Getty Dan Campbell on the field for Lions vs. Packers in 2022.
The Detroit Lions will be preparing for the NFL Combine and making their trip to Indianapolis this week to watch the events, and there are no shortage of angles to consider as the event returns for 2022.
Detroit will need to hit the ground running and continue the good work that was done while at the Senior Bowl a few weeks back in terms of scouting and getting the idea about which players fit them the most, and that will be the goal for the brass this week as they look in on drills and workouts as well as meet with players.
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When thinking about this year’s NFL Combine, there are several spots where the Lions need to be paying close attention over the week of work. All of these spots represent a direct need for the Lions and a part of the team that needs to be beefed up prior to the 2022 season.
So which spots will the team need to remember the most? Here’s a look at some of the top names and positions that fans and the team will have to be most aware of this week.
Defensive Line
As expected, the Lions will be all-eyes on the defensive front given not only their need at the spot, but the propensity for there to be top players to weigh out. Aidan Hutchinson vs. Kayvon Thibodeaux has been seen to be a balanced fight with only small differences so far. This week, the Lions are going to have to find the differentiating factors. It’s not simply Hutchinson and Thibodeaux the team should be watching, however. There are multiple other linemen who could help the team, especially on the interior. The Lions will need a good read on this group as well as explained in this video highlighting some of the better lineman prospects:
Detroit has rebuilt their offensive line, but the work must be done on the defensive side of the ball now similarly. Finding a few players for the line should be a goal in this draft, and that means getting to know the whole class from the inside out. Watch and see who stands out in both avenues.
Linebacker
While the Lions have many holes defensively, perhaps one of the most glaring that some don’t think about constantly is the linebacker position. The team has major holes to deal with this offseason, and not all of them will be able to be addressed by free agency. Detroit is likely to lose Alex Anzalone who was one of their most productive defenders with 78 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception in 2021. The Lions cut Jamie Collins early last season and he is now long gone. Rookie Derrick Barnes was learning on the job much of last year. Depth-wise, the hunt has to be on for linebackers, and some good prospects will be on display in Indianapolis. Whether it’s a potential first-round pick like Nakobe Dean or middle-round selection like Chad Muma, the Lions will have to look hard at linebacker as a spot primed for upgrade. Other than the defensive line, it might be the most important spot on defense the Lions can look at finding players for this week.
Wide Receiver
Playmaking was a huge problem for the Lions, save for some elite plays from running back D’Andre Swift as well as rookie sensation wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. As a result, the Lions have to make sure they find another group of young wideouts in this class to build around. Depth on Detroit’s roster isn’t great, with Quintez Cephus coming back from injury and the team’s best wideouts from last season in Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond both free agents. Minus Trinity Benson and St. Brown, there isn’t much on the roster for youth so that will have to change. The good news? As the Lions will find out at Lucas Oil Field, the 2022 class is very deep with pass catchers. That’s true both at the top and in the middle rounds of the draft as well.
No matter who the Lions choose to look at, the team has to look and perhaps find a player like St. Brown for them last year. The only way the offense will improve will be to get more big play players in the fold.
Quarterback
It feels as if there hasn’t been much intrigue at all around the quarterback position for this particular NFL Combine, and that could be the case simply because of the fact that many might be that impressed with the group. In spite of that, the Lions have to continue to do their homework on the likes of Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder, Matt Corral and others. This week, the team also needs to see if they can find a diamond in the rough in the form of one of the other young quarterbacks that will be involved, such as Bailey Zappe or Carson Strong.
There is no pressure on the Lions to take a quarterback anywhere, but this year’s NFL Combine will go a long way toward determining whether or not the team will feel the need to move on someone from this year’s draft early on. If their work this week is impressive, the Lions might have more to think about than some are considering now.
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