Lions 2023 Draft Class

[34-78-83]

2 hours ago, Dubie54 said:

What a difference maker this draft class was for the Lions:

 

Round 1, Pick 12 — RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Round 1, Pick 18 — LB Jack Campbell

Round 2, Pick 34 overall — TE Sam LaPorta

Round 2, Pick 45 overall — DB Brian Branch

 

The rest of their draft was not much but these 4 guys were amazing, particularly Gibbs and LaPorta. I think LaPorta could become another Kelce type dominant TE for years.

 

It sure would be amazing if we could find 4 guys who could step right in at Saftey, WR, LB and DT draft this year. 

 

 

I don't think Campbell was "amazing" but certainly agree on the rest!

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

I love LaPorta though.  He is their extension candidate from that group, IMO.   I was really hoping he'd have declared in 2021 and the Bills could have stolen him in a middle round.......but he took the risk and stayed for his senior year.   Bills likely wouldn't have extended Knox once they saw him in minicamp.

 

 

I actually like LaPorta and Branch more long term than the two first rounders. 

 

They will squeeze that rookie contract production out of Gibbs and he will run for a ton of yards. Then they'll pay him and cut him inside two years. Campbell is what we knew he was. An old fashioned thumper at MLB but a liability in coverage.

 

I think LaPorta and Branch will end up there for the duration.

[Billl]

19 minutes ago, Rigotz said:

 

I think it's a little early to say that. They've just thrown the ball at him a lot.

 

Sam LaPorta:

120 targets, 86 receptions for 889 yards. (71.6% reception rate)

 

Dalton Kincaid:

91 targets, 73 receptions for 673 yards (80.2% reception rate)

 

Both guys look great early, but it's silly to put them above Kelce, Andrews, Kittle, Hockenson, etc., until we see them develop.

Nobody is putting "them" above any of those guys.  La Porta is easily above TJ, though.

 

Kincaid had a nice rookie season, but nobody is confusing 700 yards and 2 TDs with 900 yards and 10 TDs.  

1 hour ago, ngbills said:

Not just 2023 draft. Look at 2021 and 2022. Brad Holmes has done an excellent job. In  these three years they added:

 

QB - Goff (Trade)

RB - Gibbs (2023 Draft)

RB - Montgomery (2023 Free Agent)

WR - Williams (2022 Draft)

WR - St Brown (2021 Draft)

TE - LaPorta (2023 Draft)

OL - Sewell (2021 Draft)

 

DL - Hutchinson (2022 Draft)

DL - McNeil (2021 Draft)

LB - Campbell (2023 Draft)

LB - Anzalone (2021 Free Agent)

LB - Barnes (2021 Draft)

DB - Branch (2023 Draft)

DB - Joseph (2022 Draft)

DB - Sutton (2023 Free Agent)

 

Plus a bunch of other guys that see the field all brought in the past couple seasons. 

 

They've basically done the same thing the Bengals did except they didn't draft a stud QB, so it won't really matter.

[Augie]

2 hours ago, Lost said:

Detroit certainly nailed their draft last year.   

 

Kincaid and Torrence were big for us this year and the best 1,2 picks since Josh Allen.   Maybe we're trending in the right direction as far as the drafting players.  

 

We had a TON of recent draft picks contributing last year, including some later round guys like Shakir and Benford. I like where we sit and look forward to them picking some more guys I’ve never heard of before in the next draft!   😋

[transplantbillsfan]

2 hours ago, Dubie54 said:

What a difference maker this draft class was for the Lions:

 

Round 1, Pick 12 — RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Round 1, Pick 18 — LB Jack Campbell

Round 2, Pick 34 overall — TE Sam LaPorta

Round 2, Pick 45 overall — DB Brian Branch

 

The rest of their draft was not much but these 4 guys were amazing, particularly Gibbs and LaPorta. I think LaPorta could become another Kelce type dominant TE for years.

 

It sure would be amazing if we could find 4 guys who could step right in at Saftey, WR, LB and DT draft this year. 

 

 

 

Ummm... yeah... all 1st and 2nd round picks.

 

Beane nailed our 1st and 2nd round picks this year, too.

 

Plus, I think Dorian Williams is going to play a huge role moving forward.  More and more teams using a 3rd LB as more and more teams in the NFL are shifting to 12 and 21 personnel on offense.  The Chiefs and Lions, for example, used a LOT of 3 LB sets this season.  watch that happen with us starting next year, especially considering our new DC was just the LB coach who worked closely with Williams.

[Alphadawg7]

2 hours ago, Dubie54 said:

What a difference maker this draft class was for the Lions:

 

Round 1, Pick 12 — RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Round 1, Pick 18 — LB Jack Campbell

Round 2, Pick 34 overall — TE Sam LaPorta

Round 2, Pick 45 overall — DB Brian Branch

 

The rest of their draft was not much but these 4 guys were amazing, particularly Gibbs and LaPorta. I think LaPorta could become another Kelce type dominant TE for years.

 

It sure would be amazing if we could find 4 guys who could step right in at Saftey, WR, LB and DT draft this year. 

 

 

 

I started a thread after the draft saying that it was crazy people were hating on the Lions draft and that they probably had the best draft of anyone.  All these dumb bad draft grades literally because they took Gibbs at 12 instead of 18 when they had no idea if he would even last to 18.  Yes you can make a case that you don't need to take a RB early, or even that its best not to...BUT that does NOT mean its ALWAYS wrong.  

 

They got the 2nd best RB, top LB, 2nd best TE, and top S in the draft with their first 4 picks.  It was a bounty then, and it proved to be a bounty on the field.  I need to go find that thread where so many argued with me that Gibbs pick was terrible and their overall draft was a fail.  Like most this board was slamming their draft 

 

It is why I always say, the only people who care about "draft slot" are fans...in the NFL, it doesn't matter where you are selected, it just matters what you do on the field.  When the Lions finished day 2 I was looking at the number 1 or 2 prospect at 4 positions of need for the Lions in 2 rounds...thats a hell of a draft haul and why I felt then that their draft was one of the best, if not the best, back then.  

 

I loved LaPorta too, its why I waited on a TE and took him in 4 of my 5 leagues...one league a Lions fan snaked him a couple rounds earlier than he had been going so I missed out on him lol.  

2 hours ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

Helps having 4 picks in the first 50... Buffalo is lucky to have 2 picks in the first 50 (last one was 2019).  

 

Yet most of TSW was slamming the Lions draft last year after they made those 4 picks

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

7 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

I started a thread after the draft saying that it was crazy people were hating on the Lions draft and that they probably had the best draft of anyone.  All these dumb bad draft grades literally because they took Gibbs at 12 instead of 18 when they had no idea if he would even last to 18.  Yes you can make a case that you don't need to take a RB early, or even that its best not to...BUT that does NOT mean its ALWAYS wrong.  

 

They got the 2nd best RB, top LB, 2nd best TE, and top S in the draft with their first 4 picks.  It was a bounty then, and it proved to be a bounty on the field.  I need to go find that thread where so many argued with me that Gibbs pick was terrible and their overall draft was a fail.  Like most this board was slamming their draft 

 

It is why I always say, the only people who care about "draft slot" are fans...in the NFL, it doesn't matter where you are selected, it just matters what you do on the field.  When the Lions finished day 2 I was looking at the number 1 or 2 prospect at 4 positions of need for the Lions in 2 rounds...thats a hell of a draft haul and why I felt then that their draft was one of the best, if not the best, back then.  

 

I loved LaPorta too, its why I waited on a TE and took him in 4 of my 5 leagues...one league a Lions fan snaked him a couple rounds earlier than he had been going so I missed out on him lol.  

 

Yet most of TSW was slamming the Lions draft last year after they made those 4 picks

 

Its too early to say one way or another.  Gibbs will probably be a fine player.  But will he be that much better than an achane or spears?  Considering dollars and draft investment - they'd better hope so.  

 

Campbell felt like a reach to me, especially considering the players he was most compared to in Sanders and Simpson went in the 3rd round.  Wonder if they were hoping for Gonzalez there.  Murphy or Kancey were some pass rushing players on the board that could've fit.  I still tend to want to find off ball linebackers later in the draft - its a play fast not be fast position.  I think Campbell will end up being a fine pro, just again not the best use of extra draft capital.  

 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Campbell actually struggled in pass coverage pretty bad and had a very high missed tackle percentage. 
 

Yes though, they had a good draft. 

[Alphadawg7]

15 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

Its too early to say one way or another.  Gibbs will probably be a fine player.  But will he be that much better than an achane or spears?  Considering dollars and draft investment - they'd better hope so.  

 

Campbell felt like a reach to me, especially considering the players he was most compared to in Sanders and Simpson went in the 3rd round.  Wonder if they were hoping for Gonzalez there.  Murphy or Kancey were some pass rushing players on the board that could've fit.  I still tend to want to find off ball linebackers later in the draft - its a play fast not be fast position.  I think Campbell will end up being a fine pro, just again not the best use of extra draft capital.  

 

 

Agreed, it's still early, but pretty hard to argue with the results.  

 

There is not a GM in the NFL that cares about whether or not Gibbs was taken at 12 or 18 come football Sundays.  Only people who rumble about that are fans, literally no one in the NFL cares about that.  Gibbs was a first round talent, he is who they wanted for their offense, and he was a huge part of it and their success and proved to be the best rookier RB in the NFL this year.  And no disrespect, I have no idea why you would mention Sanders and Simpson, you realize they did nothing as rookies right?

 

Here is the reality...the #1 rookie RB in the NFL this year was Gibbs (despite splitting RB duties with Montgomery who vultured a LOT of TDs) who finished with 1643 total yards and 14 TD's (including 3 in the playoffs).  The #1 rookie LB was Campbell with 110 tackles and 2 sacks.  Sanders had just 13 tackles on the season and Simpson had just 14 tackles.  

Gibbs had a great season and is more durable frame than Archane who kept missing time with injuries.  Archane doesn't have the frame to hold up, and his season his heavily skewed by an insane 3 game stretch early in the year where he amassed over half his seasons total production in those 3 games.  He wasn't nearly as effective down the stretch including multiple games with under 4 ypc and only managed 2 TD's over the final 5 games while Miami was spiraling out of control.  Meanwhile Gibbs got stronger and stronger as the season went on and proved to be the better player so far.  

 

So no disrespect, but I can't fathom how anyone can still be critical of taking Gibbs and Campbell in the first.  IMHO I feel like people are just doubling down on the incorrect opinion they had on draft night.  Because the results completely say otherwise.

43 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Campbell actually struggled in pass coverage pretty bad and had a very high missed tackle percentage. 
 

Yes though, they had a good draft. 

 

That was early in the season, he got much better and missed far less tackles as the season went on.  

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Just now, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Agreed, it's still early, but pretty hard to argue with the results.  

 

There is not a GM in the NFL that cares about whether or not Gibbs was taken at 12 or 18 come football Sundays.  Only people who rumble about that are fans, literally no one in the NFL cares about that.  Gibbs was a first round talent, he is who they wanted for their offense, and he was a huge part of it and their success and proved to be the best rookier RB in the NFL this year.  And no disrespect, I have no idea why you would mention Sanders and Simpson, you realize they did nothing as rookies right?

 

Here is the reality...the #1 rookie RB in the NFL this year was Gibbs (despite splitting RB duties with Montgomery who vultured a LOT of TDs) who finished with 1643 total yards and 14 TD's (including 3 in the playoffs).  The #1 rookie LB was Campbell with 110 tackles and 2 sacks.  Sanders had just 13 tackles on the season and Simpson had just 14 tackles.  

Gibbs had a great season and is more durable frame than Archane who kept missing time with injuries.  Archane doesn't have the frame to hold up, and his season his heavily skewed by an insane 3 game stretch early in the year where he amassed over half his seasons total production in those 3 games.  He wasn't nearly as effective down the stretch including multiple games with under 4 ypc and only managed 2 TD's over the final 5 games while Miami was spiraling out of control.  Meanwhile Gibbs got stronger and stronger as the season went on and proved to be the better player so far.  

 

So no disrespect, but I can't fathom how anyone can still be critical of taking Gibbs and Campbell in the first.  IMHO I feel like people are just doubling down on the incorrect opinion they had on draft night.  Because the results completely say otherwise.

 

Well Running backs are good when the line in front of them is good in most cases.  They have a good to great offensive line.  Is it worth spending those resources within the first round on a running back?  It's only really worth it if he's an all-pro.  And if you planned to time-share the guy then it makes even less sense.

 

Campbell starting for the lions not very good defense isn't an accolade to me necessarily.  It just means he started.  Bernard didn't play his rookie year, did that make him a bad player?  

 

I'll reiterate that i think they will both be fine pros, i just disagree with using 2 first round picks on a RB and off-ball linebacker. 

[GunnerBill]

I did criticise their first round and I think Campbell has already proven a reach. He has been a liability in coverage. And while Gibbs is talented and has definitely played well for them I still contend a team with their need at a premium position - CB - should have taken a corner. Christian Gonzalez or Joey Porter. That would have made a bigger difference than another running back especially when the guy they have playing on $6m AAV had 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns and the guy they gave away also had a 1,000 yard season. 

 

It isn't that Gibbs isn't good. Or that I care whether he was 12 or 18. It is the opportunity cost when you pick a running back as against a premium position. And they end up playing an NFCCG with Cam Sutton as their best corner. No surprise they couldn't hold onto a big lead. 

 

I gave them credit for their day 2 picks at the time, hated day 1, liked what they did day 2. LaPorta and Branch were excellent picks. 

[TheWeatherMan]

5 hours ago, Dubie54 said:

What a difference maker this draft class was for the Lions:

 

Round 1, Pick 12 — RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Round 1, Pick 18 — LB Jack Campbell

Round 2, Pick 34 overall — TE Sam LaPorta

Round 2, Pick 45 overall — DB Brian Branch

 

The rest of their draft was not much but these 4 guys were amazing, particularly Gibbs and LaPorta. I think LaPorta could become another Kelce type dominant TE for years.

 

It sure would be amazing if we could find 4 guys who could step right in at Saftey, WR, LB and DT draft this year. 

 

 

I know the other 3 were major impact players for the Lions, but I don’t recall Jack Campbell being as impactful.  

[HappyDays]

3 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

All these dumb bad draft grades literally because they took Gibbs at 12 instead of 18 when they had no idea if he would even last to 18.  Yes you can make a case that you don't need to take a RB early, or even that its best not to...BUT that does NOT mean its ALWAYS wrong.  

 

Gibbs was a bad pick... Without question. The Lions lost the NFCCG because they lacked talent at outside WR and CB.

 

Emmanuel Forbes

Christian Gonzalez

Jordan Addison

Deonte Banks

Joey Porter Jr

 

Those are 1st round players that could have helped them last year and possibly the next decade. I'll throw Lukas Van Ness and Will McDonald in as well because an edge rusher opposite Hutchinson is also a huge need.

 

It's 2024... You just don't draft RBs in the 1st round anymore, certainly not in the top 12.

[Mr. WEO]

6 hours ago, TFBillsfan said:

Add to that draft Hutchinson, DE and Jameson Williams at WR in 2022 and they’ve crushed their last two drafts! That’s SIX long term impactful starters on rookie contracts.

 

And St. Brown before that.  

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I actually like LaPorta and Branch more long term than the two first rounders. 

 

They will squeeze that rookie contract production out of Gibbs and he will run for a ton of yards. Then they'll pay him and cut him inside two years. Campbell is what we knew he was. An old fashioned thumper at MLB but a liability in coverage.

 

I think LaPorta and Branch will end up there for the duration.

 

 

That's how it's done with RBs nowadays though.

[freddyjj]

6 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

We need to hit on impact WR And Safety in our first 2 picks. After that DT, WR and then whomever.

S is a lower priority position for most teams and one where the top prospects drop to 2nd 3rd or even 4th round.  
 

Dominant DTs especially NTs or 1Ts are hard to come by so if the Texas NT Sweat is there in Rd 2 gotta believe OBD grabs him. 6’4” 360 lbs and Outland Trophy winner  

[SoonerBillsFan]

Just now, freddyjj said:

S is a lower priority position for most teams and one where the top prospects drop to 2nd 3rd or even 4th round.  
 

Dominant DTs especially NTs or 1Ts are hard to come by so if the Texas NT Sweat is there in Rd 2 gotta believe OBD grabs him. 6’4” 360 lbs and Outland Trophy winner  

Yeah that kid is for real.

[GunnerBill]

9 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

That's how it's done with RBs nowadays though.

 

Yep. You just don't need to spend a first round pick to do it that way when you have needs at premium spots. 

[Thurman#1]

12 hours ago, Dubie54 said:

What a difference maker this draft class was for the Lions:

 

Round 1, Pick 12 — RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Round 1, Pick 18 — LB Jack Campbell

Round 2, Pick 34 overall — TE Sam LaPorta

Round 2, Pick 45 overall — DB Brian Branch

 

The rest of their draft was not much but these 4 guys were amazing, particularly Gibbs and LaPorta. I think LaPorta could become another Kelce type dominant TE for years.

 

It sure would be amazing if we could find 4 guys who could step right in at Saftey, WR, LB and DT draft this year. 

 

 

 

 

You're a lot likelier to get a great draft haul when your first four picks are #12, #18, #34 and #45 as the Lions did.

 

The Lions fourth pick was #45. The Bills are likely to have only one pick that high this year. Their second pick will be #60. And their fourth pick (since they traded away their 3rd rounder for Rasul Douglas, but will likely get a 3rd round comp pick for losing Tremaine Edmunds) will likely be #128 or very close depending on how many comp picks are given out in the 3rd.

 

#128 is a lot less likely to get you a starter for your 4th round pick than #45 as the Lions had.

 

To sum up, the Lions first four picks last year were #12, #18, #34 and #45. The Bills first four picks this year are #28, #60, about #99 and about #128.

 

The Lions did a great job acquiring picks.

 

I wish the Bills would start one of those conveyor belts of picks like the Pats used to use, where they'd trade a 4th rounder for next year's 3rd, then the next year trade that one for a next year's 2nd and so on. That will start getting you better chances at better players.

 

 

[Thurman#1]

10 hours ago, Billl said:

Nobody is putting "them" above any of those guys.  La Porta is easily above TJ, though.

 

Kincaid had a nice rookie season, but nobody is confusing 700 yards and 2 TDs with 900 yards and 10 TDs.  

 

 

 

True, but considering LaPorta had 918 snaps and Kincaid 699, their production is closer than it first appears.

[Thurman#1]

12 hours ago, TFBillsfan said:

Add to that draft Hutchinson, DE and Jameson Williams at WR in 2022 and they’ve crushed their last two drafts! That’s SIX long term impactful starters on rookie contracts.

 

 

Yup. But it's also four 1sts and two 2nds in two years total.

 

It's more that they accumulated great picks than that they beat the odds on how the picks performed.

 

Hutchinson and Williams appear to be future mainstays, though at #2 and #8, it's not a big surprise.