USAT: Lions Wire audio clip

USAT: Lions Wire

Jan 16, 2022

The latest 3-round projections for the 2022 NFL draft are posted from our friends at Draft Wire. It’s a mock draft that hits a theme of blue chip players from big schools for the Detroit Lions. Starting with the No. 2 overall pick, Draft Wire sticks to prominent players from major programs. The first Lions projection is a familiar one: Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions could use a quarterback of the future, but this class doesn t have one worthy of this spot. Hutchinson could have been a Day 2 pick in last year s draft, but he made a wise decision to return to Ann Arbor for another season, and his dominant 2021 campaign has launched him into the top-three conversation. With Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux slotted at No. 1, it’s a fairly academic choice. Hutchinson gets to keep a Wolverine teammate with Detroit’s second-round pick, too. Safety Daxton Hill gets the nod, a much-needed safety for the back end of the defense. In between the two Michigan players, Detroit gets a wideout from USC. Tapping into the school that brought the Lions Amon-Ra St. Brown, this mock projects fellow Trojans WR Drake London. He’s a very different type of receiver from St. Brown, a widebodied downfield playmaker more in the mold of Kenny Golladay. The third-rounder taps the ACC for a quarterback. North Carolina’s Sam Howell arrives in the projection as the potential successor to Jared Goff. The Tar Heels signal-caller is projected all over the draft map in recent mock drafts, a testament to the variability of his evaluations. Email Sign up Like this article? Sign up for the Lions Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning An error has occured Please re-enter your email address. Thanks for signing up! You'll now receive the top Lions Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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