Getty Penei Sewell before a Lions game against Seattle in 2022.
A lost season on the field has led to plenty of frustration for the Detroit Lions, but with that disappointment came the promise of a better tomorrow for the team in terms of the NFL draft.
Finally, that dream is going to be realized as a potential payoff for all the aggravation of losing. Detroit has managed to lock in their draft pick for 2022, and it’s going to be a high one officially. The Lions aren’t going to be dropping past the second-overall selection in the draft.
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Following Detroit’s ugly 51-29 loss to Seattle, it was revealed that the Lions had locked down a top selection. Dane Brugler of The Athletic tweeted about the fact that both Detroit and Jacksonville were in as it relates to a top pick in the draft.
Keeping the Lions atop the draft order was a huge goal for the team, and the dream has now been realized as part of an important offseason.
How Lions Can Still Earn 2022 Top Pick
Though the Lions are in for a top two pick, it’s not official that the team will be picking in the second slot. The Lions still have a chance to earn the top overall selection, but will be depending on the Jacksonville Jaguars to lose against Indianapolis while the Lions lose to Green Bay. That might not be a good bet for the Lions to get that lucky, so it seems as if it’s a virtual certainty that the team will be picking in the second-overall slot this coming draft season.
This season, the Jaguars have pulled off a few upsets to earn their first and second wins, and the Lions will hope they can stumble into such a situation again in order to help the team find another difference maker on the field that can help their rebuild.
Early Lions’ 2022 NFL Draft Primer
Regardless of where the impending pick comes, Detroit will continue to use the draft as the big way to build their roster. If the Lions manage to secure a top two selection in the draft as most will hope they can do, there’s a multitude of ways they could elect to go with the pick given the unique needs of the roster. The team’s defense needs playmakers up front to rush the passer along the defensive line, and could also need depth on the back end at cornerback. Offensively, the Lions have a major need for a big time pass catching wideout to help their down field attack on offense. As always, quarterback is going to be a position to watch near the top of the draft, especially considering some of the struggles of Jared Goff with the Lions in 2021.
The good news for Detroit? They also have the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams by virtue of the Matthew Stafford trade for this year and next year, and figure to gain multiple compensatory selections for 2022 so some serious building can occur for the roster no matter where Detroit’s selection comes.
Obviously, there is no shortage of needs for the team to ponder with all of their selections next year so it’s good news to hear it will be a top selection.
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