Getty Peter Skoronski on-field during the 2023 NFL combine.
As the draft process has wound down in 2023, the Detroit Lions have not seen many off-the-wall scenarios present themselves in mocks.
Most have maintained that the Lions will look at defense early in the draft, whether along the defensive line or at cornerback. Some have hinted the Lions may look at offense, either with a wide receiver, tight end, quarterback or running back.
Rarely, though, has the offensive tackle spot come up pre-draft. Sports Illustrated and writer Conor Orr, though, has introduced it in a big way just ahead of the draft playing out in a very intriguing new curveball for the team
Orr put together his only mock draft, and had a curveball for the Lions within the top 10. Instead of a defender, he had Detroit selecting an offensive lineman with the sixth-overall pick. Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski was his selection for Detroit, whom he admitted could keep the domination going in the trenches with this move.
“I think the Lions have discovered that a good running game will provide you with most of the answers to the test. While they have remaining time with offensive guru Ben Johnson calling the plays, the Lions will beef up on their strengths and maintain an advantage over a fairly weak division at the defensive line position. Skoronski would give them some long-term financial flexibility as well,” Orr wrote in the piece.
The mock gets even better for lovers of offense further down the board at pick 18. At that spot, Orr gives the Lions running back Bijan Robinson, helping give the team one of the best power rushing attacks along with a gritty, young offensive line that should remain at the top of its game.
“Imagine Robinson and D’Andre Swift running behind that offensive line. The Lions could absolutely suffocate their opponents and wouldn’t even need wideout Jameson Williams, who was suspended six games for gambling on non-NFL games,” Orr wrote.
Skoronski is seen as a player who could transition to guard at the next level though he played tackle in college, and was a first-team All-Big Ten as well as a first-team All-American in 2022. That points to his overall ability up front. In terms of Robinson, there’s little questioning his ability at running back following a Doak Walker Award winning 2022 season.
Would the Lions invest this heavily in the running game and offensive line with plenty of defensive needs? Few have seen it as a likely outcome, but it’s something to remember as the days tick down to the draft.
Lions Could Target Offensive Line as Need
Quietly, is the guard position one of the biggest needs on the Lions for 2023? It’s more than possible, given how stout the Detroit offensive line is overall, but how many questions they have at that particular spot.
At both tackle positions, the Lions are set with Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker. They’ve got a Pro Bowl center in Frank Ragnow, and a Pro Bowl guard in Jonah Jackson. All of these players are young with upside. Perhaps the only weakness is at the other guard spot. Halapoulivaati Vaitai might be ready to return, but his roster position is not guaranteed beyond 2023-2024
If the Lions wanted to get a move on upgrading the position, they could draft a guard, and particularly a player like Skoronski, who might need time to be mentored as well as adjust to the position in the NFL. To that end, the move might be one that pays off in the long-run for Detroit if it happened.
Detroit is fairly stout up front, but if they took one of the best line prospects in the draft, it could ensure their offensive line is elite well into the future.
Bijan Robinson Might Fit Lions
Whether the Lions need a running back has been a topic of conversation ahead of the draft. If the team elects to take the gamble, Robinson could be the answer to their needs in the first-round.
The runner is seen as one of the top prospects in the NFL draft. He could be on the board for both of Detroit’s first-round selections, and he could be a player the Lions look at closely given their needs at running back for the future. Already, some have mocked him to Detroit even in spite of the team’s defensive needs.
Speaking to the media this week, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes explained that he isn’t going to be scared away from drafting a runner in the first-round because he has seen it work before. Ari Meirov tweeted about the quote.
#Lions GM Brad Holmes on taking a RB with a high pick: “I understand the narrative. … I don’t think anyone said in ‘16, ‘17 or ‘18, ‘Oh man the Rams took Todd Gurley at 10.’ He was just a really good RB and we didn’t bat an eye.”
(Holmes was with the Rams when they took Gurley)
“Lions GM Brad Holmes on taking a RB with a high pick: “I understand the narrative. … I don’t think anyone said in ‘16, ‘17 or ‘18, ‘Oh man the Rams took Todd Gurley at 10.’ He was just a really good RB and we didn’t bat an eye.” (Holmes was with the Rams when they took Gurley),” Meirov tweeted.
Robinson put up 3,410 yards and 60 touchdowns on the ground in college. That’s to go with 805 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his career catching the ball. It’s clear he is capable of making some big plays on the field, and could be in the mold of the big-time back Holmes could be thinking about.
Detroit brought David Montgomery into the mix, and he will be a dynamic weapon. They will also run it back with D’Andre Swift next season as well. With that said, the backfield could have questions beyond 2024.
With these potential mock additions, the Detroit backfield and offensive line would receive a major boost. Jared Goff and Ben Johnson would probably appreciate if this particular curveball scenario actually played out.