The Lions set off on a stark rebuild last year, dealing quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for a pair of future first-round picks. After a 3–13–1 season, the franchise has the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, along with whichever pick the Super Bowl-bound Rams land. Yet there's no guarantee Detroit stays in its coveted spot.
General manager Brad Holmes is set for his second draft with Detroit, and he made it clear that the franchise isn't afraid to make a move down the board if it's appropriate.
“I'm always open for whatever,” he told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero at the Senior Bowl. ”We're still in the early stages of it. We've got a good feel of the class. We're in a much better place this stage of the process than we were last year. But still, we've got a lot more work to do, but I'm never scared to move around. We're definitely open for business, always.”
Detroit opted for Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft.
The Lions will have Jared Goff back for the 2022 season after an up-and-down first year with the team following his inclusion in the Stafford deal. He probably isn't the long-term answer at quarterback for the franchise, but the '22 draft is seen as perhaps the weakest field of QBs in years.
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Without that ability to take a game-changer at QB early in the draft, and with plenty of other needs on the board, it makes sense for Detroit to consider flipping that No. 2 pick into more draft assets. At the same time, without those prime quarterbacks available, it is unclear what kind of haul that pick may command.
The 2022 NFL draft begins on April 28.
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