2023 NFL Draft Weekend Thread

[tomdalton22]

I think we got good football players picks 1-5.

Branch was our best pick. Gets a ton of positive scouting reports about his "through the roof" football IQ. Plays faster than he tests, he will be to the defense what Gibbs is to the offense. A chess piece to move around. Nickel, safety, dime LB.....cover man, blitz, zone.....he's good at all of it.

To me, Hooker was our "worst" pick of the first 2 rounds. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact they took a QB to develop and has some different skill sets than Goff does. But, the guy is 26 years old already. That lowers his ceiling quite a bit, IMO. He's only 2 years younger than Goff. That being said he throws a GREAT deep ball and hopefully can learn for a year or two and be ready to take over in 2024 or 2025.

wasn't Hooker drafted in the 3rd?

 

[grandy]

Just a minor correction since I?ve seen it in a few places?Hooker is 25, he?ll turn 26 when the Lions are in the middle of their Super Bowl run next January :cheers:

 

[Mitchrapp]

Jeff Okudah was a good football player just picked too high. Same with Hock and Ebron. Hopefully these guys get a fifth year.

 

[detrisin]

I think we got good football players picks 1-5.

Branch was our best pick. Gets a ton of positive scouting reports about his "through the roof" football IQ. Plays faster than he tests, he will be to the defense what Gibbs is to the offense. A chess piece to move around. Nickel, safety, dime LB.....cover man, blitz, zone.....he's good at all of it.

To me, Hooker was our "worst" pick of the first 2 rounds. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact they took a QB to develop and has some different skill sets than Goff does. But, the guy is 26 years old already. That lowers his ceiling quite a bit, IMO. He's only 2 years younger than Goff. That being said he throws a GREAT deep ball and hopefully can learn for a year or two and be ready to take over in 2024 or 2025.

I'm a little less concerned with QB age than age at other positions. If a QB has the goods, they can easily play to their mid to late 30s. Other positions, late 30s would be rare.

 

[tomdalton22]

I'm a little less concerned with QB age than age at other positions. If a QB has the goods, they can easily play to their mid to late 30s. Other positions, late 30s would be rare.

I agree. If he's a top 15 starting QB in the league he will be around 33 after his second contract, which is still young for a QB.

If he sucks, it doesn't matter.

 

[tomdalton22]

I just heard an interesting story about the Texan's draft. The report is that they had Will Anderson as their #1 player and wanted to trade up to #3 to take Stroud. However, they decided that if they took Anderson at 2 it would have costed them too much to trade up to 3 if Stroud was still on the board (due to more teams willing to trade up for a QB). So, they took a gamble, took Stroud at 2 and then made the trade to 3 to take Anderson.

 

[LKP]

I just heard an interesting story about the Texan's draft. The report is that they had Will Anderson as their #1 player and wanted to trade up to #3 to take Stroud. However, they decided that if they took Anderson at 2 it would have costed them too much to trade up to 3 if Stroud was still on the board (due to more teams willing to trade up for a QB). So, they took a gamble, took Stroud at 2 and then made the trade to 3 to take Anderson.

They already gave up a ton to move up for Anderson though. But smart to take Stroud first.

 

[tigermud]

That didn't bother me at all, nice to have a backup with a chance to be half way decent vs the parade of clowns we've had for the last decade.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV6VUAX81rQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKqGMX1ljw0

 

[Mitchrapp]

Yahoo doesn't like the draft.. At all it seems.

Favorite pick: Brian Branch, DB, Alabama (45th overall)
This was by far the best pick that the Lions made over the weekend. Brian Branch was a projected first rounder for most of the draft season, but slipped to the second round for whatever reason. He?s not the most athletic defensive back out there, but he?s a smart player that played a variety of roles in Alabama?s defense. He?ll play a lot of snaps as the Lions? overhang defender this year and he?ll make a whole lot of plays.
Least favorite pick: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa (18th overall)
The positional value is one thing, but the bigger issue is taking Jack Campbell in the first round. He just wasn?t projected to go anywhere near this spot and likely could have been had a full round later than where he was selected. Campbell is a quality linebacker when he?s coming downhill in the box, but his ability to be an impact player in coverage and in space down the field is a major question mark moving forward. That?s not the profile of a first-round linebacker ? those types of players have to be weapons in the passing game to be selected and Campbell isn?t that guy. Really odd selection at the 18th pick, even stranger than the Jahmyr Gibbs pick at 12th overall.

Overall grade: F
Yeah, an F. Perhaps this take will get Old Takes Exposed in two or three years as a laughably bad take, but as things stand right now the Lions? draft class was just baffling. Taking Gibbs with the 12th pick in a year that they signed David Montgomery felt extremely rich. Even taking Sam LaPorta with the 34th overall pick over Michael Mayer was a head-scratcher. Gibbs and Campbell made up the most shocking first round picks in quite some time, and not in a positive way. Hopefully for Lions fans, this take ends up wrong. To put it nicely, they had an unorthodox strategy in the 2023 NFL Draft.

 

[LKP]

Yahoo doesn't like the draft.. At all it seems.

Favorite pick: Brian Branch, DB, Alabama (45th overall)
This was by far the best pick that the Lions made over the weekend. Brian Branch was a projected first rounder for most of the draft season, but slipped to the second round for whatever reason. He?s not the most athletic defensive back out there, but he?s a smart player that played a variety of roles in Alabama?s defense. He?ll play a lot of snaps as the Lions? overhang defender this year and he?ll make a whole lot of plays.
Least favorite pick: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa (18th overall)
The positional value is one thing, but the bigger issue is taking Jack Campbell in the first round. He just wasn?t projected to go anywhere near this spot and likely could have been had a full round later than where he was selected. Campbell is a quality linebacker when he?s coming downhill in the box, but his ability to be an impact player in coverage and in space down the field is a major question mark moving forward. That?s not the profile of a first-round linebacker ? those types of players have to be weapons in the passing game to be selected and Campbell isn?t that guy. Really odd selection at the 18th pick, even stranger than the Jahmyr Gibbs pick at 12th overall.

Overall grade: F
Yeah, an F. Perhaps this take will get Old Takes Exposed in two or three years as a laughably bad take, but as things stand right now the Lions? draft class was just baffling. Taking Gibbs with the 12th pick in a year that they signed David Montgomery felt extremely rich. Even taking Sam LaPorta with the 34th overall pick over Michael Mayer was a head-scratcher. Gibbs and Campbell made up the most shocking first round picks in quite some time, and not in a positive way. Hopefully for Lions fans, this take ends up wrong. To put it nicely, they had an unorthodox strategy in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Unorthodox sure but good players

And the players taken after Gibbs
Van Ness (Lions have plenty of good EDGE players), Broderick Jones (no tackle need), Will McDonald (SAM?), Emmanuel Forbes (future CB or can Lions just re-sign Moseley), Christian Gonzalez (same, just re-sign Moseley), Kancey (best other pick Lions could have made), Smith Ngjiba (Z WR not an W, smaller side), Quentin Johnston (good X but not a stud elite X)

They are good players but none really move the needle in talent over Gibbs, just positional value of EDGE and CB. The positional value gap has also been closed some with the rookie wage scale. If Gibbs is a playmaker for 5 years, Kamara 2.0 and plays RB and WR as expected, it could be a great pick. Weak top end draft.

Lions got immediate help with this draft with first 4 picks and then a backup QB with a chance to be a franchise QB. And the NT Martin will see plenty of snaps too upgrading over Benito Jones.

And talking Montgomery and Gibbs is not right. Everyone uses 2 backs and Montgomery not a game breaker so you add a Gibbs. We would be bitching if we were relying on Swift's health and missed holes for one more year too. With a new RB coach by the way.

Also good news for the future, we won't be taking LB and RB for a very long time in Round 1 or Round 2. Swift was in a contract year, got traded (2025 4th and move up in 7th for Antoine Green) so added more value there.

 

[tomdalton22]

Unorthodox sure but good players

Emmanuel Forbes (future CB or can Lions just re-sign Moseley), Christian Gonzalez (same, just re-sign Moseley), Kancey (best other pick Lions could have made)

you are really going out on a limb that Moseley will: a) be good, b) stay healthy, c) even re-sign with the Lions if he does stay healthy and is really good.

Also, a good CB's second contract is typically very expensive.

Could have just kept Swift with Montgomery and addressed replacing him later in the draft, or next year later in the first round or in the 2nd/ 3rd

 

[LKP]

you are really going out on a limb that Moseley will: a) be good, b) stay healthy, c) even re-sign with the Lions if he does stay healthy and is really good.

Also, a good CB's second contract is typically very expensive.

Could have just kept Swift with Montgomery and addressed replacing him later in the draft, or next year later in the first round or in the 2nd/ 3rd

They could tag Moseley even if he was that good. Or transition tag to match offers. Or just take a CB in the 1st next year or another one in FA next year (Lions have the money and added Sutton). Branch sets us at nickel for options other than CGJ. But I would still like to re-sign CGJ if he works out too.

Agree that Moseley has a lot to prove before we come to that, but Lions have the 2024 cap space and draft picks to get a CB in 2024 if Moseley doesn't work out or re-sign.

Jonah Jackson and Moseley and CGJ are the priority re-signs if they work out and stay healthy. Would look into re-signing Jackson this summer as they have done with Decker and Ragnow in the past.

 

[grandy]

Walterfootball team grade and write up

Detroit Lions: A- Grade

Goals Entering the 2023 NFL Draft: The Lions have the tools to make a Super Bowl run this year, so they need to acquire players who can help them win this year. This includes an elite running back, a talented cornerback, and an upgrade at linebacker. Going with the best player available in early rounds makes the most sense.

2023 NFL Draft Accomplishments: Detroit's draft class was panned by clueless members of the media, but I thought Brad Holmes did a terrific job of navigating through the 2023 NFL Draft. The Lions were set on Devon Witherspoon at No. 6, but after the Seahawks unexpectedly drafted him, Holmes did a good job of moving down to No. 12. The Lions then shocked everyone who doesn't read WalterFootball.com by selecting Jahmyr Gibbs. While this was seen as a reach, Gibbs was projected as a top-five prospect in this class by several teams, as he possesses Jamaal Charles- and Alvin Kamara-type upside. The Jets would have drafted Gibbs if the top four tackles were off the board, which turned out to be the case.

I think the Lions went a bit early on Jack Campbell, but then again, the Iowa linebacker had suitors in the 20s, as Charlie Campbell reported that the Giants had interest in Campbell if the top four receivers were gone, which was also the case. It would have been ideal had the Lions traded down a few spots and then gotten Campbell, but Detroit traded plenty of times on Day 2, acquiring numerous extra resources in the process. As for the actual picks, they obtained a talented tight end (Sam LaPorta), a gifted, versatile defensive back (Brian Branch), and a quarterback of the future (Hendon Hooker). The three picks scored "B," A+ and A+. Branch and Hooker were absolute steals.

I didn't like a couple of picks the Lions made in the late rounds, but that won't hurt their overall score very much. The draft didn't quite fall Detroit's way, but Holmes still acquired talented prospects and extra picks with some timely trades.

https://walterfootball.com/nfldraftgradesteam.php

 

[503]

The draft is fun, reading draft grades is entertaining but we won?t know the draft results until the end of the 2025 season.

 

[Monster]

Draft grades are dumb. How many times have the chiefs,patriots and packers had a "bad draft grade" only to win the super bowl or make a run? Good teams take bpa available and bpa is always the guys that fit the team.

I think Gibbs would have been picked over Bijan if he fell to 12 to us. He just fits the offense better, I think. One thing I've learned is brad and Dan don't give a fuck what people think we need. They have their list of guys they want and they go for it.

 

[tomdalton22]

How many times have the chiefs,patriots and packers had a "bad draft grade" only to win the super bowl or make a run? Good teams take bpa available and bpa is always the guys that fit the team.

Not a good argument. You are talking about three teams that have/had HOF QBs.

 

[Monster]

Not a good argument. You are talking about three teams that have/had HOF QBs.

True, but the point is those teams get the guys that they love, the ones that fit their system and culture. Not just those 3 teams, but almost all good franchises will do that and pick the guy they like over what the experts have as BPA.

Now it's even being reported that we would have picked Gibbs over Bijan if we couldn't get out of 6. My point is good franchises pick their players and don't really care about drafr grades.

 

[LKP]

Definitely a strategy too. Maximize picks and keep adding talent. Still on the player to work hard with his talent and the coaches to help him succeed too

Gibbs and La Porta. Now that is a good strategy. We FINALLY got the trade down we have wanted for years. Gibbs is an upgrade over Swift and now we don't have to worry about Swift's injuries or final year of his contract/re-sign. Same with Hock (trade got us Hooker possible future QB) and La Porta (from trade down with Cards). 4 years of La Porta cheap. 5 years of Gibbs at like 5 per. 5 years of Campbell cheap and easily move on from Anzalone after 2 years. And Anzalone might be a better WILL than MIKE. And still nab a good nickel (Branch for 4 years) beyond CGJ if we can't re-sign him.

X WR (if Jameson a Z and Marvin/Reynolds FAs next year), long term guard (with Jackson, Glasgow and Vaitai FAs in 2024), long term one outside CB (Moseley and Harris and Jacobs FA) is only questions right now but 2023 set and deep. And still have the FA cap space and picks for those 3 things next offseason. Re-sign Jackson this summer as we have the cap space.

 

[tomdalton22]

True, but the point is those teams get the guys that they love, the ones that fit their system and culture. Not just those 3 teams, but almost all good franchises will do that and pick the guy they like over what the experts have as BPA.

Now it's even being reported that we would have picked Gibbs over Bijan if we couldn't get out of 6. My point is good franchises pick their players and don't really care about drafr grades.

You are 100% correct that teams don't care about what websites give them in draft grades. However, the teams that are really good at drafting do take into consideration what other teams think about players. If the Lions loved Hooker and had him as the #1 QB but every other team had him as a 3rd or 4th round talent, wouldn't it have been really stupid to take him at 12 or 18?

 

[LKP]

You are 100% correct that teams don't care about what websites give them in draft grades. However, the teams that are really good at drafting do take into consideration what other teams think about players. If the Lions loved Hooker and had him as the #1 QB but every other team had him as a 3rd or 4th round talent, wouldn't it have been really stupid to take him at 12 or 18?

We don't know the GM boards. Rumors Gibbs was gone by 15 and Campbell in the 20s. Holmes was not way off. He and this staff make good assessment of talent from the past two drafts, 3 FAs and improvements from year 1 to year 2. Now continue to add. Gibbs and Campbell have tremendous talent and were worth of pick 12 and pick 18 for sure. I gave the list of players after Gibbs. There is not one stand out like, wow that guy is BPA over Gibbs.