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As the clock ticks down on the 2023 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions are beginning to make some of their final preparations before selecting.
There’s been lots of different opinions about what the team could or should to do conclude the process, and lots of ideas about the direction they could take with their two first-round picks.
A final answer of sorts has been provided by Bleacher Report and writer Alex Ballentine. The site penned some of their ideal picks in the first-round for every single team, and when it came to Detroit’s entries, there was at least one surprise.
With the sixth-overall pick, Ballentine sent the Lions Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson, a player he thinks would pair well with what the team already has up front on defense.
“Taking Tyree Wilson at No. 6 would give them another blue-chip defensive end. The 6’6″, 271-pound has the strength to be an asset against the run with the bend and athleticism to be a good pass-rusher,” he wrote in the piece.
Considering the Lions have been said to like Wilson in the process, it wouldn’t be a shock if they were to land him, especially very early on in the draft. A bit later on, the intrigue really comes about with the team’s 18th pick.
“Quarterback is not such a dire need that the Lions should be looking to trade up for one, but if Kentucky’s Will Levis falls all the way to their second pick at No. 18 they would do well to put an end to his slide. In B/R’s latest mock draft, Levis surprisingly falls all the way to No. 19 and goes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” Ballentine wrote.
Levis has been a popular name in the process, but not for the Lions, even as some have tried to tie quarterbacks to the team. Playing for Kentucky, he has been solid, putting up 5,876 yards and 47 passing touchdowns in his career, to go with 742 yards on the ground and 17 rushing touchdowns.
It’s been assumed Levis would be a top 10 pick, but if he’s not, could he work himself into position with the Lions and their second first-round selection at 18? It would be an interesting idea, even as the Lions have many more defensive needs.
Regardless, defense and offense stand out to Ballentine for the Lions in round one. Only under a week left to see if the team agrees.
Tyree Wilson’s College Stats & Highlights
It’s possible that the team may covet Wilson in a big way, and he would not be a bad consolation prize for a team that could use a little more beef in the trenches and pass rush punch off the end.
After starting his career with Texas A&M and putting up 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a freshman, Wilson transferred to Texas Tech, where he came into his own the next three years, posting 15.5 sacks and 29 total tackles for the Red Raiders. He finished his college career with 121 tackles, 17 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Wilson is gifted athletically with a 6’6″ frame and an ability to move around up front on a line to cause havoc for both passers and running backs. During the NFL combine, went viral for having a massive wingspan that measured 86′.
All of these fact could lead him to be a significant piece for his new team in the league, and may help him look like a perfect fit for the Lions in the draft.
Lions Will Look at Quarterback Market
At quarterback, the Lions will have some decisions to make, and Levis is not a name that has come up much for the team in the process even though this is the case.
Detroit hasn’t had much contact with Levis in the pre-draft process, and whether that’s telling or not for the actual draft remains to be seen. The point does stand, though, that the team could be looking for a quarterback.
The Lions have struggled developing young quarterbacks, and it’s a fact that their general manager Brad Holmes has discussed openly since the offseason began. With this in mind, it seems wise to predict the Lions will spend a draft pick on the position this year eventually.
Even with that said, Jared Goff is entrenched as the starter, and isn’t going anywhere. Goff’s play down the stretch when he would finish with 29 touchdowns and 4,438 yards passing as well as a 2023 Pro Bowl birth was good enough to solidify his role with the team.
Still, with free agent Nate Sudfeld back in the mix as his backup, and an offer apparently still on the table for Teddy Bridgewater, the Lions could be hunting for some upside behind Goff. They could also elect to look for a younger player to develop behind Goff for the future, as Campbell has alluded to.
So far in the process, the Lions have done most of their homework on Hendon Hooker, an electric talent from Tennessee. Hooker sustained an ACL injury late in the 2022 season, but looked good enough to post 3,135 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in addition to 430 rushing yards and five touchdowns before injury, showing how dynamic he could be.
In addition to Hooker, the Lions have gotten closer looks at Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who figures to be one of the first quarterbacks taken. They have also showed their interest in Fresno State’s Jake Haener, who could be a day-three option at the position. Many have also affirmed that the Lions should be looking at players like Houston’s Clayton Tune as well as Stanford’s Tanner McKee in the middle-rounds.
Landing an elite defensive prospect in Wilson as well as Levis would be an ideal way for the team to approach the draft according to Bleacher Report in the days remaining.
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