2023 NFL Mock Draft: Dane Brugler makes a bold deal with the Detroit Lions

Teams are excluded from NFL playoffsindicating that the 2022-23 season is coming to an end, but also an indication of this NFL Draft The season is heating up.

Back in late November, Athletic player Dean Brugler He dropped his first mock draft of the season And he gave Detroit Lions Two defensive players (a defensive tackle at pick #3 and a cornerback at pick #13). Since then, a lot has happened, including the establishment of a draft order with its first 24 picks (the Lions now pick at No. 6 and No. 18 in the first round), college underclassmen declaring the draft, and The Mock News series has spawned six installments.

Let’s take a closer look at who Brugler has paired with lions in his country Second Mock Draft of the Season (Dollar Subscription):

Pick #6: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

Heading into that pick, three quarterbacks, EDGE Will Anderson (Alabama), and DT Jalen Carter (Georgia) all entered the top five, leaving the Lions with an interesting option and Brugler going with his top corner at the plate. Here’s what he had to say about his show:

Christian Gonzalez flashed enough in Colorado to finish ninth in pole My Summer Top 50 PaletteAnd he lived up to that hype in his only season at Oregon State. With his athletic profile for speed/length and the Lions’ need for the quarterback position, Gonzalez (son-in-law of former Lions quarterback David Plouffe) should be on Detroit’s shortlist for their first-round picks.”

At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with the blood of an Olympic sprinter in his veins (Blough’s wife, Melissa Gonzalez is his sister), Gonzalez has been in conversation for the corner lead all season. He’s drawn comparisons to Patrick Surtain in terms of height, athleticism, instincts, and man-covering skills, which will fit the Lions’ scheme like a glove, and he has the potential to shut down CB1.

I try not to put too much stock in the reports on Lions scouts attending Hobo games because speculation can get you in trouble, but it’s worth noting that both Lions general manager Brad Holmes and senior director of player players Lance Newmark made separate trips to Oregon for scouting purposes this year. season. It’s fair to say they’ve done their homework on the Oregon prospects.

Pick #15: Anthony Richardson, QB, Fla

trading (with Packers) of No. 18 to pick No. 15 costs the Lions to pick No. 48 in this scenario, but as Brugler points out, this is something Holmes has done before:

“In the first round last year, the Lions made a big trade with a class opponent to switch to a high-rising offensive star (Jameson Williams). They can do it again this year and invest in their future at quarterback.”

Here’s Brugler’s explanation for why he expected the Lions to make such an aggressive move to get the quarterback:

“With his size, athleticism and arm, Anthony Richardson is quite an outsider with a high ceiling, but he still figured out how to be a consistent passer. Having Jared Goff will allow Detroit to develop Richardson at his own pace.”

At 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, Richardson has all the physical attributes you could want in a modern NFL quarterback: size, strength, speed, twitching, athleticism, explosiveness, arm strength, the ability to field touchdowns, and if So it was all that could be the top five quarterbacks in the NFL.

The problem is that he hasn’t really put it all together yet, and every one of those skills has come in flashes rather than as a full product. He’s still pretty raw in many areas, including his decision-making, throwing technique, and accuracy, which also puts him in the potential bust category.

The bottom line with Richardson is that he’s a lottery ticket. If he hits, you’ve got a Josh Allen type player. If he failed to develop, Holmes lost the “no” shots. 18 and 48 in a year as the Lions look to round the corner and make the playoffs.

Pick #55: Isaiah Foskey, Edge, Notre Dame

Pairing the Lions with Foskey creates an interesting dynamic because while Foskey is the perfect fit for Detroit, Foskey doesn’t fit in the position seamlessly.

Foskey is an above average athlete who never stops working on a play, has an elite personality, and is a weapon on special teams. He’s a hybrid passing rusher who wins by length and explosiveness but has also shown enough range to drop in coverage at times. On special teams, he is a potential staple because of his athleticism and willingness to work.

His positional fit for defense is not immaculate. Foskey has plenty of desirable passing rushing attributes, and although he does have the size, he’s not effective enough as an edge-limiter to be the primary backup to Aidan Hutchinson on the open edge. He also didn’t take the next step in his development this past season, which raises the question of just how high his developmental ceiling is.

At the end of the day, Foskey can be used in the SAM role the Lions started to incorporate more late last season. But with James Huston and Julian Okwara already in the role, it could cause the registry to jam a bit in the position unless the role becomes more prominent.

Other notes about Bruegler’s mock draft

• Watch QBFour quarterbacks were projected in the first two rounds and three were selected after the team traded them. The Colts traded for #1 pick Bryce Young (Alabama), W.J Texas I stayed second and took Will Levis (Kentucky). The Panthers traded for a No. 5 pick for CJ Stroud (Ohio State), and, of course, black traded as above.
• NFC North: Bears trade and land on the floor of DT Jalen Carter (Georgia)… Ouch. The Packers land EDGE Lukas Van Ness (Iowa) after their trade to the Lions. And the Vikings are trying to shore up their terrible high school with CB Duent Banks (Maryland).
• local connection: Three Wolverines selected in the second round, NT Mazie Smith went to Brown CB DJ Turner went to the Cowboys at the 58th pick, and DL Mike Morris went to the Chiefs at the 62nd pick. No other Michigan colleges had players selected in this mock draft.