As the NFL confirmed the 2022 draft order, the Detroit Lions will have nine selections.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced compensatory picks for the 2022 draft. The Detroit Lions will indeed have five of the first 100 picks (five of the first 97, technically), gaining a second third-round pick (No. 97) for losing wide receiver Kenny Golladay in free agency last offseason.
In all, as expected and projected in January, the Lions were awarded three compensatory picks for gains (Jamaal Williams, Breshad Perriman) and losses (Golladay, Jamal Agnew, Matt Prater, Marvin Jones, Jarrad Davis) in 2021 free agency.
The mechanics of conditional picks led the Lions not gaining a seventh-round pick this year, but also not surrendering one to the Denver Broncos in the Trinity Benson trade. There was a path to having 10 total picks in April, but not getting a second seventh-rounder shut that door.
Detroit Lions have nine picks in 2022 NFL Draft, at least for now
Detroit’s other two compensatory picks, fifth-round (No. 177 overall) and sixth-round (No. 217 overall) came from losing Jones and Davis in free agency based on the formula to award them. They sent their original 2022 fifth-round to the Broncos in the deal to get Benson. They traded their fourth round pick this year to trade up for linebacker Derrick Barnes last year.
The NFL announced the official order for the 2022 draft Wednesday morning. Here’s where the Lions’ nine current selections will be.
Round 1: No. 2 and No. 32 (from the Rams–Matthew Stafford trade)
Round 2: No. 34
Round 3: No. 66 and No. 97 (compensatory pick-Kenny Golladay)
Round 4: None
Round 5: No. 177 (compensatory pick-Marvin Jones)
Round 6: No. 181 overall and No 217 (compensatory pick-Jarrad Davis)
Round 7: No. 234 overall (via the Cleveland Browns–David Blough trade in 2019)
The Lions could always add or subtract picks with moves before or during the draft. But the difference between having nine or 10 picks right now is neglible, and they are still in very good position compared to most of the league when it comes to draft capital.