It’s been an eventful off-season for Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions. He’s done a wonderful job signing players on reasonable deals while being able to restructure contracts.
Some of those restructured contracts include Tracy Walker, Romeo Okwara and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Per Spotrac, the Lions have close to $26 million dollars in cap space. It’ll be interesting if the Lions make any trades or anymore splashes in free agency. There’s not many free agents that’ll cause a ton of sizzle but there could be a player or two they could sign to provide some type of impact next season.
While we turn our attention away from free agency and contracts, let’s take a look at some draft prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft. Most mock drafts have one of the following players predicted to be the 6th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft:
- Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
- Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
- Jalen Carter, IDL, Georgia
- Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
- Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
It feels like one of them should be the 6th overall pick for Detroit. But let me play devil’s advocate and look at a couple of different options. The following players listed below could very well be near the top of the Detroit Lion’s draft board and nobody is talking about them. Let’s jump into three players that are different than the consensus for the 6th overall pick.
Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
I have been somewhat surprised that Peter Skoronski hasn’t been talked about more as a fit for the Detroit Lions. If you think about players that fit what they preach, he kinda falls inline with all of it. He’s physical and technically sound but also feels like a “gritty” type of player that fits Detroit.
Also, he’s about as consistent as they come for an offensive lineman. In my scouting report, I’ve labeled him as a player that’s “a consistent technician that has quick and clean feet while being able to maintain low pad level consistently in the run and passing game.” One of the easiest evaluations in this class, there’s a high chance that he starts from day one for a team.
During his career at Northwestern, he was able to tally up over 2300 career snaps at left tackle and only gave up 5 career sacks (per PFF). Many people consider him a plug-and-play guard at the next level but it wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up playing tackle for a team.
One thing that will get pinned against Skoronski is his arm length. Check the tape though because there’s a lot more reps of him holding his own against defenders with longer arms than him losing those reps. Keep in mind that arm length doesn’t matter either. Hutchinson has 32 1/8″ arms and Skoronski has 32 1/4″ arms. The Lions just want good football players.
For the Lions, Skoronski could easily play tackle but it wouldn’t be surprising if they moved him to guard. Sure, the Lions have Vaitai at right guard but health has been a major concern since he arrived in Detroit. Meanwhile, Graham Glasgow is only on a one-year deal. There’s a chance that Skoronski edges both players out and is an immediate starter for Detroit while having the brightest future of any offensive lineman from the 2023 NFL Draft. Keep close tabs on him with the 6th overall pick.
Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
Many fans in Detroit want Jalen Carter out of Georgia and I can’t blame them. On the field, he’s one of the best players in the 2023 NFL Draft, if not, the best player. That said, you do have to worry about everything that’s happening off the field for him. So Detroit, please keep in mind that he could be off their board.
By the time we get to the 6th overall pick, there could be a chance that we see Tyree Wilson and Will Anderson off the board. One could be selected by Arizona and the other by Seattle. Certainly the Lions could go and grab Myles Murphy from Clemson but what about Nolan Smith from Georgia? Similar to what we discussed above on Peter Skoronski, it feels like Nolan Smith fits what is being built in Detroit.
Smith is a violent football player regardless of size and he’ll matchup against anyone. He doesn’t care about being David while matching up against Goliath. He loves contact and is looking to punish the opposition. On the field, Smith displays great versatility and is able to align in a variety of spots from a stand-up 7-technique or he could even cover the slot (8 snaps per PFF).
Most likely to stand-up as a pass-rusher, you can send Smith after the quarterback or he could drop into the flats to stop the pass. By far, my favorite thing he does on the field is how he attacks blocks. There could be a split-zone block coming right at him and he’ll blow the block up while helping his teammates on the tackle.
Some could even say that nobody did more for their draft stock at the Scouting Combine than Nolan Smith. I would certainly agree with that statement. Smith is 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds with 32 5/8″ arms. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds and had a 41.5″ vertical. Despite only playing 8 games last season due to a torn pectoral muscle, it seems likely that he’ll be a top-15 pick in April. If the Lions top players start to fall off the board, they could certainly consider a player such as Smith with the 6th overall pick.
Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
This one certainly feels like a long shot from everything I’ve gathered. But similar to the situation listed above, it’s possible. If you look at the type of edge rushers the Detroit Lions have brought in under Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, it does feel like they have a “type.”
That type is a versatile defensive lineman that can play anywhere and everywhere. For example, we see Hutchinson aligned inside as a 3-technique and other times we see him standing up off the edge. The same happens with John Cominsky, Josh Paschal and others.
With that, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Lions took a liking to Lukas Van Ness from Iowa. Realistically, the 18th overall pick seems more reasonable for Van Ness but if a team likes a guy, they normally take that guy. Detroit could follow that approach.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Detroit loves the effort and blend of power and speed from Van Ness. It immediately pops off the tape and he’s the type of player that could take his game to the another level if he develops a more consistent pass rush plan. His hands aren’t always active and he’s a bit power-centric, but his length and frame are impressive.
Consistency will be key for him in the NFL but with the Detroit Lions coaching staff, it’s all possible. There’s plenty of intrigue around his 6-foot-5 and 272 pound frame. Much of that is due to his 34″ arms and the fact that he ran 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds. The former hockey player, who spent almost 12 years of his youth on the ice could find himself in Hockeytown sooner rather than later.
