The Detroit Lions' future looks a bit brighter after GM Brad Holmes headed a successful 2022 offseason in the draft and free agency. With the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, they were able to select Aidan Hutchinson in addition to more talent such as WR Jameson Williams.
The upcoming season will be crucial in the development of their young players for the future. In Dan Campbell's second season, they must get off to a better start than last season or else the hot seat rumors will start up.
Let's look at two moves the Detroit Lions should make after the 2022 NFL Draft to finalize their roster.
Lions Moves After 2022 NFL Draft
2. Get Baker Mayfield
As of now, it certainly looks like Jared Goff will be the Lions' starting quarterback for 2022. But, for how long after that? As his contract increases, it's possible the Lions move on from him in the near future. That's especially the case if they get a top pick again, as the 2023 NFL Draft class features C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young.
In turn, the Lions must decide just what they have in Goff. In 14 starts, he led the Lions to a 3-10-1 record, which included 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He threw for 3,245 yards on a 67.2% completion percentage despite a limited number of weapons to throw to.
Thankfully for him, he'll have a better chance to prove himself in 2022. In addition to elite tight end T.J. Hockenson, the Lions now have offseason additions D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams at wide receiver. Those two, tripled with Amon-Ra St. Brown, make for an intriguing receiving corps for Goff.
On the contrary, perhaps the Lions go out and acquire Baker Mayfield. It's clear Mayfield won't play another snap for the Browns, but it remains to be seen if they'll cut him or still attempt to trade him. Without a doubt, he would come in and bring a competitive fire to the Lions' quarterback room. Perhaps that's just what Goff needs, a fire lit under him. A battle between these two quarterbacks would give them the best possible bridge option until they find their long-term guy.
1. Who's the kicker?
As of now, Austin Seibert is likely the betting favorite for the Lions‘ starting kicker in 2022. With that being said, the team clearly isn't fully confident in Seibert's abilities as Aldrick Rosas was signed to a futures deal in February. He played just one game for the Lions last season, making each of his field goal and extra point attempts. Rosas has become a bit of a journeyman, as he has been on four teams since 2019. He has the talent, but that hasn't always led to results. In 2018, he made 32 of his 33 field goal attempts with the Giants en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.
On the contrary, Seibert was the Lions' kicker last season until he had surgery on his adductors. In six games, he was 10-for-12 on field goals and made all five XP tries. Kickoffs were a major weakness for Seibert, though, as just five of his 26 kickoffs were touchbacks (19.2%). In the NFL, that's simply not good. Before the Lions, Seibert spent time with two AFC North foes, the Browns and Bengals. The Browns picked him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. They released him after just one game in the 2020 season. The Lions may (likely) end up keeping both kickers on the roster until the final roster cuts. It's a situation that will have to be decided eventually, as neither Rosas nor Seibert seem to have a clear advantage.
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