2023 NFL Draft Weekend Thread

[mhughes0021]

Proof draft grades are dumb. Everyone loves Philly's draft... and they picked 2 back ups in the 1st. Carter doesn't play over fletcher cox. Smith doesn't play over reddick.

Detroit gets 2 starters and its looked at as worse.

 

[tomdalton22]

Proof draft grades are dumb. Everyone loves Philly's draft... and they picked 2 back ups in the 1st. Carter doesn't play over fletcher cox. Smith doesn't play over reddick.

Detroit gets 2 starters and its looked at as worse.

It's hard to pick starters if you are the Eagles, they have a SB roster with probably no openings for rookie starters. If Carter is as advertised, he will probably either start in place of Javon Hargrave, who left in FA, or split time with 2nd year player Jordan Davis

The Lions had holes to fill, so drafting starters is easy.

 

[LKP]

It's hard not to pick starters if you are the Eagles, they have a SB roster with probably no openings for rookie starters. If Carter is as advertised, he will probably either start in place of Javon Hargrave, who left in FA, or split time with 2nd year player Jordan Davis

The Lions had holes to fill, so drafting starters is easy.

I mean Swift and Rodriguez were legit starters. Lions upgraded then traded one and should move Anzalone to WILL (but also Campbell has to earn the job to move Anzalone then bench Rodriguez). Wouldn't say they were holes before the draft but they were upgraded with those picks.

Branch won't start either with CGJ here if CGJ is the slot and not a safety (Walker and Joseph the starting safeties)

La Porta should be the starter but Wright/Mitchell will play. First year TEs we known they take time. Got him from a good trade down too.

Hooker clearly a backup

Martin rotates with Buggs at NT as a rookie. Could beat him out too but clear rotation.

Carter and Nolan legit BPA. Carter could start over an older Cox (who still rotates in). Nolan was just so high BPA they had to take him. Reddick only signed through 2024 with 7 million then 20 million cap hit with void years after that.

 

[tomdalton22]

I mean Swift and Rodriguez were legit starters. Lions upgraded then traded one and should move Anzalone to WILL (but also Campbell has to earn the job to move Anzalone then bench Rodriguez). Wouldn't say they were holes before the draft but they were upgraded with those picks.

Branch won't start either with CGJ here if CGJ is the slot and not a safety (Walker and Joseph the starting safeties)

La Porta should be the starter but Wright/Mitchell will play. First year TEs we known they take time. Got him from a good trade down too.

Hooker clearly a backup

Martin rotates with Buggs at NT as a rookie. Could beat him out too but clear rotation.

Carter and Nolan legit BPA. Carter could start over an older Cox (who still rotates in). Nolan was just so high BPA they had to take him. Reddick only signed through 2024 with 7 million then 20 million cap hit with void years after that.

If the Lions would have taken Carter and Smith...would you say that Carter could possibly be the best or 2nd best defensive player on the Lions, and Smith day one starter and the best LB on the team?

I'm not sure, but that certainly could be true.

 

[Mitchrapp]

True, but the point is those teams get the guys that they love, the ones that fit their system and culture. Not just those 3 teams, but almost all good franchises will do that and pick the guy they like over what the experts have as BPA.

Now it's even being reported that we would have picked Gibbs over Bijan if we couldn't get out of 6. My point is good franchises pick their players and don't really care about drafr grades.

Honestly some of those Patriot drafts blew but they had their core, HOF QB, HOF TE etc..

 

[Mitchrapp]

Proof draft grades are dumb. Everyone loves Philly's draft... and they picked 2 back ups in the 1st. Carter doesn't play over fletcher cox. Smith doesn't play over reddick.

Detroit gets 2 starters and its looked at as worse.

Philly was SB contender regardless who they drafted. Detroit has a shit LB core and the RB is not a starter..

 

[grandy]

I don?t think ?starter? has much meaning anymore. Outside of QB, most OL positions, and maybe 1-3 back seven guys, everyone else is rotating in and out all game depending on the package/situation.

Gibbs could get 10-15 touches a game and be the most impactful player on offense, doesn?t mean I want him playing 95% of the snaps nor does that diminish his value.

 

[Mitchrapp]

I don?t think ?starter? has much meaning anymore. Outside of QB, most OL positions, and maybe 1-3 back seven guys, everyone else is rotating in and out all game depending on the package/situation.

Gibbs could get 10-15 touches a game and be the most impactful player on offense, doesn?t mean I want him playing 95% of the snaps nor does that diminish his value.

I understand that. I just think there were more meaningful players that could have been selected before. I hope I'm wrong about this..

 

[LKP]

If the Lions would have taken Carter and Smith...would you say that Carter could possibly be the best or 2nd best defensive player on the Lions, and Smith day one starter and the best LB on the team?

I'm not sure, but that certainly could be true.

Smith would be behind Hutch and Houston I think

Carter if not a head case would be a great addition and potentially 2nd best defender. Lions don't need to deal with that even though he has tremendous talent

 

[Mitchrapp]

And all I heard from the HC and GM build up the trenches and work out from there. Yet we go RB LB TE CB QB. None of that is the trenches.

 

[detrisin]

And all I heard from the HC and GM build up the trenches and work out from there. Yet we go RB LB TE CB QB. None of that is the trenches.

O-line trenches are built.

D-line...almost. Would have preferred one DT as higher in the draft pecking order.

How much more would be needed in your opinion for trenches to be built?

 

[tomdalton22]

O-line trenches are built.

D-line...almost. Would have preferred one DT as higher in the draft pecking order.

How much more would be needed in your opinion for trenches to be built?

I would think they need a DT and another end like Hutchinson

 

[Mitchrapp]

Definitely DE and a DT. I rather have that.

 

[manchild98]

Yahoo doesn't like the draft.. At all it seems.

Favorite pick: Brian Branch, DB, Alabama (45th overall)
This was by far the best pick that the Lions made over the weekend. Brian Branch was a projected first rounder for most of the draft season, but slipped to the second round for whatever reason. He?s not the most athletic defensive back out there, but he?s a smart player that played a variety of roles in Alabama?s defense. He?ll play a lot of snaps as the Lions? overhang defender this year and he?ll make a whole lot of plays.
Least favorite pick: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa (18th overall)
The positional value is one thing, but the bigger issue is taking Jack Campbell in the first round. He just wasn?t projected to go anywhere near this spot and likely could have been had a full round later than where he was selected. Campbell is a quality linebacker when he?s coming downhill in the box, but his ability to be an impact player in coverage and in space down the field is a major question mark moving forward. That?s not the profile of a first-round linebacker ? those types of players have to be weapons in the passing game to be selected and Campbell isn?t that guy. Really odd selection at the 18th pick, even stranger than the Jahmyr Gibbs pick at 12th overall.

Overall grade: F
Yeah, an F. Perhaps this take will get Old Takes Exposed in two or three years as a laughably bad take, but as things stand right now the Lions? draft class was just baffling. Taking Gibbs with the 12th pick in a year that they signed David Montgomery felt extremely rich. Even taking Sam LaPorta with the 34th overall pick over Michael Mayer was a head-scratcher. Gibbs and Campbell made up the most shocking first round picks in quite some time, and not in a positive way. Hopefully for Lions fans, this take ends up wrong. To put it nicely, they had an unorthodox strategy in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Last year this dude had us taking Malik Willis with the 2nd overall pick in the draft. The Titans got him in the 3rd round (86th pick) and management think he's absolute shit so they drafted Will Levis in the 2nd round this year.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Last year this dude had us taking Malik Willis with the 2nd overall pick in the draft. The Titans got him in the 3rd round (86th pick) and management think he's absolute shit so they drafted Will Levis in the 2nd round this year.

Just reporting it. I don't care for any of them. I also don't buy into they, HC GM know more than us, theory. Everyone says it but if that were true we wouldn't be blaming previous management.

 

[detrisin]

Just reporting it. I don't care for any of them. I also don't buy into they, HC GM know more than us, theory. Everyone says it but if that were true we wouldn't be blaming previous management.

Just reporting it...LOL...cherry picked an F grade and posted as it fit your negativity on the draft. Where's the round-up of all BS draft grades?

 

[503]

Less than half the 2020 first round draft class received the 5th year option. Even in the 1st round, you see more misses than hits.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Just reporting it...LOL...cherry picked an F grade and posted as it fit your negativity on the draft. Where's the round-up of all BS draft grades?

I use Yahoo Sports, sue me.

 

[sggatecl]

I also don't buy into they, HC GM know more than us, theory.

You really think that with all of the information the front offices are privvied to that fans/reporters can do just as good of a job?

 

[Mitchrapp]

You really think that with all of the information the front offices are privvied to that fans/reporters can do just as good of a job?

It was more about past GM of Detroit that didn't draft well. in theory they know more but in practice sometimes it seems like they haven't a clue.