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2023 NFL Draft: Instant Analysis and Grades for Every Team’s Picks

By Sayre Bedinger

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 27: (L-R) C.J. Stroud poses NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected second overall by the Houston Texans during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 27: (L-R) C.J. Stroud poses NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected second overall by the Houston Texans during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /
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2023 NFL Draft
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama, Jack Campbell from Iowa, and general manager Brad Holmes pose during the players’ introductory news conference at team headquarters in Allen Park on Friday, April 28, 2023.Lions 042823 Kd275 /

Detroit Lions

  • 12. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
  • 18. Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
  • 34. Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
  • 45. Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
  • 68. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
  • 96. Brodric Martin, DL, Western Kentucky
  • 152. Colby Sorsdal, OL, William & Mary
  • 219. Antoine Green, WR, North Carolina

A lot of people are up in arms over this Detroit Lions draft class. Those who believe in positional value are absolutely crawling in their skin over the Lions’ top four picks — all top-50 selections — being:

  • Running back
  • Linebacker
  • Tight End
  • Safety

I mean, when you put it that way, it does sound kind of bad, doesn’t it? But the Lions are one of very few teams that had six selections in the top 100 overall. They managed to get some really good players which is the thing that matters most.

They shocked everyone by taking Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick and reports after the fact were that they would have been okay taking him at pick no. 6 overall if they hadn’t been able to trade down. Gibbs is an outstanding talent with elite speed, pass-catching abilities, and vision. He joins an already dynamic Lions offensive arsenal.

Jack Campbell might have been the biggest “reach” of the first round but who really cares? What happens if some team in the 20s loved Campbell as much as the Lions, and they missed out on getting him in round two because of positional value? They feel like he can be a major difference-maker for their defense, and they’re right to believe that. Campbell was ridiculously productive at Iowa and makes plays on all three downs.

Speaking of making plays at Iowa, offensive production was somewhat the equivalent of a lunar eclipse, maybe a bigfoot sighting at Kinnick Stadium the last handful of years. In the Hawkeyes’ case, Bigfoot’s name was Sam LaPorta. He was virtually the only player consistently producing for the offense and stood out like a sore thumb. The Lions trade away TJ Hockenson last year, and replace him with another Hawkeye with tremendous athleticism.

Brian Branch joins a revamped Lions secondary with CJ Gardner-Johnson. Although he was a great value, he kind of strikes me as redundant after that acquisition but we’ll see what Aaron Glenn’s plans are.

Hendon Hooker deserves so much more attention than the typical third-round pick. The Lions got an absolute steal there and I don’t think anyone would have batted an eye if they had taken him at 18 overall. If it weren’t for a knee injury this past season, he might have gone sooner than that.

Overall, this Lions draft is presently being defined by positional value, but people are ignoring the players. This team has a legit shot to win the NFC North with Aaron Rodgers out of the picture, so I don’t hate this class at all. Positional value does factor in slightly, but I’m going to be higher on this Lions class than most.

Grade: A-

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