{"id":140297,"date":"2023-04-16T14:30:27","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T18:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=140297"},"modified":"2023-04-16T07:36:16","modified_gmt":"2023-04-16T11:36:16","slug":"detroit-lions-draft-options-sixth-overall-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/04\/16\/detroit-lions-draft-options-sixth-overall-pick\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Lions Draft: Top 5 Options with the Sixth Overall Pick"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade<\/a>, the Detroit Lions have the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> first round pick in the NFL Draft, which sits at sixth overall.\u00a0 With this selection they have many good options.\u00a0 This includes a chance to add a high quality prospect to their defensive unit or a quarterback for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their biggest focus of this offseason so far has been rebuilding their defense that <\/span>finished last season dead last in the league in yards<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 <\/span>Most notable of their free agent additions were made in the secondary.\u00a0 Cameron Sutton signed<\/a> a three-year, $33 million deal, Emmanuel Moseley earned<\/a> a one-year, $6 million deal, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson received<\/a> a one-year, $8 million deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heading into the draft, the question is whether they\u2019ll look to keep adding to their defense this offseason or target a quarterback of the future?\u00a0 We list out their top five options, which covers what their best option is in different scenarios on draft night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without further ado, let\u2019s start with their number one option.<\/span><\/p>\n

5 Players the Detroit Lions Could Draft With The Sixth-Overall Pick<\/h2>\n

Option One: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State<\/h3>\n

While Jared Goff is a solid quarterback in the short term, he\u2019s not someone who is going to carry a team on a deep playoff run.\u00a0 It\u2019s not often that teams get the opportunity to draft this high, so they have to at least consider making a move for a quarterback while they have this pick.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s an unlikely scenario for Stroud to fall to sixth overall, but if Bryce Young goes number one<\/a>, the Lions could get Stroud for a good price.\u00a0 With the Texans drafting second, they could easily pass on Stroud, as he shares an agent with Deshaun Watson.\u00a0 <\/span>After that the non quarterback needy Cardinals sit at three, giving the Detriot Lions an opportunity to trade up in the draft.\u00a0 Arizona has a lot of needs, so the price tag to move up may not be very steep.\u00a0 An offer of a second round pick could get the deal done, which would be worth it to secure Stroud if this scenario presents itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

C.J. Stroud has actually gotten Goff comparisons by many analysts.\u00a0 Although this isn\u2019t a perfect comparison, the two quarterbacks are pretty similar.\u00a0 <\/span>The big difference would be that the Lions would have four years of Stroud on his rookie contract.\u00a0 This is a big talking point in team building discussions and for good reason.\u00a0 You can win in the NFL without an elite quarterback, but you need to build the supporting cast around that quarterback very well and the rookie contract quarterback allows you to do that.<\/span><\/p>\n

As far as the skill set that Stroud brings to the table, he fits extremely well with the Detroit Lions.\u00a0 His accuracy is the best in this class and while his ability to deal with pressure and make plays out of structure was questioned through the season, he answered those questions with his performance against Georgia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Option Two: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida<\/h3>\n

As I just mentioned on the Stroud breakdown, targeting a quarterback in the NFL Draft makes a lot of sense for the Detroit Lions for a variety of reasons.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Anthony Richardson is a big wild card in this draft.\u00a0 I would project him to come off the board somewhere in the top five before this selection.\u00a0 However, with Richardson\u2019s inconsistent accuracy it\u2019s a plausible scenario for him to still be on the board at sixth overall.\u00a0 <\/span>If Richardson is on the board, he would be a very intriguing option for them.\u00a0 With Goff in Detroit, Richardson wouldn\u2019t have to start year one and with his athleticism perhaps they could design some sort of role for him to play red zone or short yardage situations.\u00a0 In year two, Richardson could take over as the starter more prepared to have success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Richardson\u2019s arm strength and pocket presence are also strong components of his game that will intrigue NFL teams.\u00a0 The ball coming out of his hands simply looks different than most quarterbacks and the velocity he\u2019s able to generate allows him to make tight window throws that a lot of quarterbacks can\u2019t make.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

His pocket presence is the best in this class as not only can he utilize his athleticism to avoid sacks, but his recognition of where pressure is coming from and navigate the pocket to avoid it is exceptional.\u00a0 This is a big reason why I wouldn\u2019t consider him as big of a project as he\u2019s made out to be.\u00a0 A lot of quarterbacks fail to develop because they can\u2019t handle pressure, but this won\u2019t be a concern for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Top-ranked #Florida<\/a> QB Anthony Richardson: <\/p>\n

\u201cGoing and sitting behind a veteran, that\u2019ll be a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd2f\ud83e\udd2f\ud83e\udd2f
pic.twitter.com\/gdHqJxw0EG<\/a><\/p>\n

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 14, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n