NFL Draft: Who should the Detroit Lions select at 32 in our Community Mock Draft?

The Detroit Lions are on the clock in our 2022 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft. Managing editor/interim Lions general manager Erik Schlitt must make a pretty difficult decision with so much talent on the board.

As a reminder, Schlitt took Georgia edge defender Travon Walker with the second overall pick. Does he dip into defense again, hoping to improve Detroit’s biggest weakness from last season? Or is the allure of an offensive weapon too much to overlook. Here are the players that have come off the board thus far.

POD Community Mock Draft picks so far:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
2. Detroit Lions: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
3. Houston Texans: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
4. New York Jets: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
5. New York Giants: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
6. Carolina Panthers: Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
7. New York Giants: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
8. Atlanta Falcons: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
9. Seattle Seahawks: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
10. New York Jets: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
11. Washington Commanders: Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
12. Minnesota Vikings: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
13. Houston Texans: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
14. Baltimore Ravens: Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
16. Philadelphia Eagles: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
17. Los Angeles Chargers: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
18. New Orleans Saints: Drake London, WR, USC
19. Philadelphia Eagles: Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
21. New England Patriots: Zion Johnson, iOL, Boston College
22. Green Bay Packers: George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
23. Arizona Cardinals: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
24. Dallas Cowboys: Kenyon Green, iOL, Texas A&M
25. Buffalo Bills: Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
26. Tennessee Titans: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
28. Green Bay Packers: Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
29. Kansas City Chiefs: Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
30. Kansas City Chiefs: David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
31. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Linderbaum, G/C, Iowa

Let’s run through some of the candidates for the 32 pick.

LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia

With just one linebacker off the board in the first 31 picks, Dean represents excellent value here. Some are concerned about Dean’s size (5-foot-11, 229 pounds) and whether that can hold up at the next level. However, the Lions have shown that they prioritize speed at the second level, and Dean has plenty of that.

S Lewis Cine, Georgia

Another huge position of need, Cine would be just the third safety off the board here. A perfect fit for the Lions’ split-zone scheme, Cine is more than capable coming down into the box and defending the run (73 tackles in 2021) or dropping back into coverage (10 pass breakups).

S Jaquan Brisker, Penn State

Brisker is a slightly different flavor of safety if you’re not in the Cine camp. He’s most comfortable in the box laying the wood, but he has the athleticism to drop back and cover wide swaths of field. However, he’ll make his money at the next level with an aggressive playstyle near the line of scrimmage, where he tallied 6.0 tackles for loss last year with the Nittany Lions.

QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

This has been a popular place for mock drafters to slot the Lions a quarterback, and Ridder is a player that seems to be getting some late draft season hype. He somehow slipped to the end of the first round, and while he certainly needs some seasoning at the next level, he brings the kind of dual-threat athletic traits that could make him a tantalizing choice here. The added benefit of the fifth-year option gives Detroit some extra time to develop Ridder and decide whether he’s their franchise quarterback before handing him a new, monster deal.

WR George Pickens, Georgia

There was a pretty big run on wide receivers in the top 31 picks, with six already off the board. On one hand, the Lions don’t want to reach here. But on the other hand, if Detroit waits too long, they could miss out on all the top-tier talent at receiver. Pickens—at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds—is one of the few remaining receivers who could play the X position and has true No. 1 upside. Pickens did suffer a torn ACL last March, robbing him of most of his junior season, but he did come back, which shows tremendous spirit.

WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State

If Pickens isn’t your type of wide receiver, Dotson provides something different and would be decent value here. A natural separator, Dotson could fill the Josh Reynolds role in Detroit’s offense long-term and even slide into the slot if the Lions want to move Amon-Ra St. Brown around. Dotson was one of the most productive receivers in football over the past two seasons, combining for 2,066 yards and 20 touchdowns in his last 21 games.

DT Devonte Wyatt, Georgia

Well isn’t this the Georgia Bulldog show? With only Jordan Davis off the board, Wyatt provides excellent value at the defensive tackle position. It’s not unreasonable to think Wyatt could actually go drafted before Davis, simply because a 3-tech defensive who can rush the passer and defend the run may be viewed as more valuable than a nose tackle freak of nature.

The good news for Detroit (and Erik) is that whoever the Lions decide to pass on here is almost certainly going to be available with their next pick at 34. They only have to worry about the Jacksonville Jaguars (and POD commenter Jerrydlux).

Now it’s time for you to vote. Who would you take?