Detroit Lions fans prioritizing avoidance of 0-17 over acquiring No. 1 pick

The Detroit Lions may only be at the halfway point of the season, but we’re already into Tank Talk. At 0-8, the Lions currently hold the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but with the 1-8 Houston Texans and a trio of teams (Jets, Jaguars, Football Team) with two wins, it’s certainly possible that hold on the pick slides away. If Detroit finishes with the same record as any of those teams, they will almost certainly cede the first overall pick to them, as the tiebreaker is strength of schedule, and the Lions have faced one of the toughest schedules in the entire NFL.

Securing the first overall pick is one thing. Doing it while becoming the first team to go 0-16 and 0-17 is another. Given that this is a brand new era of Lions football—with a new general manager, new head coach, and relatively new owner—going 0-17 in their first year could do unrecoverable harm to the franchise. Every player, coach, scout, and team employee will have that designation follow them for their entire career, and the Lions would incur yet another black eye.

So this week, we asked our NFL Reacts audience a tough question: What is your bigger priority as a Lions fan right now: Securing that first overall pick or assuring this team doesn’t go winless yet again?

Obviously, the Lions could make both happen. A 1-16 record could very well be bad enough to secure the first pick. Hey, the Dolphins just beat the Ravens, so it’s possible 2-15 would still lock up the first pick.

But let’s make this more of a hypothetical. It’s Week 18. The Lions are 0-16. A win puts them at 1-16, tied with the Houston Texans and down to Pick No. 2. A loss locks up the first overall pick, but earns that horrid distinction. Which outcome are you rooting for?

Our Reacts audience is pretty split, but ultimately, 58 percent would rather avoid 0-17 than lock up that first overall pick.

Do you agree? Vote in this separate poll and let’s hear some debate in the comment section.

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