quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons?
After a long wait for every quarterback not named Kenny Pickett (who was the 20th overall pick), Cincinnati‘s Desmond Ridder was finally the second quarterback drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft with the 74th overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons.
Ridder offers the superb combination of being a prospect who is younger (22.7) and experienced (49 games with 10-plus pass attempts). His final-season adjusted yards per attempt of 9.2 slots in second — trailing only Pickett — among the quarterbacks in this class who were expected to go fairly early.
From a fantasy perspective, Ridder will be an intriguing option as soon as he gets on the field thanks to his rushing ability. He ran for 18 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Cincinnati.
