With the 29th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Lions select....

[whatever_gong82]

Another paywall article from the News.

Lions 2024 draft preview: Immediate depth, potential long-term starter needed at safety


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Over the next several days, leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the Detroit Lions’ roster and evaluating how the team might address each unit. Today: Safeties.


▶ Current roster: Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Brian Branch, Brandon Joseph

▶ Short-term need: 6.5 out of 10


▶ Long-term need: Nine out of 10


▶ Top prospects: Tyler Nubin, Javon Bullard, Jaden Hicks, Cole Bishop, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

▶ Late-round considerations: Malik Mustapha, Kamren Kinchens, Tyler Owens


▶ Analysis: The evolution of Detroit's starting safety situation was one of the more interesting on-field developments from the 2023 season. What the team initially envisioned and how things ultimately played out were significantly different.



The projected setup had Joseph and Tracy Walker splitting the safety duties, with versatile, veteran defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson reprising the nickel role he played in New Orleans, where he'd previously worked with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. But the almost-instant emergence of second-round draft pick Brian Branch quickly altered those plans.

By the end of training camp, Branch was plugged into the slot-corner spot, while Gardner-Johnson became the second half of the safety tandem with Joseph, with Walker moving to the bench. Then an early-season injury to Gardner-Johnson put Walker back into the lineup, only for things to change again down the stretch. That's when Melifonwu, the oft-injured converted cornerback, permanently displaced Walker.



Melifonwu's spectacular finish, both in coverage and coming downhill in run support and as a blitzer, has all but locked him into a starting job entering the 2024 season, alongside the constant in the equation, Joseph. But with Walker and Gardner-Johnson gone, there's an immediate need for depth. It's particularly urgent, given the injury concerns with both projected starters.

Plus, looking further into the future, Melifonwu is entering the final year of his contract, leading to uncertainty about the team's long-term outlook on the position. Admittedly, some of that hinges on how Branch's role develops within the scheme. Does he remain at the nickel, where he's shown potential to be one of the league's best at that spot, or can he grow into having a similar impact as an every-down defender at safety?


Regardless, we should view safety as an option for the Lions early in the draft, where most observers don't expect the top options to come off the board until the draft's second day. The consensus pick as the top of the class is Nubin, who offers excellent size and playmaking ability after intercepting 12 passes in his final three seasons at the University of Minnesota.

Also in that mix to be selected in the second round is Hicks, another well-proportioned safety (6-foot-2, 211 pounds) who has more experience playing in the box, and Taylor-Demerson, a fluid mover in the back end with seven interceptions since 2022.


In the later rounds, the Lions could focus more on landing a premium special-teams contributor with developable potential to contribute on defense. It would essentially backfill the role formerly held by C.J. Moore, who the team had retained as a free agent a year earlier, prior to his suspension for violating the league's gambling policy.

Owens fits this mold. There's high-end athleticism built into his 6-foot-2, 216-pound frame, plus a proven track record playing on multiple special-teams units.


There might also be a value option in Kinchens on Day 3, following his struggles during the pre-draft process. Yes, his metrics at the combine were ugly, but that doesn't erase the 11 interceptions he racked up in the past two seasons at Miami.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Paywall article from today's Freep.

Detroit Lions doing homework on NFL draft's top CB prospects; 2 visits scheduled Thursday


Detroit Free Press




If the Detroit Lions pass on cornerback help in this year's NFL draft, it won't be for a lack of diligence.

The Lions have loaded up on pre-draft visits with most of the top cornerbacks in this year's class and are scheduled to host two more potential Day 2 picks at the position Thursday: Caelen Carson of Wake Forest and Nehemiah Pritchett of Auburn.


Already, the Lions hosted Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and draft-eligible CFL cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers on visits. Alabama's Terrion Arnold posted video on his Instagram page of a trip to the Lions' Allen Park practice facility this week, Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell is eligible for a local visit and Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kentucky's Dru Phillips also reportedly have visited the Lions.

Mitchell and Arnold are projected top-20 picks and expected to be the first two cornerbacks off the board, Rakestraw and McKinstry are likely top-50 choices and could interest the Lions with the 29th pick of the first round, and Phillips and Stiggers are projected to go in the middle rounds.


Michigan football slot cornerback Mike Sainristil, another potential Day 2 choice, also made a local visit to Detroit.

The Lions have not drafted a true outside cornerback since they took Jeff Okudah third overall in 2020, though head coach Dan Campbell indicated they planned to fill their cornerback need this year through the draft.



The Lions traded for Carlton Davis and signed Amik Robertson in free agency, but released Cam Sutton, a 17-game starter last season, this spring.

"Certainly there’s still some guys we're still looking at in free agency that can bring in some competition," Campbell said at the NFL's annual meeting last month. "And that may or may not be done before the draft. I know that it brings up a little more urgency for another player, for sure, that can compete. But then as far as everything else goes, we're ready to go into the draft and see if we can come away with something in there."


The Lions should have options at 29 if they want to take a cornerback in Round 1, and would be in good position to move up if a player like Arnold or Mitchell falls in the draft.


Iowa's Cooper DeJean and Clemson's Nate Wiggins are other potential first-round picks at cornerback.

Holmes has taken four defensive backs in his first three drafts as Lions GM, and three of those came on Day 2: Slot cornerback Brian Branch at No. 45 last year, safety Kerby Joseph at No. 97 in 2022 and hybrid corner/safety Ifeatu Melifonwu at No. 101 in 2021.


The Lions also used their final pick of the 2022 draft (No. 237 overall) on slot cornerback Chase Lucas.


Both Carson and Pritchett could go in the top-100 pick range. Pritchett, a three-year starter at Auburn, ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and has experience playing both outside and in the slot. Carson, a two-year starter at Wake Forest who did not work out at the combine because of injury, had 29 career pass breakups and is considered one of the more physical cornerbacks in the draft.

"When it comes to cornerbacks, you can never have enough of those guys, which I can say that with a lot of different positions," Holmes said last month. "I don’t think we’ve ever went through a draft where we didn’t draft one, at least. Whether it’s a corner or a nickel, but I’ve always thought it’s good business to at least acquire one. But, again, you can never have enough of them."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.


Feeling a draft?

What: 2024 NFL draft.

Where: Detroit.

The schedule: Round 1 — 8 p.m. April 25; Rounds 2-3 — 7 p.m. April 26; Rounds 4-7 — Noon.

TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network.

Lions’ picks (with overall pick in parentheses): Round 1 — No. 29 (29); Round 2 — No. 29 (61); Round 3 — No. 9 (73), No. 29 (92); Round 5 — No. 29 (163); Round 6 — No. 29 (207); Round 7 — No. 29 (247).

[El Axe]

They are hosting a LOT of CBs. Sanristil wasn't even listed on the other site as someone they hosted -- probably because it was local.

edit: the other article doesn't mention Bishop, a safety from Utah who is a great fit for our scheme and well-rated. If he's there at 73, I bet we take him. Maybe even 61.

[whatever_gong82]

Paywall article from yesterday's News.

Lions 2024 draft preview: Tight end not obvious need, but Day 3 could offer help


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Over the next several days, leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the Detroit Lions’ roster and evaluating how the team might address each unit. Today: Tight ends.


▶ Current roster: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra

▶ Short-term need: 1/10

▶ Long-term need: 3/10



▶ Top prospects: Brock Bowers, Ja'Tavion Sanders

▶ Day 2 options: Sanders, Theo Johnson

▶ Late-round considerations: AJ Barner, Tip Reiman, Ben Sinnott



▶ Analysis: Last offseason was such a different story. After dealing away T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline, instead of paying him the massive extension he'd soon be due, the Lions were in desperate need of an upgrade at tight end.

It's not that they were getting nothing from the position — the collective had set a team record with a dozen touchdowns the previous season — but they lacked a consistently reliable threat, as Wright paced the returning options with 18 catches for 216 yards.

To address the need, the Lions snagged LaPorta in the early stages of the second round, making him the second tight end off the board after Buffalo's selection of Dalton Kincaid with the No. 25 pick the night before.

Still, even though it filled a massive void on the roster, it would be revisionist to suggest the response to the LaPorta choice was enthusiastic. We know now that the Lions got it right.

Very, very right.


The former Iowa standout rewrote the franchise's record books as a rookie, hauling in 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also broke the mark for most catches by a first-year tight end in NFL history. The campaign was good enough for Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.

The top-end production of LaPorta, paired with the team's recent matching of a three-year, $12 million offer sheet Wright received from the San Francisco 49ers, leaves little room for a meaningful addition to the depth chart. Heck, James Mitchell, a player the Lions really liked when they took him in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, could only muster two receptions and 157 offensive snaps in 2023. And most of that workload came late in the season, when Wright was sidelined by injury.



Given the stability of the team's personnel, it's beyond reasonable to suggest an early-round tight end isn't in the cards for the Lions. Sure, it's interesting to think about how offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could scheme up a LaPorta/Bowers combination, assuming the ultra-talented Georgia Bulldog slid to a range where the Lions would be comfortable trading up to get him, but it's also not particularly reasonable.

Where you could make the strongest case for a tight end addition is a mauling blocker with special-teams potential in the later rounds. The Lions have leaned heavily on Wright as that guy, and his re-signing suggests they are pleased with the job he's done, but think of all the times the Lions utilize a sixth offensive lineman. Wouldn't it be nice to get that kind of reliability from a blocker, also knowing they could offer more as a pass-catching threat?


Among the prospects who could fill this role are Barner and Sinnott. To be clear, the Lions probably can't wait until the end of the draft to land either one. They're both projected to be early Day 3 picks, which is slightly problematic, given the Lions don't have a fourth-round choice this year. Without a trade, the team isn't scheduled to pick until late in the fifth. But with the way general manager Brad Holmes moves up and down the board, who knows where the Lions will actually be choosing Saturday afternoon?



Both Barner and Sinnott are high-end athletes who tested very well at the combine. Barner's stock is somewhat anchored by how little he was utilized as a receiver at Indiana and Michigan, while Sinnott only has one year of quality, pass-catching production, hauling in 49 balls as a senior at Kansas State.

Also in that conversation is Reimann, who is uniquely built for in-line blocking, at 6-foot-5, 271 pounds, while still possessing elite athletic traits for his position. Plus, he has more than 500 career special-teams snaps at Illinois, so he should require less development than some of the other options in this area.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Yet another paywall article from last night's News.

Niyo: Here is what the Lions' 2024 NFL Draft haul could look like


John Niyo
The Detroit News



Brad Holmes doesn’t need my help, or yours. In fact, even before Holmes and his staff set their board for this month’s NFL Draft, the Lions’ general manager made it clear his roster doesn’t need much of anything. But even if it did, he adds, it really wouldn’t change his approach when it comes to the draft.

“You guys know us by now — we’re just going to pick the best player,” Holmes said. “I know everybody always wants to (say), ‘Needs! Needs! Needs! We’ve gotta (fill) needs!’ No.”



No, that’s not how they’ve operated over the last few years, as the Lions laid the foundation for what looks to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And it’s not how they’ll approach this year’s draft, either, as the Lions have few — if any — glaring holes to fill in one of the league’s best lineups.

Still, there’s another opportunity here for Holmes to fortify Detroit’s roster, and another chance for us to project what a full seven-round Lions draft might look like. So, here goes this year’s attempt, with the help of a couple of mock-draft simulators (Pro Football Focus/Pro Football Network) and allowing for trades this time:



29. Darius Robinson, DE, Missouri

Holmes wouldn’t spoil the show downtown and trade out of the first round, would he? Well, he might. And I had a few offers to as well, though I’m not sure how realistic any of them are, even with Oregon quarterback Bo Nix still available in this mock. Regardless, the return from the Chargers to move back to 37 wasn’t enough and Cincinnati’s pick (No. 49) seemed like a bridge too far. So we’re staying put, with lots of intriguing options on the board.

The top two interior linemen are gone in Graham Barton (Duke) and Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon). So are a handful of cornerbacks, including Iowa’s Cooper DeJean and Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry in the mid-20s. Receiver Adonai Mitchell went No. 28 to Buffalo, but Ladd McConkey (Georgia) and Keon Coleman (Michigan State, Florida State) are available. So is Penn State’s explosive edge rusher, Chop Robinson, though his production doesn’t quite match those obvious physical gifts.


So the pick here is one that comes with local ties: Missouri’s Darius Robinson, the hulking defensive lineman from Canton who says it’ll be a “dream come true” to walk across the draft stage in his hometown. He can be a dominant force in stopping the run with his massive frame (6-5, 285 pounds and 34.5-inch arms) and physical strength, but his breakout All-SEC senior season (8.5 sacks) playing on the edge showed his versatility and inside-outside upside. And coupled with his work ethic and leadership qualities — Robinson was a two-time captain at Missouri — it’s easy to see how he’d fit as another foundational piece for Dan Campbell and the Lions.

It’s also worth remembering that Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky are on expiring deals — Alim McNeill is due for an extension, too — while the depth (Levi Onwuzurike, Brodric Martin) is unproven.


66. Christian Haynes, G, Connecticut

We have a trade! Decided to pull the trigger with Arizona’s offer here for a variety of reasons, but among them was that wide gap between the Lions’ third and fourth picks coming into this draft. By dropping back five spots from 61 and throwing in Detroit’s fifth-rounder (No. 164), I was able to add some value with a pick (No. 104) early in the fourth round. (Remember, this is a draft class that’s a bit shallow compared to recent years thanks to a confluence of factors: COVID-year eligibility, NIL money and the transfer portal.)

It didn’t hurt that some of the players the Lions might covet — edge Marshawn Kneeland (Western Michigan), and corners T.J. Tampa (Iowa State) and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri) — came off the board earlier in the second. But this trade still allows us to grab some help for the offensive line, where the Lions have both short- and long-term needs.


A couple likely interior targets are gone: Zach Frazier (West Virginia) went to Atlanta at 43, while Houston grabbed Cooper Beebe (Kansas State) at 59. But tackles Blake Fisher (Notre Dame) and Christian Jones (Texas) both are available. And while I’m skeptical Haynes still will be around at the top of Round 3, he is in this simulation. So I won’t hesitate to grab a four-year starter who is dependable, durable (49 starts at UConn) and downright nasty, at times, as a 6-3, 317-pound mauler in the run game.


73. Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington

There’s a wealth of options at the receiver position in this draft, and different teams will favor some more than others. In this mock, there was a group that came off the board in the middle of the second round that included Ricky Pearsall (Florida), Xavier Legette (South Carolina) and Troy Franklin (Oregon).


Ideally, I think Holmes would love to find a prototype X receiver in this draft, which is why it’s a strong possibility the Lions will take a wideout in the first round. Maybe he’d even move up to grab a talent like LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. if he lingers long enough on Day 1. But what Jared Goff wants as much as anything is another reliable route runner who can help fill the void left by Josh Reynolds’ departure in free agency. Polk has decent size (6-1, 203) but really stands out with his toughness — both as a blocker and going across the middle — and his ability to make difficult catches look routine, something he did regularly for the nation’s top passing offense. Beyond that, coaches rave about him as the sort of self-motivated player who’ll be eager to take as many post-practice reps on the JUGS machine as Amon-Ra St. Brown.


104. Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College

The Lions surely will come out of this draft with at least one cornerback. Holmes has selected four in three years as Detroit’s GM, but none on Day 1, which tracks with his record as the Rams’ college scouting director. In Jones, the Lions would be getting a bit of a sleeper in this class. He’s an older prospect (24), but also a four-year starter with legit speed (4.44 40-yard dash), explosive leaping ability and long arms. And for a Lions defense that’d love to play more man coverage going forward, Jones is a corner who’s more than capable of going it alone on the outside. The 6-2, 185-pounder led the ACC with five interceptions last season despite missing the final four games, and he allowed just one touchdown and a passer rating of 18.2.


201. Sione Vaki, S, Utah

If you tuned in to watch the NFL Scouting Combine, you saw some of the on-field intensity that would draw the Lions’ staff to Vaki as a prospect. But if you watched him play at Utah this past season, you saw even more. That’s because in addition to the highlight-reel plays he made as a strong safety, the 5-11, 210-pounder also stepped in as a running back — he ran for 158 yards and two TDs against Cal — due to injuries in the Utes’ backfield. The Lions used one of their top-30 visits on Vaki, who’d be a solid bet to make the 53-man roster due to his versatility and special-teams value.


205. Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA

There’s no buyer beware here. Muasau didn’t miss a game in five seasons at Hawaii and UCLA — he has played more defensive snaps than any linebacker drafted in the last decade — and his engine certainly doesn’t need any priming. He excels as a run defender, but showed some ability as a blitzer and even dropping in zone coverage. Finding a role as a backup linebacker won’t be easy on this Lions roster, and Muasau (6-0, 225) is a bit undersized, but he appears to have enough tools and the right makeup to give it a go.


249. A.J. Barner, TE, Michigan

Barner was one of the new guys on Michigan’s national championship team after transferring in from Indiana. But the former captain quickly found a role in the offense and as a leader for the Wolverines. Barner spent the majority of his time as an inline tight end, and he impressed as a blocker on the move in Michigan’s diverse run scheme. But he has enough athleticism to flex, and at 6-6 with a huge wingspan he’s capable of more than his receiving production showed.


john.niyo@detroitnews.com

@JohnNiyo

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/04/12/nfl-draft-prospect-attendees-detroit-2024-caleb-williams-jayden-daniels-drake-maye/73299841007/

[jaadam4]

Polk at #73

Hell yes

[El Axe]

Niyo's mock is very good. The only pick I'd question is Darius in the 1st round. I think he'd likely be a DE on running downs and move inside to 3-tech on passing downs in the NASCAR package -- similar to how we use Cominskey & Paschal. Of course, the problem is that we already have Cominskey & Paschal. Not that I'd draft for need, but 29 seems like a reach for Robinson and we don't have a need for what he brings as a starter or depth, so not a pick I'd make but not one I hate. I would have looked hard at those trade-downs he was offered. Could have gotten Kneeland plus extra draft capital by taking them. Kneeland is a better 3-down DE/Edge with much better pass-rushing skills.

The rest of those picks are really good -- I'd be very happy with that overall draft, filling almost all our secondary needs with quality prospects that fit our playstyles.

[jaadam4]

Why is everyone so down on Chop Robinson. Kid
ran a 4.48 40 and has a crazy first step. I don’t understand how he would last until pick 29

[Mainevent]

Because he's not that good of a football player?

[jaadam4]

He's a freak athlete. He's an unfinished product for sure but calling him "not good" seems like a pretty weak argument. His first step is absolute lightening. What about him isn't good?

[Forsh]

Count me in the Chop over Darius camp. Darius looks like a DT who moved outside and was bullying guys ... he won't be bullying nfl tackles like that and he can't beat them with speed. Chop has the first step to wreak havoc. Coach em up

[Mainevent]

He's a freak athlete. He's an unfinished product for sure but calling him "not good" seems like a pretty weak argument. His first step is absolute lightening. What about him isn't good?

11 career sacks despite his obvious physical skills. Not a strong run defender. Heard one analyst talking about how he only played about 30 snaps a game which begs the question why for such a physical marvel was he playing so few snaps. The whole reason he’s even going in the first round is the physical talent. He has a tremendously high boom or bust quotient. If he was also really good a football he’d be fighting it out with Turner as the top edge player in this draft.

And besides that he’s not a fit for what the Lions have tried to get at DE, and he’s clearly not a stand-up LB. Better fit for a wide 9 type of defense. Maybe the Lions will change their approach, but I’ll believe it when I see it. The Marcus Davenport signing makes me think they haven’t and that they still want big, long versatile defenders opposite Hutch. Holmes has also targeted guys who are big time producers for the most part early in the draft. Almost nothing about what Chop is as a player aligns with what they have tried to build on the DL over the first 3 years.

[El Axe]

He's a freak athlete. He's an unfinished product for sure but calling him "not good" seems like a pretty weak argument. His first step is absolute lightening. What about him isn't good?

His production was awful. He only had 17 tackles and 4 sacks on the season. Those numbers are unusually low.

Scouts comment how he just didn't finish plays

[froot loops]

I don't have a strong opinion on the guy, but if you look at what the Lions look for, they value size, speed and defending the run. If you are a "sacks, sacks and more sacks" guy and don't value the run defense that much, you at least want the prospect to have a lot of sacks.

There's something to be said about the potential of an unfinished product but generally you don't want that project in the first round.