2022 NFL Draft Thread

[TP_Fan]

6 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

I’m becoming more and more convinced that the NFL salary cap is a figment of our collective imagination used only as a talking point to help move the off-season along.

Especially given the projections.  Many teams have punted contracts into the future to open space. Last year the cap was $182M, this year $208M and 2023 is projected up to $225M. Those dead cap figures aren’t that significant considering not all positions are being paid premiums.  And you often have 5-6 contracts you can cut and make space each year.

what will be interesting is how teams react to guaranteed money deals after the Watson deal.  As an aside, how shameful was it for the first ginormous guaranteed, contract goes to someone coming off a year where he didn’t play because he was obviously treating massage therapists in a horrible, gross manner.  The cognitive dissonance in rooting for this league/sports is real. 

[KL2]

8 minutes ago, TP_Fan said:

Especially given the projections.  Many teams have punted contracts into the future to open space. Last year the cap was $182M, this year $208M and 2023 is projected up to $225M. Those dead cap figures aren’t that significant considering not all positions are being paid premiums.  And you often have 5-6 contracts you can cut and make space each year.

what will be interesting is how teams react to guaranteed money deals after the Watson deal.  As an aside, how shameful was it for the first ginormous guaranteed, contract goes to someone coming off a year where he didn’t play because he was obviously treating massage therapists in a horrible, gross manner.  The cognitive dissonance in rooting for this league/sports is real. 

New Orleans is already projected to be $30 million over that 225 cap...

[Motown Bombers]

Don't think there will be a surprise here. If the Lions stay at 2, it will be either Hutchinson or Thibodaux whoever is available. 

[buddha]

31 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

Don't think there will be a surprise here. If the Lions stay at 2, it will be either Hutchinson or Thibodaux whoever is available. 

that's what i think too.  dont overthink it.

[RandyMarsh]

That's probably where they're going but I'm starting to really like Walker the more I hear and learn about him. 

[Stanley70]

Yea, most of the mocks are starting to swing towards Walker now for whatever that is worth. It will all come down to the Lions the visit with Thibodaux. KT was talking about his "brand" during one interview that might not go over well with a knee cap biter like Campbell. That along with the tape that is supposedly out there of him taking plays off and it might cause him to drop.

It's could be just a smear campaign to get him to slide a bit also.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

3 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

Don't think there will be a surprise here. If the Lions stay at 2, it will be either Hutchinson or Thibodaux whoever is available. 

I like Walker too and would be ok with them taking him, this is where I have been throughout the entire process. Take one of Hutch or Thibs or Walker, get your dynamic Edge Rusher and carry on. Sometimes the most obvious and simple choice ends up the right one, I think that's what it is here. I wouldn't be upset if they traded out and got a nice haul either, but getting our QB disrupter on defense for the next decade is where I'm still at.

I've been wrong about countless things I've wanted the Lions to do in the past by getting too cute or reaching on guys. Not this year, I want take one of the guys that makes the most sense for us, that's an Edge Rusher, and go home happy.

[MichiganCardinal]

Where I’m at right now…

Almost any trade down would get an A+… Hutch/Thib/Walker would get an A-… Willis would get a B-…. Hamilton would get a C-… A corner or any offensive lineman would get a D…. A trade up would get an F.

Those are the names I’ve heard most.

 

[NYLion]

Hutch or Thibs, I don't think they should overthink it unless they find some serious character flaws with Thibs. Walker has an immense athletic profile but he's been predominately an edge setter/run stuffer in college so you're banking on a projection of him being something more than what he ever was in college.

Hard to evaluate him because he was kind of lost in the mix of a bunch of high level NFL prospects on that defense but I think there's very real risk that his upside is nothing more than a Trey Flowers type. He was projected as a mid to late 1st rounder before the combine so this jump is almost exclusively due to his combine performance and not game tape. That's a bit concerning to me.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I really dislike almost every nfl.com mock draft for us this year. Two of the four have us taking a QB, Daniel Jeramiah has us taking Matt Corral and Pete Schreger has us taking Desmond Ridder, both at #32. Chad Reuter has us taking Malik Willis at #2. Then Bucky Brooks has us taking two Edge Rushers in Travon Walker and Arnold Ebiketie out of Penn State. Another draft analyst, Cynthia Frelund, has us taking Kyle Hamilton and David Ojabo, so a Safety and a guy who might miss most of next year do to injury.

These are all terrible or underwhelming scenarios IMO. If the Lions are taking a QB, which would be the centerpiece of their franchise for a decade to come, that guy has to be taken #2 overall IMO. If that QB is so good that you believe he will be a franchise signal caller, why would you risk letting Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral, or Malik Willis get past you at #2?

 

[RandyMarsh]

43 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

I really dislike almost every nfl.com mock draft for us this year. Two of the four have us taking a QB, Daniel Jeramiah has us taking Matt Corral and Pete Schreger has us taking Desmond Ridder, both at #32. Chad Reuter has us taking Malik Willis at #2. Then Bucky Brooks has us taking two Edge Rushers in Travon Walker and Arnold Ebiketie out of Penn State. Another draft analyst, Cynthia Frelund, has us taking Kyle Hamilton and David Ojabo, so a Safety and a guy who might miss most of next year do to injury.

These are all terrible or underwhelming scenarios IMO. If the Lions are taking a QB, which would be the centerpiece of their franchise for a decade to come, that guy has to be taken #2 overall IMO. If that QB is so good that you believe he will be a franchise signal caller, why would you risk letting Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral, or Malik Willis get past you at #2?

 

Totally agree and this is what I've been saying. If you don't think a qb is worth taking at 2 then he probably isn't worth taking at 32. Fwiw I think the Lions feel this way as well.

[MichiganCardinal]

So many mocks are lazily slapped together, I put weight into very few of them. Those talking heads just plug-and-play with perceived needs and their  master prospect list. Seldom does it take into account any actual insight as to the individual teams’ thought processes.

[Stanley70]

I would think the Lions pick at 32 would be a good trade down opportunity if someone wants to jump up and get a QB, and get 5 years of control.

[buddha]

21 minutes ago, Stanley70 said:

I would think the Lions pick at 32 would be a good trade down opportunity if someone wants to jump up and get a QB, and get 5 years of control.

or...perhaps...for the lions to take a qb there...

matt corral has a whole bunch of baker mayfield comps and john dorsey (the guy who drafted mayfield) is in the lions front office.  so ya never know!

[buddha]

if pickett or willis fell to 32 would you take him?  i probably would.

[Motown Bombers]

If they fell to pick 32 there is probably a reason for it. The Lions aren't desperate for a QB. Other teams who need a QB, Houston, Carolina, Atlanta, Seattle, Pittsburgh, etc have worse QB situations than the Lions. 

[RandyMarsh]

My feeling is if the Lions didn't see enough in the guy to take him at 2 then they must not have a ton of faith in them cause if you feel a guy is a franchise qb you take him at 2 and don't risk him being gone by your next pick. 

[RandyMarsh]

I know some will point to Lamar in Baltimore and how well that worked out, yeah it has and yeah Baltimore passed on him once before taking him with a later 1st round pick but I think the situation was different with them in the sense that they didn't have many holes on the team. They could afford to swing for the fences, the Lions don't really have that luxury yet.

[buddha]

i think the lions have a better qb situation than seattle and carolina.

i would not say the lions qb situation is better than pittsburgh or atlanta, i think its similar.  in fact, i would take mitch on his contract over goff right now.  i dont know about mariota.  i guess i'd probably take goff.

houston and davis mills is too early to say.

[buddha]

i'd say the lions have a better qb situation than new orleans.  unless they re-signed jameis.  then i'd say its similar but i'd probably rather have goff.

[Motown Bombers]

LOL Trubisky and Mariota over Goff now. I even forgot New Orleans. Maybe Winston if you don't get the 30 INT version. 

[buddha]

i think trubisky has more upside than goff.  trubisky is a better athlete and can run.  and he's much cheaper.

like i said, theyre in a similar situation, none of them have what appears to be a "solution" at qb.  the chances that trubisky could be a quality qb are higher than goff, imo.

[Stanley70]

The Lions have so many gaping holes on their defense right now it would be difficult to defend taking a flier on a QB at 32 IMO. Drafting a QB is always a risk though. 

 

 

[Motown Bombers]

Goff has actually proven to be a quality QB before. Trubisky has only shown he can put up good numbers against the Lions. 

When the Lions got some semblance of an outside threat and Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson took over the offense, Goff was good. Not just better but one of the top QBR in the league. The Lions were also 3-1 in his last 4 starts. 

[RandyMarsh]

I still think Goff got hurt in that GB game in week 2 and kept it to himself until it got so bad he was forced to sit out.  Reason being the first game and a half he looked great physically, made a couple mental errors on week 1 but also made a few big time throws in that game and a half.

Then I remember him going to the ground at Lambaeu sometime in the middle of the game and he just became a different qb after that.

A couple games later and it was like he refused to throw it more than 10 yards cause he physically couldn't. Then after finally taking time off for the injury he returned at the end and looked like a good qb including winning NFC player of the week twice I believe.