After the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI, the Detroit Lions secured the Pick 32 in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 32nd pick is part of the trade package the Lions received for Matthew Stafford. The entire package included sending Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles in exchange for first-round options in 2022/23 and a 2021 third-round pick, as well as Quarterback Jared Goff. While Lions fans celebrate for Stafford, the quarterback that treated, and continues to treat, Detroit with gratitude, they can also look forward to the imaginative possibilities at pick 32.
Detroit Lions Pick 32 Opens a Range of Possibilities in 2022 NFL Draft
For reference, the Detroit Lions have the following 2022 NFL Draft picks at time of writing:
- Round 1: 2 and 32
- Round 2: 34
- Round 3: 66 and 101
- Round 5: 176
- Round 6: 180
- Round 7: 217, 231, 239
Detroit Lions Invest in Long-Term Quarterback at Pick 32
The Detroit Lions selecting a quarterback in round one is the headline grabbing talking point – and a point that Detroit Radio will debate until draft night. Detroit’s front office should not select a quarterback in this year’s draft unless they feel thoroughly comfortable and excited with a quarterback. While Jared Goff has yet to prove himself a long-term starter, he has done nothing to prove himself incapable of the job. In fact, the last game of the season supported the former notion.
If Detroit selects a quarterback early, he ought to be pick 32 and not pick 2. Malik Willis (Liberty) might be the candidate who could fall, and then sit behind Goff for a few years while he progresses in the game. The late first-round is where the Baltimore Ravens selected Lamar Jackson. Rushing for a quarterback at the top of the draft is not entirely wise. Pick 32, however, gives the Lions potential to draft a solid player they can patiently develop.
More Pass Rushers
As of Post-Super Bowl Monday, mock drafters have Aidan Hutchinson (Edge – Michigan) as the inevitable pick at selection two. The Lions desperately need additional pass rushers, and selecting the right one at pick 32 could create a young, dynamic duo for years to come. There are plentiful agile, fast pass rushers available in the late first and early second rounds. The Lions benefit from a draft where the value lies in the top five and in picks 25-50.
Jermaine Johnson (Edge – Florida State) is an Edge rusher who may fall to Pick 32 if there is a sudden rush on another position group. Johnson has less dimensions to his plays, and thus may go to a team looking for a very specific type of pass rusher. The Lions may be one of these teams. If the Lions want to develop a player – which may be ill-advised for a team that needs players for a base – DeMarvin Leal (DL – Texas A&M) should be around at Pick 32 and within their second-round picks.
Create Trades and Acquire More Prospects
The Lions also pick at 34, leaving them an option to trade pick 32 if their favourite player(s) remains on the board. They have two notable draft holes, between picks 66 and 101, and picks 101 and 176. By moving down pick 32 to the 40s and obtaining an extra pick in round 4 and 6/7, the Lions give themselves more opportunities to build a solid base. Creating trades with Pick 32 might be the most pragmatic and mature choice for the rebuilding organisation.
Ideally, the Lions can build depth at cornerback, linebacker, and possibly acquire an offensive role player in a running back or wide receiver. Some of those picks, especially a specialist role, can only be acquired if other more pertinent needs are met. Hence, the Lions benefit can benefit from Pick 32 by turning it into additional selections and finding value in the prime of this draft.
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