2023 NFL Draft Thread

[Longgone]

52 minutes ago, Jason_R said:

This is good to hear, though this time of year you take it with a grain of salt. It has not been clear where he slots in next to the two blue chip defenders. Many mocks go in many different directions after pick 5, indicating question marks.

When you read about him more you see things like “not fully polished” and that he will start as a “rotational player.” PFF has his best graded game against Murray State but with a pedestrian rating against Oklahoma State. Is that worth a 6?

The problem with this draft, as wonderfully deep as it is, it is light at the top. Pretty much anyone at 6 is going to have some discouraging flaws.

[Jason_R]

43 minutes ago, Longgone said:

The problem with this draft, as wonderfully deep as it is, it is light at the top. Pretty much anyone at 6 is going to have some discouraging flaws.

Yes, this is why the beat writers put Skoronski at 6. RAS of 9.26 as a Tackle. His Northwestern teammate Slater was at 9.71 and went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Sewell seems to have been scored 9.32. Skoronski is a really athletic guy.

This pick doesn’t make as much sense now that Vaitai is restructured and apparently healthy. But Skoronski’s floor is probably as a top five player at his position for 8-10 seasons. His ceiling is multi-year Pro Bowl right tackle. A GM might regret not being able to trade back a few slots to take him, but I doubt the GM who takes him will regret it.

I agree that 6 is too high for a guard on a team that already has two high quality starting guards. And a team that still needs CBs and has the chance to get a physical freak like Gonzalez. But Skoronski will probably get picked at 9 by Chicago and if not then probably at 11 by Tennessee. So Skoronski at 6 would not nearly be the over-draft that some are making it out to be. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

What is Taylor Decker's trade value? Is there a realistic world where the Lions do draft Skoronski, move Sewell to LT, put Skoronski in at RT and trade Decker during the draft?

[djhutch]

2 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

What is Taylor Decker's trade value? Is there a realistic world where the Lions do draft Skoronski, move Sewell to LT, put Skoronski in at RT and trade Decker during the draft?

I'm not doing that until I know Skoronski can play T in the NFL.  Maybe if they draft him & he's working out a trade deadline deal for future draft capital, but I'm not playing around with Goff's protection, given that Sudfeld is our only other option right now.

[gehringer_2]

I guess I could see them taking him at 6 just because the confidence in Decker staying on the field can never be too high. If Decker is healthy *and* Skoronski grades out at tackle then you have a trade piece, or Decker isn't healthy you are covered, or if Skoronski is just a good guard at least you have a somewhat guaranteed floor on the use of the pick.  Not the worst way to cover your options if you have a FO that values the O-Line above most other areas of the field. But if I had confidence in Decker - and maybe they do- I'd probably take the corner.

[NYLion]

29 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

What is Taylor Decker's trade value? Is there a realistic world where the Lions do draft Skoronski, move Sewell to LT, put Skoronski in at RT and trade Decker during the draft?

Decker is a huge part of the leadership group and is a pretty good tackle to boot. There's no way they trade him now IMO.

If the Lions take Skoronski, it's likely to replace Jackson in a year and then Decker in two if he can show capable of playing tackle.

[buddha]

3 hours ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

What is Taylor Decker's trade value? Is there a realistic world where the Lions do draft Skoronski, move Sewell to LT, put Skoronski in at RT and trade Decker during the draft?

no.

[1984Echoes]

10 hours ago, Longgone said:

This just isn't true. Gradewise, talentwise, valuewise, Skoronski fits right in with any pool of players who might be available at 6. To downgrade him simply due to arm length is ignorant.

"Skoronski is The Draft Network’s third ranked offensive tackle in this year’s class – behind Broderick Jones and Paris Johnson – and the 14th ranked prospect overall"

 

THIRD rated Tackle.

So... Yes...

PLEASE let's draft him at #6. The THIRD rated tackle, #14 overall rated (by at least one "draft expert"; Draft Tek has him at #9 and the #2 OT behind Paris Johnson, PFF believes he'll end up at Guard, NFL scouts believe he'll end up at guard... etc.). He's #14 in my book as well. I can name 13 players who will be better than him in the NFL/ have a much higher impact than Sko. This is bordering on ridiculous... IMO.

So PLEASE can we draft Skoronski at #6? 

NOT!!!

Edited March 29, 2023 by 1984Echoes

[buddha]

3 hours ago, NYLion said:

Decker is a huge part of the leadership group and is a pretty good tackle to boot. There's no way they trade him now IMO.

If the Lions take Skoronski, it's likely to replace Jackson in a year and then Decker in two if he can show capable of playing tackle.

that would be the thinking.  otoh, the lions have one of the best left tackles in the league playing right tackle right now.

skoronski at left tackle and young at qb would both be historically physically outside the parameters for their positions.  

[1984Echoes]

PS: The Lions have had or will have SIX O-Lineman in for visits.

NONE of them are 1st round rated. All are 2nd/ 3rd round guys.

Wanna find me some smoke... somewhere, ANY where? That makes anyone think the Lions are considering a 1st round O-Lineman?

I'm waiting....

 

[buddha]

3 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

I guess I could see them taking him at 6 just because the confidence in Decker staying on the field can never be too high. If Decker is healthy *and* Skoronski grades out at tackle then you have a trade piece, or Decker isn't healthy you are covered, or if Skoronski is just a good guard at least you have a somewhat guaranteed floor on the use of the pick.  Not the worst way to cover your options if you have a FO that values the O-Line above most other areas of the field. But if I had confidence in Decker - and maybe they do- I'd probably take the corner.

if decker gets hurt you move sewell to left tackle and vatai to right tackle.

[Jason_R]

42 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

PS: The Lions have had or will have SIX O-Lineman in for visits.

NONE of them are 1st round rated. All are 2nd/ 3rd round guys.

Wanna find me some smoke... somewhere, ANY where? That makes anyone think the Lions are considering a 1st round O-Lineman?

I'm waiting....

 

The beat writers from the News and the Free Press both had him at 6 in their mock drafts. If you think it's a bad idea you could write a letter to the editor. 

[Jason_R]

4 hours ago, NYLion said:

If the Lions take Skoronski, it's likely to replace Jackson in a year and then Decker in two if he can show capable of playing tackle.

It only maybe made sense if they cut Vaitai and/or before re-signing Glasgow. They still need more depth at RG since both Vaitai and Ragnow have health concerns and Glasgow is the backup for both of them. 

[RandyMarsh]

I sometimes feel like Birkett likes to be the wet blanket and Debbie Downer to any Lions optimism from the fans so I wouldn't be surprised if he mocks Skoronski to the Lions just cause he knows that is the player that a good chunk of Lions fans probably want the least. Probably has them taken Mayer with the 18th pick as well just to crush their hopes even more. 

Edited March 30, 2023 by RandyMarsh

[1984Echoes]

14 minutes ago, Jason_R said:

The beat writers from the News and the Free Press both had him at 6 in their mock drafts. If you think it's a bad idea you could write a letter to the editor. 

Mock drafts?

That's your source?

How about Holmes/ Campbell's ACTIONS? How about Holmes STATEMENTS and past draft history?

Don't you think that's a BETTER source than some mock drafters from the News & Free Press?

I mean, seriously, that's IT?

I don't need to write any letters to any editors...

Anyone who RELIES on mock drafters is entirely laughable in its own right and doesn't even deserve a response...

So that's it for me. This entire discussion is beyond laughable... to me.

[Hongbit]

1 hour ago, buddha said:

if decker gets hurt you move sewell to left tackle and vatai to right tackle.

Matt Nelson thinks you’re a dick.  

[Motown Bombers]

14 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

I sometimes feel like Birkett likes to be the wet blanket and Debbie Downer to any Lions optimism from the fans so I wouldn't be surprised if he mocks Skoronski to the Lions just cause he knows that is the player that a good chunk of Lions fans probably want the least. Probably has them taken Mayer with the 18th pick as well just to crush their hopes even more. 

Now that Stafford is gone he can't constantly mock a QB to Detroit since it isn't working with Stafford. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

1 hour ago, 1984Echoes said:

PS: The Lions have had or will have SIX O-Lineman in for visits.

NONE of them are 1st round rated. All are 2nd/ 3rd round guys.

Wanna find me some smoke... somewhere, ANY where? That makes anyone think the Lions are considering a 1st round O-Lineman?

I'm waiting....

 

The smoke is Dave Birkett at the Free Press mocking Skoronski to the Lions. The belief is that Birkett has contacts in Allen Park and people that probably give him information and tidbits from time to time. It's not like some national beat writer mocked Skoronski to the Lions, Dave Birkett did, so that is about the most reputable smoke there.

[1984Echoes]

Complete and total speculation with no evidence whatsoever of any ACTUAL Lions actions.

I'm done. 

You guys got nuthin'.

Absolute Nuthin'.

[1984Echoes]

30 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

The smoke is Dave Birkett at the Free Press ...

PS:

That's not smoke.

That's Birkett blowin' smoke up everyone's ass...

Which does NOT count as smoke coming from the Lions.

Don't you guys know the difference?

[sagnam]

The Draft Network is no more reliable than a Detroit beat reporter.

[Jason_R]

2 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

Mock drafts?

That's your source?

How about Holmes/ Campbell's ACTIONS? How about Holmes STATEMENTS and past draft history?

Don't you think that's a BETTER source than some mock drafters from the News & Free Press?

I mean, seriously, that's IT?

I don't need to write any letters to any editors...

Anyone who RELIES on mock drafters is entirely laughable in its own right and doesn't even deserve a response...

So that's it for me. This entire discussion is beyond laughable... to me.

Dude, you were posting mock drafters an hour ago. You were posting stuff from a site I've never heard of, that has information inconsistent with better known sources, that has no sources inside the team, that does not have writers who travel with the team. The beat writers have covered the team every day for 13 years (Birkett) and 7 years (Rogers). If you think you and your random internet site know better than guys who have been covering the team for a combined 20 years, good for you. 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Jason_R

[1984Echoes]

And I'm not RELYING on them.

They are a simple counterpoint to your mocks. Also... Wait, what were you saying about PFF, that it's not a credible talent evaluator? That you've never heard of them? I can assure you PFF is a better talent evaluator than Birkett or Rogers.

I am RELYING on what Holmes/ Campbell say and do. I am relying on multiple sources, including talent evaluators and NFL scouts who flat-out state that Sko won't cut it as an OT in the NFL that he'll be a guard. Jason R is speculating that Sko will be a multi-year Pro-Bowl RT? Talk about blowing smoke up peoples' ass... 

And as for Birkett/ Rogers... sure... the Lions aren't going to release their draft strategy to the public because they very well could lose a guy that they are targeting but hey... (whisper, whisper, whisper... let's LEAK this to Birkett and Rogers because that is an AWESOME draft strategy!!!)

Again... this is your source? Beat writers, who if they leaked team strategy to the public that was under wraps, would have their access...? The team finds out who leaked proprietary strategy that they absolutely want kept under wraps and... what happens to that person?

That makes TOTAL sense to me. So yeah... good work there guys.

[sagnam]

The point is the data you are quoting is just as stupid as the alternatives.  So relax.  The Lions hopefully aren’t drafting a G/T at 6, but some janky draft site is just as credible as Lions beat writers on the matter.

Edited March 30, 2023 by sagnam

[gehringer_2]

13 hours ago, buddha said:

vatai to right tackle.

assuming Vatai can stay on the field also.