The Lions hold the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft and have plenty of players to consider.
But no matter who they pick, the Lions expect the selection to come in and make an immediate impact.
Head coach Dan Campbell made that clear in remarks to reporters on Thursday.
“You want a guy who can come in and he’s a Day One starter,” Campbell said, via Tim Twentyman of the team’s website. “That’s really what you’re trying to acquire. You’d like to think by the time you hit your first game this player is starting for you and he’s going to be able to produce.”
The Lions have a pair of first-round picks — No. 2 and No. 32 — from last year’s trade with the Rams that sent quarterback Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles. They then hold the No. 34 pick in the second round at the top of Day Two.
In 2021, Detroit chose offensive tackle Penei Sewell at No. 7 overall and he started 16 games for the team as a rookie.
As Detroit builds with Campbell and General Manager Brad Holmes, Campbell said the team will continue focusing on stacking its core through the draft.
“That’s where our pool of guys are coming from,” Campbell said. “You want to build your core that way and you want to develop those players, and then you want to sign those players back, and then you want [to] draft some more.”
Detroit was 3-13-1 in Campbell’s first season as head coach last year.
