With the 2022 NFL Draft now mere days away, here is this writer’s first and last Detroit Lions mock draft for the year.
The Detroit Lions are mere days from being on the clock with the second pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The time is almost here to see what general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have put their heads together to come up with for the second group of young talent they’ll add to the roster.
The draft is an inexact science, and months of preparation is the only way to approach it. After all, each team has only one opportunity to get it right each year. There are no “do overs”. It is with that in mind I’ll do this once this year, and probably every year. Since each NFL team only gets one crack at it, I took one crack at it myself.
Using the Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft Simulator, here is my first and last Detroit Lions mock draft for 2022.
First Round
With Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson off the board, the Lions go with the second-best defensive player in the draft–Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, who also fits a big need. While some may have been alarmed by Hamilton’s 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, his game speed and ability to always be in the right place at the right time and consistently make plays speaks much louder.
The addition of Hamilton to go with Tracy Walker and the newly signed DeShon Elliott gives the Lions a three-headed monster at safety that will help stabilize the secondary and an impact player who will be among the league’s elite for the next 10 years. Hamilton is a leader and would thrive under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s tutelage.
It’s possible Dean could fall to No. 32, though his talent suggests he shouldn’t. Dean may be under-sized but he’s smart, fast, and doesn’t make mistakes. He is also a natural leader. The addition of Dean and Hamilton gives the Lions defense two play-makers who together will push their teammates to greater heights and raise the level of the entire Lions’ defense.
Dean is worth taking for his talent alone. But getting two of this draft best defensive players (at their respective positions, if not overall) is a huge plus for a Lions’ franchise that’s trying hard to change its identity as long-time losers.