Getty Nolan Smith celebrates a big play for Georgia with teammate Noah Chumley in 2021.
As the Detroit Lions prepare for the 2023 NFL draft, the team is looking at multiple different options for their two first-round picks including some names folks may not expect.
While many believe that the team is still going to look at bolstering the defense when the draft begins, there is a question regarding what prospects they will look at. Is the cornerback spot going to be in-demand after sterling offseason additions, or will the defensive front take over in terms of importance?
With the draft a few weeks away, clarity could be coming on that front thanks to some insiders. In an ESPN insider piece presenting much of the latest draft buzz, Jeremy Fowler revealed that Georgia defender Nolan Smith could go within the top 10, and his floor could be the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick 17, just one spot ahead of Detroit’s second first-round selection. Detroit has also done diligence on Smith.
“Some scouts are giving off top-10 vibes for Smith, nothing that the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 17 could be his floor. The Detroit Lions, who have the sixth and 18th picks, have done their homework on Smith, who has improved his stock through the process. Fit will be key for Smith. Given he’s 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, playing every down as a defensive end could wear him down. Some scouts say he’s best served in a 3-4 defense as a speedy pass-rusher who can also drop into coverage,” Fowler wrote in the piece.
During the NFL combine, Smith made a name for himself with a 4.3 40 yard dash as well as an explosive 41.5 inch vertical leap. As a result, he cracked Nick Shook’s all-NFL combine team at NFL.com for the edge position. As Shook wrote, workout numbers aside, Smith’s play also doesn’t lie on the field.
“The best part about all of it: He’s not just a workout warrior; these numbers show up on the tape. Even though he didn’t participate in on-field drills Thursday, he’d already done enough to make headlines in Indianapolis,” Shook said in the piece.
Detroit could need help on the edge, even after drafting Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston last season in the first and sixth rounds, which could make Smith an important name to watch in the week’s ahead. He hasn’t been on many radars for a top-10 pick so far, but that could be set to change.
Nolan Smith’s College Stats & Highlights
If Smith is a bit underrated at this part of the process, it might be more of an issue of him playing on a star-studded defense in college rather than any of his own talent.
Smith came off of a very solid career where he was Carter’s running mate with the Bulldogs, and with 110 tackles and 12.5 sacks in addition to three forced fumbles and one interception, he did a very good job making life difficult on the opposition.
With Georgia, Smith has played with the likes of Travon Walker, the first-overall selection in the 2022 draft. This year, he has had to contend with the likes of defensive tackle Jalen Carter and cornerback Kelee Ringo, both of whom could also be first-round talents from the defensive side of the ball.
In his own right, Smith has shown that he can produce in college, and also has the right metrics physically to perhaps star at the NFL level.
Elite Hybrid Defender Could Help Lions
Of all the spots where the Lions could need to prioritize some help in the draft, the defensive line and linebacker spot could be the biggest. The team needs to add some more impact makers to that group on the field.
Already, the Lions have the makings of a stout young group. Aidan Hutchinson posted a phenomenal 10.5 sacks as a rookie, and was named the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year. In addition to him, edge James Houston made a late-season surge, collecting eight sacks. Alim McNeill joined the team in 2021 out of North Carolina State, and has been a stout player in the middle of the line.
At linebacker, the Lions have 2022 standout Malcolm Rodriguez along with Derrick Barnes coming along in the system, but the team could use another young player who could flash in the room on the depth chart with Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin as their lone veteran additions this offseason.
Up front, Detroit finished very poorly in run defense last season, having allowed 2,491 yards on the ground and over 146 per-game, which placed at 29th in the league. While the team collected 39 sacks on the year, there should be a goal to inch that total even higher in order to help the defensive backfield make a bigger impact.
There are plenty of top prospects the Lions could look at during the draft, including Carter and Calijah Kancey in the first-round, and also edge players like Tyree Wilson, Will Anderson Jr., Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy and others.
It’s clear with the reports that Smith is being looked at closely that the Lions will be considering adding him to the mix, perhaps earlier than many would have assumed.