Sunday open thread: Should the Lions draft David Ojabo if he falls in the draft?

In a brutal turn of events, David Ojabo suffered a torn Achilles during Michigan’s pro day, as first reported by Michael Lombardi. Part of a loaded position group in this draft class, Ojabo was highly regarded and thought to be a top-20 pick by many draftniks—trust me, I asked Erik. And with this happening so close to the finishing line of the pre-draft process, it doesn’t get much worse for a player whose explosive athleticism was one of his most alluring traits.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic suggested on Twitter that Ojabo’s stock will, understandably, take a significant hit due to the nature of the injury, but it won’t result in a “free fall” either. Brugler figures if Ojabo’s surgery and rehab go as planned, and teams are satisfied with the results and timeline for recovery, the Michigan standout could still be in play to get drafted in the “40 to 75” range.

This brings us to today’s Question of the Day...

Should the Lions draft David Ojabo if he falls in the draft?

It’s an intriguing proposition, without a doubt. Although the Lions were under a different set of leadership at the time, we saw Detroit recently take a chance on Julian Okwara in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft after he suffered a fractured fibula near the end of the college season. Coincidentally, Okwara was the 67th pick in that draft, and the Lions currently hold the 66th pick in this year’s draft, so that puts them right within the range of selections Brugler proposed on Saturday. Picks at 32 or 34 seem too steep a price to pay for such uncertainty.

There’s definitely some calculus to consider when sussing out Detroit’s situation at EDGE. In the first week of free agency, the Lions cut Trey Flowers, re-signed Charles Harris, and earlier this month indicated they’re encouraged by Romeo Okwara’s recovery from an Achilles injury of his own. However, it feels like a risky move to bet on two players at the same position recovering from notoriously difficult injuries to recover from. And when you step back to consider general manager Brad Holmes' approach to free agency as a whole, it seems like he’s counting on the draft to address many of the numerous needs this roster still has.

If Detroit can find a way to move back and collect more picks in that 40 to 75 range, I wouldn’t be opposed to Holmes taking a chance on Ojabo, but with the needs this roster has at the moment, those picks at 32, 34, and 66 should be spent on players who can play, develop, and be part of what this team is building towards. The injury presents too much of a risk that is tough to predict just how useful Ojabo will be once he recovers, so I think the Lions should steer clear of more players recovering from historically-devastating injuries.

Your turn.