Lions' Top 2022 NFL Draft Targets

The 2022 NFL draft has the chance to be transformative for the Detroit Lions organization.

Thanks to the Jared Goff trade and a 3-13-1 season, the Lions will have the No. 2 and 32 picks in the first round. They won't have to wait long in the second round to get on the clock, either. They'll have an opportunity to add another difference-maker with the 34th overall pick.

Two picks in the third complete their five picks in the top 100.

It's an important draft for general manager Brad Holmes as he looks to build a competitive roster. Here's a look at two top targets for the No. 2 pick and another they could be looking at with the 32nd.

Just days before the draft, Travon Walker overtook Aidan Hutchinson (scouting report) as the betting favorite to be the No. 1 pick at DraftKings Sportsbook.

That development has to make the Detroit organization ecstatic. If the Jaguars take the big swing of making Walker the No. 1 pick in the draft, it will leave the Lions with a pretty easy decision.

Not only does Hutchinson have a strong argument to make as the best player in the class, but he also fits a legitimate need for the Lions. With Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker already on the roster, tackles should be off the board. And there isn't a quarterback worthy of the second overall selection.

As tempting as it might be to roll the dice on a quarterback prospect like Malik Willis, the Lions are better off getting a proven commodity like Hutchinson.

The edge-rusher had a productive final season at Michigan, racking up 14 sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss and helping lead Michigan to the College Football Playoff.

The fact that he's coming from Ann Arbor to Detroit certainly doesn't hurt, either.

If the Jaguars buck the odds and take Hutchinson, it's going to leave the Lions with an interesting choice.

Walker (scouting report) is one of the most fascinating prospects in recent memory. Before the combine he was barely considered a first-round prospect. He certainly wasn't the most impressive Georgia defender on film.

He only had six sacks and 7.5 tackles for a loss on a historic Georgia defense. But his testing numbers and athletic potential are hard to ignore. His relative athletic score is the third-highest among players at his position since 1987, per Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network.

The general lack of production can be explained by his role. He took way more snaps on the interior within the Bulldogs system than he's likely to take in the NFL. It's hard to imagine what he could do if given a full-time edge-rusher role and had a coaching staff that will maximize his physical gifts.

He's a tantalizing prospect and could be difficult to pass on, even if Kayvon Thibodeaux (scouting report) is still on the board.

The Lions desperately need to come out of this draft with a wide receiver who can at least be a No. 2 option behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. One who could challenge him for the role of WR1 on the team would be even better.

By the time the Lions are on the clock at No. 32, the most highly rated contenders for that role are likely to be gone.

It would make sense to target a bit of a sleeper for the distinction in that case. George Pickens comes in at WR9 on the B/R Scouting Department's big board, but his ceiling is much higher.

Matt Miller of ESPN noted he "won't be surprised" if Pickens is the best receiver in the class three years from now.

Pickens' value is hard to gauge because of the timing of his injury. He suffered a torn ACL during spring practice in 2021, leaving him unable to play for most of the season. He only wound up appearing in four games and had just five receptions for 107 yards.

The question is where his draft stock would be if, like Jameson Williams of Alabama, he didn't suffer the injury until the end of the season.

Even if Pickens had posted a similar season to his 2020 campaign, in which he caught 36 balls for 513 yards and six touchdowns in eight games, he would likely be slated to go earlier than anticipated.

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