Among the things first-time head coaches have to get used to is having a broad view of the team rather than the narrower focus on a unit or position that comes with being an assistant.
Lions head coach Matt Patricia is making that switch after being hired this offseason and the draft is the latest place where he has shifted his mindset. Patricia coached offensive line early in his career and worked with linebackers in New England before becoming the defensive coordinator, leaving him aware that he needs to expand his mind beyond those spots when it comes to navigating the draft process.
“I actually have to be careful that I don’t go too far into that and remember that you have to keep the whole team in mind because it’s easy to dive into specifically those two positions and say, ‘Hey, you know I’ve seen that guy before in this,’” Patricia said, via the Detroit News. “You know, when you were singularly focused in a specific position group and say, ‘Hey, we can really do something with that.’ But if you’re kind of ignoring the big-picture look, you might have a guy that might be a little bit more talented at another position that might be a little bit more of a need.”
Patricia’s attempt to see the whole board doesn’t mean the Lions will or should stay away from those spots. An interior offensive lineman, along with running back and edge rusher, would make a lot of sense for the Lions early in the draft regardless of Patricia’s particular affinities.
