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Detroit Lions 2.0
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Laione97 DRAFTING FOR THELions
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
Draft Picks Traded
Players traded away
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall
C+
ValueB-
NeedB
TradesF
FutureB
The Lions lost the trade table, and the C+ tells the story. The Lions did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and LJ Martin fell into the Round 6 slot. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.
Rodriguez has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Hit on Caleb Lomu and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick Analysis
Pick24
Rnd1
Caleb Lomu
In the 24th pick they get a long-term starter on the line, though they paid up to get him. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick50
Rnd2
Jake Slaughter
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jake Slaughter at pick 50 is the proof. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick63
Rnd2
Darrell Jackson Jr.
A clean, defensible pick in slot 63 with a little surplus value in Darrell Jackson Jr.. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick95
Rnd3
D'Angelo Ponds
A conviction pick on D'Angelo Ponds at No. 95 that the board grades a round light. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick116
Rnd4
Jacob Rodriguez
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jacob Rodriguez in the Round 4 slot, miles early. The roster fit checks out.
Pick125
Rnd4
Keon Sabb
The board fumbled Keon Sabb all the way to the 125th pick, and they scooped it up. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick134
Rnd4
DJ McKinney
Value with a capital V on DJ McKinney in the 134th overall pick, a genuine coup. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick154
Rnd5
Ar'maj Reed-Adams
A quiet steal in Round 5, Pick 15: Ar'maj Reed-Adams for less than the market said. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick162
Rnd5
Lee Hunter
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Lee Hunter well ahead of where he belonged. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Pick188
Rnd6
LJ Martin
They will replay LJ Martin at pick 188 for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick209
Rnd6
Roderick Kearney
Roderick Kearney in pick 209 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick222
Rnd7
Jackson Arnold
Jackson Arnold at the 222nd pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.














