Saturday open thread: Which position should the Lions double-dip at in the draft?

The Detroit Lions have needs and the draft will present an opportunity to fill said needs.

Of course, free agency is still to take place, but sussing out the situation at the wide receiver position reveals a less fruitful harvest than once thought. Chris Godwin was franchise-tagged by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Davante Adams the same deal in Green Bay. The Los Angeles Chargers signed Mike Williams to a rich contract extension to the tune of $60 million over three years—with $40 million guaranteed—and set the receiver market this offseason.

At linebacker, some former Rams players could be available in free agency. Cory Littleton, after a couple of disappointing seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, was cut on Thursday as new head coach Josh McDaniels starts shaping the roster. Troy Reeder, a former undrafted free agent, wasn’t tendered by the Rams after starting 10 games, recording 91 tackles and 2.0 sacks. The biggest name now on the market, former Seattle Seahawks All-Pro Bobby Wagner, is drawing interest from a number of teams including the Lions.

The safety position is the much-talked-about group in free agency where the Lions could take care of business. High-profile names like Marcus Williams, Quandre Diggs, and Tyrann Mathieu are external options, but Detroit could just as easily bring back Tracy Walker in an effort to provide stability to the defensive back’s room while also having a talented player there, too.

Along with these three positions where Detroit has significant and immediate needs as the offseason begins, there’s certainly a case to be made for the EDGE position being up there on that list. Now that Trey Flowers is set to be released, and Charles Harris is set to become an unrestricted free agent next week, Detroit is equipped with a rehabbing Romeo Okwara, his brother Julian Okwara, and Austin Bryant.

Which position should the Lions double-dip at in the draft?

From a talent standpoint, it seems like this draft class is stocked at a few positions, and those positions just so happen to be those spots where the Lions have needs. The EDGE position goes deep, the linebacker group the same with a cluster of athletes, and the same could be said for this versatile group of safeties.

Truthfully, there could legitimately be six wideouts taken in the first round, and even more players worth grabbing at the beginning of Day 2 like Jalen Tolbert, Christian Watson, and Skyy Moore—if they aren’t sneaking themselves into getting picked on Day 1. But therein lies the interesting spot the Lions will find themselves at the turn, picking at both No. 32 and No. 34. Could Detroit go with two receivers here? Better yet, could the Lions grab one here and then one later? If it were up to wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, the Lions would get two pass catchers with their nine picks.

Your turn.