What if the Detroit Lions lose out on the first pick in the draft?

The Detroit Lions have had a lock on the first pick in next April’s NFL draft most of the season. What if they find a way to lose it?

The Detroit Lions are not a good football team. They posted their first win of the season in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings, as they were the last NFL team to put a mark in the win column this season. Do you know who the second to last team to win a game this season was?

The answer is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were able to claim their first win of the season in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars aren’t a good team either, but they still won a game seven weeks before the Lions could finally nail one down.

Right now the Jaguars and the Houston Texans, with matching 2-11 records, are only a half a game behind the Lions for the first overall pick in April’s draft. One more win by the Lions could cost them the pick. Detroit won’t be favored in any of their final four games, but what if they upset the Falcons (Week 16) or Seahawks (Week 17)? The Jaguars and Texans will face each other on Sunday, and someone will win to push themselves effectively out of the running for the No. 1 pick.

Would it be so bad if the Lions lost the No. 1 overall pick?

If the Lions dropped to the second pick would that be the end of the world? Most Lions fans want the No. 1 pick, with local boy Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson the popular pick.

If the Lions fall past the Jaguars or Texans, then the second overall pick isn’t a horrible place to be. The Lions could desperately use an elite edge rusher to beef up their pass rush. Hutchinson would be a good selection. Yet if he was off the board, then Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux would still be an excellent consolation prize. The Lions would have to feel really good about getting either one of those premier edge rushers.

So there really isn’t too much to fret over if the Lions drop to the second overall pick. Where things get murkier is if they somehow find a way to drop to the third pick.

Let’s start by saying that almost every Lions fan would mortgage the farm that they won’t fall to number three, and I agree. But what if they somehow found a way to win a couple games and drop to No. 3?

For fans set on getting a quarterback, the Lions could trade back a few spots and get their choice of passer from a subpar class of quarterbacks. Or they could stay put and take a premium talent at another position of need.

If the Lions found a way to pick third, then the choice should absolutely be Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. The combination of Hamilton with Tracy Walker could be very good.

The Lions will most likely end the season with the first overall selection in the 2022 draft. But if they do slip down a position or two, an impact player is still sure to be added.