Sunday open thread: Are you open to drafting an offensive tackle in the first round?

Chase Young, Jeffrey Okudah and Isaiah Simmons. Those are the three names circulating draft discussions when it comes to what the Detroit Lions may do with their first pick. Well, four if you count Tua Tagovailoa. What if I told you that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the Lions didn’t end up with even one of those names?

The Lions have various opportunities to move back in the draft, and if they move back further than the fifth overall pick—say to the Chargers’ sixth pick, the Jags’ ninth, or maybe even Indy at 13th overall—then the top defensive prospects may be out of their reach, but they’ll have plenty of extra resources to work with.

This got me to fool around with some options in the first round that I feel fans haven’t really thought much about yet. What if the Lions trade back into the 6-to-13 range and have the option to take one of the top tackles in the draft while picking up a couple of extra picks in the process?

Assuming the Lions had already made some moves in free agency to patch up their holes in the secondary and on the interior defensive line, this scenario felt pretty good to come away with.

Taylor Decker and Rick Wagner are both set to hit free agency within the next couple of years, so the Lions will be put in a rough situation pretty soon unless they act fast. With guys like Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs available, the Lions have the opportunity to immediately upgrade the position and possibly have their rookie win a starting spot and give them better play on the edge.

It’s been increasingly difficult for Lions OTs to succeed given the level of talent along the defensive line in the rest of the division. Rick Wagner has not performed up to the contract he was given, and if the Lions believe they can cut their losses sooner rather than later, picking up a top-tier OT will help them do that.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Are you open to the Lions taking an offensive tackle with their first pick?

My answer: Yes.

I was open to this idea last year as well. But even moreso this year, the Lions are in a unique situation where they may be able to trade back once or twice and pick up a few extra picks in the early rounds. Of course, this is always a lot easier said than done, but if it’s ever going to happen, this is the year.

Using the scenario above, even after picking an OT with the sixth overall pick, I was still able to address the defense with four defensive players in the top four rounds at major areas of need. I also threw in an athletic wide receiver for good measure (though he might go much earlier). The idea of getting an offensive playmaker while addressing needs on defense and adding a stud OT is pretty enticing.

Your turn.