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The 2022 NFL draft isn’t until next year, and there’s a lot of time before then for the Detroit Lions to re-set and have plenty of needs come into focus.
With Detroit currently in the lead for the top pick in the draft, there’s been no shortage of opinions about what the team should do when it comes to that potential selection. While simple projections and conjecture has led the way, a new bit of inside information has surfaced regarding what the Lions might actually like to do if they have the top selection in a few months time.
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According to USA Today NFL insider Josina Anderson, if the draft was today and the Lions had the top pick, the “current mindset” would be for the team to select defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon. That’s news which Anderson tweeted.
This pick would represent a bit of an upset, because the Lions and others have watched Michigan star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson come on strong late in the 2021 season en-route to a runner up finish for the Heisman Trophy. Even such, Thibodeaux figures to be neck and neck with him in terms of the player figured to go near the top of the draft and the Lions will now have to invest time into deciding who fits them best.
Right now, if Anderson is right, that player could be Thibodeaux.
Thibodeaux’s Stats & Highlights
Thibodeaux is an interesting prospect considering his penchant for getting to the quarterback and making big plays up front. Coming into this season, Thibodeaux had collected 90 career tackles, 14 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss thus far in his college career. In 2021, he followed that up with a decent year given 49 tackles, 7 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Here’s some of his top work on the field:
It’s obvious that Thibodeaux has the physical tools to be great, so it will be interesting to see how he tests and what the offseason process looks like.
Aidan Hutchinson Recently Mocked to Lions With Top Pick
To hear Thibodeaux as the potential favorite behind closed doors would likely be disappointing for many fans considering Hutchinson is a local favorite of many in the fanbase who also cheer for the Michigan Wolverines. How close could the Lions be to making Hutchinson a member of the team? While they still have to watch and see how the standings play out, it seems easy to project the team would have a top selection in the draft. Recently, plenty of mocks have been
With draft projections now beginning to come into more focus, and early on, the Lions have seen plenty of action given they are expected to have a top pick. Multiple players have been seen as viable options for the team, and the latest mock from Dane Brugler of The Athletic has a new local surprise.
Brugler sends Hutchinson to the Lions with the top pick in the draft. In his writeup, he explains that Thibodeaux also makes sense, but Hutchinson seems to check every box for the Lions, including toughness. As a result he could be the choice at the top of the draft. It was the first mock that pushed Hutchinson up this far on the board.
Mock or not, though, the Lions might be inclined to go in a different direction when all is said and done and Thibodeaux could be the player the team currently favors.
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