Lions Draft Grades and After Draft Talk/What's Next?

[1984Echoes]

48 minutes ago, AlaskanTigersFan said:

What do you think the Lions needs are still for playoffs (or if you want to be drastic; for the long haul) if you don't mind me asking besides Linebacker? Or is that it?

I don't think we really know that until after this season.

I mean LB'ers is an obvious area of need...

But everywhere else is a grey area until we learn more this season...

[NYLion]

1 hour ago, AlaskanTigersFan said:

What do you think the Lions needs are still for playoffs (or if you want to be drastic; for the long haul) if you don't mind me asking besides Linebacker? Or is that it?

Hard to tell. They have talent on defense but not enough proven talent to be confident in any unit long term. On paper, the defensive line is the strength but it's dependent on a lot of rookies and 2nd year guys as well as Okwara's health and Harris not being a fluke (the potential is exciting though), same with linebacker and the secondary which is almost exclusively young guys. I'm more confident in the offense going forward even with Goff but there's some health questions to answer at receiver and with Hockenson.

Long story short, if we're looking "on paper" at all the units, I'd say that QB and linebacker are the biggest questions over the long term. What I really love about what Holmes is building is that he's putting a specific focus on the trenches, where lots of games are decided, that's where the Lions strength is building with the lines and I don't remember the last time I could say that a Lions team had potential to have a top 10 offensive AND defensive line going forward. Not to mention, the high end talent at the skilled positions.

Ultimately though, it comes down to Goff. He's being set up to succeed with what Holmes has added the last two offseasons so it's make or break time for him this upcoming season.

Edited June 13, 2022 by NYLion

[buddha]

1 hour ago, AlaskanTigersFan said:

What do you think the Lions needs are still for playoffs (or if you want to be drastic; for the long haul) if you don't mind me asking besides Linebacker? Or is that it?

corner, linebacker, quarterback for sure.  also, a lot of their young players are unproven and may not work out.  

sneaky need: running back and right tackle.  decker wasnt great last year and may not be so good at right tackle.  sewell is the lt of the future for sure, do they need a mauler right tackle?  also, williams is a fa after this year and swift hasnt shown any ability to stay healthy.  they may need a back sooner than we think.

[AlaskanTigersFan]

I really don't know why so many people have given up on Okudah or call him a bust. The dudes played like 4 games. If he comes back healthy, won't he be the #1 corner that we need? That'd be a HUGE solve. It looks like he's already running full speed so I am very confident he can be "the guy" that we drafted at #3...... 

[buddha]

1 hour ago, AlaskanTigersFan said:

I really don't know why so many people have given up on Okudah or call him a bust. The dudes played like 4 games. If he comes back healthy, won't he be the #1 corner that we need? That'd be a HUGE solve. It looks like he's already running full speed so I am very confident he can be "the guy" that we drafted at #3...... 

he's given 0 evidence that he was a starter in the nfl, much less a #1 corner and then he suffered one of the most devastating injuries for professional athletes.  he's missed an entire year of development. 

if they get anything out of okudah this year it will be gravy.  the best case scenario right now is that he becomes a decent nfl player.  there isnt a great chance he develops into a #1 corner now.  but you never know, i guess.

[gehringer_2]

17 minutes ago, buddha said:

he's given 0 evidence that he was a starter in the nfl, much less a #1 corner and then he suffered one of the most devastating injuries for professional athletes.  he's missed an entire year of development. 

if they get anything out of okudah this year it will be gravy.  the best case scenario right now is that he becomes a decent nfl player.  there isnt a great chance he develops into a #1 corner now.  but you never know, i guess.

I haven't made any effort to look into why, but something seems to have evolved in surgical technique on Achilles repairs pretty recently. Look at Kevin Durant for instance  - - and he isn't the only recent high level recovery, so I guess we need to wait and see.

[Jason_R]

2 hours ago, AlaskanTigersFan said:

I really don't know why so many people have given up on Okudah or call him a bust. The dudes played like 4 games. If he comes back healthy, won't he be the #1 corner that we need? That'd be a HUGE solve. It looks like he's already running full speed so I am very confident he can be "the guy" that we drafted at #3...... 

As you explained, he's played like 4 games. In two years. This is why people call him a bust. 

If he makes the team, it is likely to be as a #3 or #4 corner. In a weak secondary.

Next year's 1st round draft pick is more likely to be a CB than a QB. 

[djhutch]

Okudah may be considered a bust now, but if he stays healthy this year I think he'll surprise some people.  It's a different scheme than when he was a rookie & will not require of him what Patricia did. Add to that what we expect will be an improved pass rush & he may surprise some people.

[RandyMarsh]

Okudah is a major question mark not only because of his first year but because of the achilles injury. While I think we have made advances in it to the point that isn't isn't a death knell to somebody's career it's still an injury that is more devastating than say an ACL tear.

The fact that somebody like Ojabo could be drafted in the 2nd round despite just tearing his makes me think that NFL teams don't fear it as much as they used to. If it was viewed as a potential career killer like it used to be no way would a team use that early of pick on a guy that just ruptured his. 

[gehringer_2]

16 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

Okudah is a major question mark not only because of his first year but because of the achilles injury. While I think we have made advances in it to the point that isn't isn't a death knell to somebody's career it's still an injury that is more devastating than say an ACL tear.

The fact that somebody like Ojabo could be drafted in the 2nd round despite just tearing his makes me think that NFL teams don't fear it as much as they used to. If it was viewed as a potential career killer like it used to be no way would a team use that early of pick on a guy that just ruptured his. 

did a little reading on this and from what I found the change apparently is not so much in surgical technique but in the adoption of more aggressive rehab approaches that prevent the atrophy that would normally occur with an injury that has a long rehab. Also some mention of improving the precision of the repair length.

Edited June 16, 2022 by gehringer_2

[MichiganCardinal]

Okudah excites me because he’s virtually no risk and potentially enormous reward. He’s a product of the prior regime, and if he’s unable to come back from the Achilles, well, we are building up from last year anyway.

If there is any chance of him still becoming a starting to elite caliber NFL CB (as many scouts - not just Quintricia - believed), I fully believe this regime can do so. And he could instantly turn the defensive backs group into a strength on this team.

[Cruzer1]

On 5/2/2022 at 10:38 AM, Stanley70 said:

They needed a 3 technique out of this draft almost as much as they needed a linebacker. Paschal hopefully can provide that.

And they are moving to a 4-3 this year which will probably not be much of a difference than the 3-4 last year when they had Nick Williams, Brockers, and McNeil on the field on first down. I'm guessing even though they are calling it a 4-3 they will still have 3 300 pounders on the field in the base package. So Paschal could play an end position in that set up depending on how they do it.

4-2-5 more than any other, according to The Athletic.