Getty Dan Campbell on the field before a 2022 game in Chicago.
The Detroit Lions are in a great place as they roll toward the 2023 NFL draft, and the reasoning behind that is mostly due to the picks the team has accumulated.
It’s a fact that is hard for lots of analysts to ignore, much less those who follow the draft very closely such as Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com. Jeremiah is impressed with the draft coffers the Lions have built. As a result, he sees the team in great position heading into next week.
As Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News showed on Twitter, the Lions were singled out by Jeremiah as the most interesting team to watch in the draft. He also said that the team is in great shape, and they could be in a very unique position in the league.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah lists the #Lions as his most interesting team to watch in the draft because of the draft capital available and the way their roster is set up.
“They’re in great shape. I don’t know if there’s many teams you’d rather be than them right now.”
“NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah lists the Lions as his most interesting team to watch in the draft because of the draft capital available and the way their roster is set up. “They’re in great shape. I don’t know if there’s many teams you’d rather be than them right now,” Jeremiah said as shown in Bianchi’s tweet.
Heading into the draft, many of the experts in the media have been making the case for the Lions with a team as the most to gain from the draft, and it’s clear that Jeremiah would agree with this notion as well given the amount of picks they have and what players are already on the roster.
Other teams may have more picks than Detroit does, but the Lions’ roster has the chance to take a step forward after a big offseason of additions on offense and defense, Combined with the team’s 10 picks, that could leave them in great shape to do some damage in the draft.
Through the years, it’s been rare to hear the Lions garner such praise, so the fact they are receiving it ahead of the 2023 draft from experts like Jeremiah is very intriguing, and shows what a good spot the team is in for the future.
Daniel Jeremiah Reveals Lions’ Draft Wishlist
In terms of what prospects the team should hone in on, Jeremiah had the answer to that as well. He revealed some names for the Lions to be interested in as the draft progresses with the team’s first three picks.
On Twitter, Jeremiah posted a graphic which shows the players he has put on Detroit’s wish list for the impending draft. It starts out with a couple names that fans will know well in cornerback Devon Witherspoon and running back Bijan Robinson, and shifts to cornerback Tyrique Stevenson out of Miami and tight end Luke Schoonmaker of Michigan in the second-round.
Witherspoon and Robinson have each been tied to Detroit in recent mock drafts focusing on the first-round. Stevenson put up a total of 115 tackles and three interceptions in college, and also had 21 passes defended and six tackles for-loss. Schoonmaker collected a total of 637 yards and seven touchdowns for Michigan.
Neither name has been popular this early in the draft for Detroit up to this point, but it’s clear that Jeremiah thinks the Lions could score by adding a pair of cornerbacks and a pair of offensive weapons to their team to fortify the roster.
Lions Could Fill Every Need During Draft
With 10 picks in the draft this season including four within the first two rounds, the Lions will be one of the most uniquely positioned teams to fill out all of their needs in a confident way.
On defense, the team could be angling toward making a key addition for the defensive line. There are plenty of top prospects the Lions could look at during the draft, including defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Calijah Kancey in the first-round, and also edge players like Tyree Wilson, Will Anderson Jr., Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy, Nolan Smith and others.
At cornerback, the Lions could need some help as well, but the good news is, 2023 will offer a very deep class at that position. Whether it’s a player like Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon or Joey Porter Jr. in round one, or names like Kelee Ringo, Deonte Banks, Emmanuel Forbes or Darius Rush further down the board.
As for the offense, Detroit could use another tight end for depth, as well as potentially a wide receiver. The team could choose to swing big on a game-breaking talent at running back like Bijan Robinson, but they don’t have to with D’Andre Swift and David Montgomery on the roster. A developmental guard could be an interesting idea for an earlier selection.
It can be expected that the Lions will check off all of these needs at one point or another during the draft, which figures to give the team a chance at building a very exciting young roster for the future.
For that reason, many experts such as Jeremiah believe in the team and think they could be poised to have a solid draft week.