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The Detroit Lions had a lot of selections to make in the 2023 NFL Draft. Following a frustrating miss of the playoffs (they ended up tied with seventh seed Seattle), they didn't have that many holes to plug, but did need to make a few key selections.
Detroit Lions picks by round
- Round 1, Pick 12 (via Arizona)
- Round 1, Pick 18
- Round 2, Pick 34 (via Arizona)
- Round 2, Pick 45
- Round 3, Pick 68 (via Denver)
- Round 3, Pick 96 (via Arizona)
- Round 5, Pick 152
- Round 7, Pick 219 (via Philadelphia)
After a few trades, the Lions ended up with eight total picks to work with. Here's what they did with them.
Detroit Lions' round one picks
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama (12th from Arizona)
With the 12th pick, the Lions made a bold choice to select a non-Bijan Robinson running back in the first round. After trading back with the Arizona Cardinals, they selected Jahmyr Gibbs in the first.
Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa (18th)
With their own selection in the first-round, they picked Jack Campbell. The Lions had an abysmal defense, so Dan Campbell opted to shore it up with this pick.
Detroit Lions' round two picks
Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa (34th from Arizona)
After trading TJ Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings, the Lions needed a tight end. With a pick secured as part of the Cardinals trade, they selected Sam LaPorta out of Iowa.
Brian Branch, S, Alabama (45th)
The Lions used their other second-round round pick to once again shore up the defense. Brian Branch was arguably the best safety in this class, so this was a good pick at 45th overall.
Detroit Lions' round three selections
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee (68th from Denver)
With the 68th pick, the Lions opted to find their backup quarterback and potential successor to Jared Goff. Goff is expensive and Hendon Hooker was considered a round two prospect, so this was a nice pick for Detroit.
Brodric Martin, DT, Western Kentucky (96th from Arizona)
There was not really a position of strenght on the 2022 Lions' defense, so every position needed some help. With their third-round pick, they took defensive tackle Brodric Martin.
Detroit Lions' round five picks
Colby Sorsdal, OL, William & Mary (152nd)
With their only fifth-round pick, they opted to go for an offensive lineman to protect Goff or Hooker and pave the way for Gibbs to run. William & Mary lineman Colby Sorsdal was the pick here.
Detroit Lions' round seven picks
Antoine Green, WR, North Carolina (219th from Philadelphia)
To close out the draft, the Lions landed Antoine Green from North Carolina. He was prolific playing with Drake Maye, so he could be a key contributor to an offense that just lost Jameson Williams.
