The Lions will have two picks in the first round of 2022 NFL Draft, including the second overall pick and the final pick of the round as part of the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles in exchange for Jared Goff. After finishing 3-13-1 in the 2021 season, the team’s first under head coach Dan Campbell, Detroit will look to address several key needs via their nine total picks in this year’s draft.
This will be Jared Goff’s second season with Detroit, after spending the postseason watching his former team win Super Bowl LVI in February. Goff is on a four-year, $134 million deal with the Lions set to keep him on the team through 2024, and there isn’t an immediate star at quarterback in this year’s draft class. While it’s not out of the question for the team to look to the future with a pick like Liberty’s Malik Willis, Campbell told reporters earlier in April that the team is looking to draft an immediate impact player with the second overall pick, and that an elite quarterback isn’t necessarily essential to his team’s success. “No, I don’t think you need that,” Campbell said. “I think that those guys like that are obviously, they’re special. And they certainly can give you a better chance. But no, I don’t believe you have to have one of those guys to have sustained success.”
After re-signing safety Tracy Walker in March, Detroit may look to add a complementary player in the backfield. A quality edge rusher will likely also be on the Lion’s wish list, even if Romeo Okwara makes a full recovery from a ruptured Achilles he suffered in October. Offensively, the Lions are expected to exercise tight end T.J. Hockenson’s fifth-year option ahead of working on a long-term extension and may look to bolster the position group behind him with later-round picks. Hockenson missed the last five games of the 2021 season with a thumb injury, and the TE role was thin behind him.
Click here for the entire 2022 NFL Draft order and keep reading to see where the Lions will be making picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Coverage of the latest news from around the NFL is available all year round on PFT’s Peacock channel.
Detroit Lions 2022 Draft Picks:
Round 1: No. 2 - Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
Round 1: No. 12 (from MIN) - Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
Round 3: No. 97 - Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois
Round 5: No. 177 - James Mitchell, TE, Virginia Tech
Round 6: No. 188 (from JAX via SEA via PHI) - Malcolm Rodriguez, LB, Oklahoma State
Round 6: No. 217 - James Houston, LB, Jackson State
Round 7: No 237 (from NO via PHI) - Chase Lucas, CB, Arizona State
Click here to see all of Detroit’s picks in the 2021 NFL Draft
Check out draft picks for other teams in the NFC North
Chicago Bears 2022 draft picks
Green Bay Packers 2022 draft picks