Lions address crucial needs, draft high-upside players

DETROIT — For the first time in a long time, at least longer than I’ve been alive, the Detroit Lions entered an NFL Draft without having to focus on a multitude of positions to fill for the upcoming season.

The feeling for years was that the Lions could take just about anyone at any spot because they were practically in need of every position on the field.

This draft felt different. This draft had a feeling that for the first time, Lions fans trusted in general manager Brad Holmes to pick whomever he wanted wherever he wanted, and the play of Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta, who were both looked at as potential reaches in the 2023 NFL Draft, only solidified the confident feeling in fans.

Holmes took that trust and confidence, and he did what no other Lions general manager had ever done in previous seasons — drafted a position of need heavily.

There may be some satire there, because obviously players like Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson Jr., Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell and other previous draft picks were positions of need at the time, but I’m more so looking at Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, T.J. Hockenson and even Jameson Williams as more of greedy or unnecessary picks at their spots.

Anyone who watched the Lions last year, especially in the playoffs, knew in their heart what the Lions needed to do, and Holmes answered the call to perfection.

 

Round 1, Pick 24: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
Becoming the second defensive back drafted by the Lions in the first round since 2000 (Jeff Okudah, 2020), the University of Alabama’s Terrion Arnold was a player the Lions were honed in on from the beginning of the draft.

The question revolved around if/how the Lions could move up from their No. 29 spot to have a shot at him.

After making a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, the Lions had their chance at not only getting the best player available, but also filling a major position of need.

“It doesn’t always match up that way,” Holmes said in his NFL Draft press conference following day one. “I know you guys have heard me say a million times that we don’t care what the position is, we’re just going to get the best football player. It happened to match up with it’s the best football player and an area where we wanted to add one at some point, but we didn’t know if we were going to be able to add one in the first round.”

Arnold is an explosive corner who possesses elite-level closing speed, running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.

A redshirt sophomore at Alabama, Arnold was named First-team Associated Press All-American and First-team All-SEC after tallying five interceptions (T-6th in FBS) and 17 passes defended (T-5th). Arnold started all 14 games for the Crimson Tide.

Allowing the sixth-most passing yards per game in the regular season and the second-most in the playoffs, the Lions were in desperate need of secondary help with Emmanuel Moseley coming off a season-ending injury and free agent acquisition Amik Robertson being more of a slot corner.

Arnold is slated to start alongside Carlton Davis III, whom the Lions acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via trade in the offseason.

Davis has been plagued with injuries throughout his career and has yet to play a full season.

Luckily for the Lions, Arnold is talented enough to be an immediate plug-and-play starter on day one of the 2024 season.

 

Round 2, Pick 61: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri
The only thing I love more than drafting a position of need is doing it again to show just how serious you are, and the Lions did just that.

“We didn’t go into it saying, ‘We’re going to get two corners in the first two rounds,’” Holmes said in his NFL Draft press conference following day two. “We really didn’t. It’s just he was the highest-graded guy for us at the time, and you know how we roll. We went ahead and got them, but those were also our top two corners ranked as well.”

A four-year starter at the University of Missouri, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. battled the injury bug in 2021 (ACL) and 2023 (groin), but shined on the field when healthy. He only had one interception throughout his college career, but he’s an above-average tackler.

Rakestraw fits the gritty mold Holmes and the Lions embody, playing physical in press coverage and possessing great speed.

Rakestraw can be a little aggressive at times with his hands, which will be an adjustment for him against bigger and faster wide receivers in the NFL.

The injuries are also a cause for concern solely due to the Lions secondary depth consisting of players with an injury history.

His speed and his aggressive mindset will translate, but the key for Rakestraw will be making sure his aggressiveness doesn’t cost the team in coverage or with penalties.

 

Round 4, Pick 126: Giovanni Manu, OT, University of British Columbia (CFL)
Round 4, Pick 132: Sione Vaki, RB, Utah
You can never have enough offensive lineman depth, especially when the Lions have shown that they have a knack for identifying talent in the trenches.

Giovanni Manu is one of those picks where, similar to fantasy football, you fall in love with a certain player and you’re willing to take him earlier than most just to make sure you grab him.

Holmes and the front office have earned the right to take that risk, but that doesn’t mean Manu doesn’t have the potential to be a solid rotating piece on the offensive line.

Manu previously played for the University of British Columbia in a league called U Sports, the highest level of amateur Canadian football.

The competition isn’t quite up to par with the National Collegiate Athletics Association, but Manu has the intangibles to be serviceable, standing at 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds.

“When I watched the tape, the upside of the actual player, and it’s not about who he was going against or all that stuff, we just kind of got enamored with the upside,” Holmes said in his NFL Draft press conference following day three.

Vaki is in a similar boat to Manu, but for different reasons. Both are interesting picks that will be looked back on as having incredible value if they contribute, but Vaki’s selection is more on his versatility, a Swiss Army Knife if you will, rather than his size.

Playing safety and running back for Utah, Vaki is the type of player who will fill in wherever you need him to be.

When Utah’s running back room was plagued with injuries, he stepped up and took on the carries.

As a safety, Vaki has a nose for the ball and is an above-average tackler, making him perfect for special teams, according to Holmes. Vaki had 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, and two sacks last season for Utah.

“That’s what first stood out is we thought he was one of the better special teams players in this entire draft,” Holmes said. “All four phases of special teams, and especially with some of the changes that are coming about, it kind of came to life even more.”

Either way, he’ll be fun to watch on the field this season.

 

Round 6, Pick 189: Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU
Round 6, Pick 210: Christian Mahogany, G, Boston College
I was hoping to see a receiver picked somewhere in this draft, even this late in the game, but as I previously said, you can never have enough depth.

The defensive and offensive line are exactly where depth is so crucial in the NFL, and the Lions spent their last two picks with this notion in mind.

Wingo tallied 25 tackles and 4.5 sacks in his final year at Louisiana State University, wearing the No. 18 jersey that is presented to the player who best represents the LSU football program’s culture.

“This guy fits our culture like a glove,” Holmes said. “He’s just a great kid. It’s hard to don that No. 18 at LSU — it just means something. I think his character speaks for itself, and his football character shows on the tape.”

Mahogany was a bit of a surprise still being available in the sixth round, carrying a fourth round draft projection, but it’s a high-value pick for Holmes and company.

A First-Team All-ACC selection last year, Mahogany started 13 games at right guard last season after recovering from a torn ACL the year prior.

Grabbing someone like Mahogany in the sixth round is an opportunity you can’t pass up.

“He fits how we want to play,” Holmes said. “He’s a tough, physical, and you know, he’s got some dirtbag in him. He’s just one of those tough Jersey kids that doesn’t take a lot of crap. He’s got a fun tape to watch.”

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Detroit Lions undrafted free agent signings
Ole Miss DE Isaac Ukwu; Illinois WR Isaiah Williams; Ohio State LB Steele Chambers; UCLA OL Duke Clemens; Duke WR Jason Calhoun; BYU TE Isaac Rex; Louisville C Byron Hudson; William & Mary EDGE Nate Lynn; Northern Illinois LB DaRon Gilbert; Fresno State CB Morice Norris; Wake Forest S Chelen Garnes; Ball State S Loren Strickland; Michigan K James Turner; Idaho LS Hogan Hatten.