Sometimes we need to look back to see the present more clearly. That’s the case in summarizing what the Detroit Lions did on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft.
The original managing editor of Lions Wire, Ty Schalter, succinctly wrapped up all the moves made in the second and third rounds by Detroit in one clear, perfectly stated sentence in a post on Twitter.
“An entire draft of guys they could have taken at 18.”
Some Lions fans grumbled about the positional value and perception of “reaching” for RB Jahmyr Gibbs and LB Jack Campbell in the first round. Most of that latent anxiety went away when Lions GM Brad Holmes made his mark on Friday night.
Thanks to a series of trades, the Lions made four picks on Friday night. The first three selections Holmes made on Day 2 fit the bill for Schalter’s statement.
Iowa TE Sam LaPorta, Alabama DB Brian Branch and Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker all made regular appearances in the first round of pre-draft projections. Branch and Hooker both had runs as Lions targets with that No. 18 overall pick.
It wound up being a nice recovery for Holmes in the eyes of the Lions’ den after a first round that instigated a lot of head-scratching. Kudos to Schalter for putting a great bow on it.
