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The Detroit Lions found themselves in a hole of Jameson Williams' making after the wide receiver was suspended from the league for six weeks for gambling on college football games. Wide receiver was a not a position of immediate need for the Lions, but now that Williams will be gone for a third of the season, they have to re-evaluate their priorities.
Missing a key player for that long could mean that by the team he's back, Detroit might already be playing catchup in the race for the playoffs. After coming to within a game of making the postseason, finishing with a winning 9-8 record, that's not a possibility the Lions hierarchy ought to entertain.
To resolve this issue, let's run the Sportskeeda Mock Draft Simulator and see what can be done. It threw out a bunch of options to ensure they got a wide receiver in and addressed their other needs, too.
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Lions' 2023 NFL Draft picks: Round 1, #13 and #18 overall: Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Bryan Bresee
The first thing acute NFL observers will immediately notice is that we have Detroit picking 13th overall instead of sixth.
The Sportskeeda mock draft simulator gave us an option for a trade with the New York Jets, where, for the sixth overall pick, they gave us the 13th, 43rd, 74th and 112th picks. Given that due to Jameson Williams' suspension, the required positions that Detroit needs have increased, we had no hesitation in adding some draft picks.
The Detroit Lions had the sixth pick from the Los Angeles Rams through a trade that sent Matthew Stafford the other way, as well as their 18th overall pick. Now, picking 13th and with many more draft picks to come, we thought of reinforcing the wide receiver position first. Anyone who's ready to play from their first day in the NFL will ensure that Jameson Williams' absence is not sorely felt.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was still available at that position with the 13th overall pick, so we had no hesitation picking him there. He should be able to slot in from the first day and provide competition even when Jameson Williams returns.
With the 18th overall pick, we stayed in place and did not accept any trade and shored up the defensive line. The Lions had the worst defense in the league last season, giving up 392.4 yards per game.
Bryan Bresee was the obvious choice here, given he can play along the defensive line, is a good pass rusher on the inside and can use his strength to block against the run.
Lions' 2023 NFL Draft picks: Round 2, #43, #48 and #55 overall: Emmanuel Forbes, Dalton Kincaid, Hendon Hooker
The cornerback position is a consensus priority for the Detroit Lions. Their 245.8 yards per game allowed on passing was the third-worst in the NFL.
However, given how deep the position class is this year, we thought of trading and drafting a cornerback later. That's a fair assumption, as Detroit has two picks in the first round, and there will likely be teams looking to move up by trading with them.
With the 43rd pick, we got a steal with Emmanuel Forbes. The Mississippi State player has the best statistics of anyone in this position. A former wide receiver in high school, he's an interception machine like Trevon Diggs.
With six interceptions and three pick sixes in his final season, he set the NCAA record. His tackling is also devastating. The only reason he was still available is because he's just 6' 1" and 166 pounds, but a battle-hardened SEC defender like him is more than just that.
With the 48th pick, we chose tight end Dalton Kincaid. Relying on Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell last season was not enough, and they need another weapon here to help Jared Goff.
Speaking of quarterbacks, with the 55th pick, we chose Hendon Hooker. He was still available because he's 25, which is why many teams do not want to take a bet on him. Nevertheless, he's a mature passer who could be the developmental quarterback behind the incumbent starter. It might bring out the best in Jared Goff, too.
We could have chosen a linebacker with the last pick in the second round, but Alex Anzalone has signed a new deal, and Malcolm Rodriguez will partner him.
If Derrick Barnes establishes himself, Detroit will rest easy, otherwise they can always return to this position next year.
With some clever prospective trades and utilizing the depth of the cornerback class in the 2023 NFL draft, the Sportskeeda Mock Draft Simulator could cover both Jameson Williams' loss and the need to improve their defense.
If that indeed pans out, the Detroit Lions should be well set to make a run to the postseason.
