Could the Lions end up trading out of the No. 2 spot in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Well, at least one draft prognosticator sees it happening.
In Ryan Wilson's latest mock draft for CBS Sports, he has Detroit trading back with the N.Y. Giants for the No. 5 overall pick and presumably a collection of additional draft picks (i.e. second-rounders and such in both next year's draft and the 2023 version of the annual amateur player selection). However, the additional compensation is not specified in this piece from Wilson.
Regardless, he has the Lions selecting LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. at No. 5.
As Wilson pens,
"Jeff Okudah's career has been marred by injuries and while we liked Ifeatu Melifonwu coming out of Syracuse, the Lions need to continue to beef up their secondary. Stingley missed the final half of the season because of injury but that will have zero impact on his draft stock."
Stingley, who has not played since early October after undergoing surgery on his foot, only suited up for seven of LSU's 10 games a year ago, as he constantly battled the injury bug. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder finished the 2020 campaign with 27 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and five passes defensed.
He was also a first-team All-SEC selection a season ago.
Remember, the Lions presently own two first-rounders in the 2022 draft.
With the second one (No. 24 overall; acquired from the L.A. Rams via the Matthew Stafford trade), Wilson has Detroit general manager Brad Holmes selecting Nevada quarterback Carson Strong.
As Wilson writes,
"Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy tweeted this last week about Strong, who officially declared for the NFL: "Plenty speculation on here about status of ... Strong's knee. He had surgery Feb. 21 and rushed back to play this fall despite normal 10-month recovery time. Recently saw an NFL team doc who told him there was zero cause for long-term concern after clean MRI." If that proves to be the case with team docs for QB-needy teams, Strong will be a first-round pick, and could go much higher than this. The Lions stockpiled second-round picks by trading down earlier, landed Stingley, and now get a franchise QB here. Not a bad day's work for new GM Brad Holmes, should it play out this way."
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound signal-caller recorded 36 passing touchdowns and 4,175 yards through the air during 12 regular season games in 2021. For his efforts, he not only was a first-team All-Mountain West selection, but he also was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.
Pro Football Focus has Strong ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in its ranking of draft-eligible passers for next year.
According to PFF,
"No quarterback in this top 100 shouldered a bigger load as a passer. Strong had a six-game stretch toward the end of the season where he dropped back to pass over 50 times every game. Still, he finished with a career-high 90.3 passing grade this season."
The strong-armed Strong -- no pun intended -- might just be what the doctor ordered for the Lions, which are more than likely going to be in the market for a long-term answer under center this upcoming offseason.
If he is taken, Strong could immediately step in and be Jared Goff's backup, while having a chance to take over the starting job as the season progresses.
As it's been known for a while now, Goff doesn't likely have a job in Detroit beyond the 2022 campaign. And that would become even more of a certainty with the selection of Strong.
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