As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Detroit Lions.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Lions pick in the NFL Draft?
The Detroit Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, Alabama) with the 12th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Lions added Jack Campbell (LB, Iowa) with the 18th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Detroit drafted Sam LaPorta (TE, Iowa) with the 34th pick and added Brian Branch (DB, Alabama) with the 45th pick.
The Lions selected Hendon Hooker (QB, Tennessee) with the 68th pick and Brodric Martin (DL, Western Kentucky) with the 96th pick.
Lions Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Defensive Line
- Tight End
- Cornerback
What Picks do the Detroit Lions have in 2023?
The Detroit Lions have nine picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (6)
- Round 1 (18)
- Round 2 (48)
- Round 2 (55)
- Round 3 (81)
- Round 5 (152)
- Round 5 (159)
- Round 6 (183)
- Round 6 (194)
Detroit Lions Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Lions Sharp Draft Value Rank: 3 of 32 teams
- Lions AV Model Draft Value Rank: 3 of 32 teams
- Lions OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 4 of 32 teams
Detroit Lions Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Lions' draft value is 47% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. Just two other teams have higher draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Detroit Lions Draft Prediction:
The Lions are predicted to draft Will Anderson Jr. (EDGE, Alabama) with the No. 6 pick and Devon Witherspoon (CB, Illinois) with the No. 18 pick in the first round according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Lions predicted to draft Devon Witherspoon (CB, Illinois) with the sixth pick and Lukas Van Ness (EDGE, Iowa) with the 18th pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Detroit Lions Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Detroit Lions have the eighth easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Detroit Lions Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Michael Hauff breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Detroit Lions, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Detroit Lions Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Lions:
- Jared Goff
- Nate Sudfeld
The 2022 season was a successful one for the Lions as they finished with the fifth most points scored in the league.
A large reason for the offense thriving in 2022 was Jared Goff.
Finishing sixth in EPA among quarterbacks, Goff threw for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns.
His touchdown rate was 4.9%, his highest since 2018 with Sean McVay and the Rams.
The team ranked seventh in passing first downs on a per-game basis with 13.4.
Among quarterbacks with more than 4,000 passing yards last season, Goff had the lowest interception percentage with 1.2%.
Backing up Goff is fifth-year veteran Nate Sudfeld.
The only question in terms of the draft is whether it is time for the Lions to address life after Goff.
As it stands now, Goff is expected to make around $26 million in each of the next two years before becoming a free agent in 2025.
While the Lions could take a quarterback at No. 6 if someone they like falls, it is more likely they address the position in the later rounds.
Still, they will have to address the position at some point, and they might not be this close to the top of the draft in the years to come.
Running Back Depth Chart, Lions:
- David Montgomery
- D’Andre Swift
- Craig Reynolds
- Jermar Jefferson
- Greg Bell
- Jason Cabinda (FB)
Fan favorite Jamaal Williams became the Lions’ single-season leader in rushing touchdowns with 17 last season.
Williams left for the Saints in free agency after the Lions brought in David Montgomery on a three-year deal.
Prior to last season, Williams averaged 130.6 rushing attempts per season. In 2022, he totaled 262 attempts.
A large reason for that increase in workload is the durability of D’Andre Swift. Headed into his fourth year, Swift has never played a full season.
In the last two seasons, Swift has dealt with a groin strain, an AC joint sprain, and an ankle sprain.
Montgomery should be an upgrade to the passing game.
Despite Swift improving his pass blocking numbers last season, he has struggled in that area throughout his career. Montgomery has generally been a solid option as a pass blocker.
Montgomery has also produced in the passing game, catching 155 passes in 60 games with the Bears.
Montgomery provides stability to the position, but it is not all bad for Swift.
Last season, Swift averaged a career-high 3.1 yards after contact and had a 10-yard run on 13.1% of his rush attempts.
Behind Montgomery and Swift is Craig Reynolds.
This past season, Reynolds averaged 4.4 yards per attempt. Targeted 18 times in the last two seasons, the fifth-year back has caught 88.9% of his passes.
Even with Swift and his injury concerns, the running back room seems stable in terms of talent.
The Lions could potentially add a piece to this backfield via the draft but they are other more pressing needs.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Lions:
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Jameson Williams
- Marvin Jones Jr.
- Kalif Raymond
- Josh Reynolds
- Maurice Alexander
- Stanley Berryhill
- Tom Kennedy
- Trinity Benson
Wide receiver appeared to be one of the strongest positions for the Lions prior to the six-game suspension of Jameson Williams.
Williams was banned for violating the NFL's gambling policy along with fellow Lions receivers Stanley Berryhill and Quintez Cephus. Cephus picked up a year-long ban and has since been released.
After recovering from a torn ACL in the National Championship, Williams did not see his first NFL action until Week 13 of last season and will now miss the first six games of 2023.
He never played more than 25% of the snaps in those 13 games last season and recorded just one catch for 41 and a touchdown, so there is not a ton to go off when projecting him forward.
His senior season at Alabama does offer a reason for excitement. He finished that year with 1,572 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.
The good news is he will not be returning from an injury and can participate in the offseason program, so unlike last season, he will likely be a full-go as soon as he is eligible to return.
With Williams out, the depth chart does not look great behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was the centerpiece of the passing attack last season.
Accounting for 27.8% of the team’s targets, the Pro Bowl wide receiver finished 10th in the league with 1,161 yards.
At 23 years old, St. Brown just beat out Calvin Johnson as the youngest wide receiver in Lions history with over 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
In his young career, St. Brown has lined up in the slot position 68.8% of the time. That will likely continue in 2023 as the team has a strong presence of receivers that tend to line up wide.
After two years in Jacksonville, Marvin Jones has made his way back to the Lions.
Jones played for the Lions from 2016 to 2020, and his 36 touchdowns are tied for eighth all-time in Lions history. He adds significant depth to the position.
Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond will be needed for bigger roles while Williams is out. Both made a considerable impact last season.
Reynolds is now entering the final year of his contract and scored three touchdowns last season. Raymond ranked second on the team in targets (64) and averaged 13.1 yards per catch.
The Lions probably were not targeting a receiver early in the draft before the Williams news, but they at least have to think about adding to the position.
Tight End Depth Chart, Lions:
- Brock Wright
- Shane Zylstra
- James Mitchell
- Derrick Deese Jr.
In Weeks 1 through 7, Lions tight ends accounted for 21.7% of the team's targets. Then they traded T.J. Hockenson, and the target share plummeted to 13.8% for the rest of the season.
It was Brock Wright who finished as the leader in tight end targets with just 24.
Efficient with that work, Wright caught 75% of his targets and scored four touchdowns.
Tying Wright in touchdowns was Shane Zylstra.
The duo of Wright and Zylstra saw 23% of their targets inside the red zone and caught all of those targets for seven touchdowns.
James Mitchell is the third tight end on the depth chart and will likely be used more in 2023.
Mitchell, a fifth-round pick from last year who was recovering from a college knee injury, accounted for 11 receptions and a touchdown.
The issue at the position is that there doesn’t seem to be a reliable blocker. Wright specifically allowed 74 pressures this past season per PFF.
As it stands, only Mitchell and Derrick Deese Jr. are contracted with the Lions beyond this season.
Between that and the issues with blocking, expect the Lions to address the tight end position in the draft.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Lions:
LT: Taylor Decker/Obinna Eze
LG: Jonah Jackson/Logan Stenberg
C: Frank Ragnow/Ross Pierschbacher
RG: Graham Glasgow/Halapoulivaati Vaitai/Kayode Awosika
RT: Penei Sewell/Matt Nelson/Darrin Paulo
The offensive line had a strong 2022.
The team ranked second in sacks allowed (1.4) on a per-game basis. They were the only team within the top five that failed to make the playoffs.
The great news for the Lions and their fans is that four of the five offensive line starters from last season are returning.
It is hard to imagine, but Penei Sewell improved upon his rookie season. The former first-round pick cut his sacks allowed down from five to two and allowed seven fewer pressures.
Center Frank Ragnow was exceptional this past season as he allowed just one sack and 12 hurries. He was penalized just four times. He also had the seventh-highest run block win rate at his position.
If there is a question mark on the offensive line, it is Halapoulivaati Vaitai. The Lions guard missed all of last season following back surgery.
If not for agreeing to cut his base salary for the 2023 season, Vaitai could have been a cap casualty, and the team brought in Graham Glasgow for competition.
If the Lions choose to draft an offensive lineman, it going to be for depth or to address right guard. Much like the wide receiver position, the line is not a major position of need in this year’s draft.
Detroit Lions Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Michael Hauff breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Detroit Lions, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Detroit Lions Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Lions:
- Alim McNeill
- Levi Onwuzurike
- Isaiah Buggs
- Benito Jones
- Demetrius Taylor
The Lions decided to bring back both Isaiah Buggs and Benito Jones, but the work on the interior defensive line is not over.
Last season, the Lions finished 30th against the run and allowed 5.22 yards per carry, the third-highest mark in the league.
In terms of pass rush, the Lions finished 25th in pass rush win rate (36%), and the interior defensive line only accounted for 3.5 sacks.
When given the opportunity, Alim McNeill did perform well. Most specifically in Week 11 when McNeill had 10 total pressures against the Giants.
Then there is Levi Onwuzurike, who has dealt with back injuries throughout his career. He was able to play in 16 games in 2021 despite the back pain, but he was not as lucky in 2022.
Onwuzurike suffered another back injury last summer that kept him out for the entire season and eventually required surgery.
As for the previously mentioned Buggs, the interior lineman was given a two-year extension this offseason after posting career-highs in total tackles and pressures.
There is talent on the defensive line, but if the Lions expect to make strides defensively, the interior defense will need to be addressed early in the draft.
EDGE Depth Chart, Lions:
- Aidan Hutchinson
- James Houston
- John Cominsky
- Charles Harris
- Romeo Okwara
- Julian Okwara
- Josh Paschal
- Anthony Pittman
Aidan Hutchinson came as advertised in his rookie season. Not only did the former Michigan Wolverine register 9.5 sacks, but he also had three interceptions.
Lost in the shuffle of what was initially a healthy defense was rookie James Houston. While Houston didn’t take the field for the Lions until Week 12, he certainly made his presence felt.
In the final seven games of the season, Houston recorded eight sacks, the first time that has been done by a rookie in NFL history.
With this strong play, Lions rookies combined for 20.5 sacks.
Coming over from the Falcons last offseason, John Cominsky added four sacks.
It was this sort of play from the edge rushers that had the Lions improve their sack percentage from 5.23% in 2021 to 6.51% last season. While that mark was only good for 18th in the league, it is still an indicator of improvement.
The defense should only improve with John Scott Jr. joining the team as the new defensive line coach. Scott comes over from Penn State, who registered 43 sacks last season.
The interior defensive line needs more work than their edge rushers, but the Lions could always look to add more depth via the draft.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Lions:
- Alex Anzalone
- Malcolm Rodriguez
- Derrick Barnes
- Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Along with the interior defensive line, the linebacker unit could use some depth.
In 2022, the defense allowed a league-high 22.2 first downs per game. The defense also allowed the second-most points per drive.
Returning to the team on a three-year contract, Alex Anzalone is currently atop the depth chart.
Calling the defensive signals, Anzalone finished 21st in the league with 125 total tackles.
What was encouraging was that the linebacker cut back on his missed tackles from 21.2% in 2021 to 12.5% this past season.
Finishing third in team tackles was Malcom Rodriguez.
A sixth-round pick from last year’s draft, Rodriguez recorded 80 total tackles and only missed 10% of his tackles. If there is somewhere for the young linebacker to improve in 2023, it is in pass coverage.
Targeted 41 times, Rodriguez allowed a reception percentage of 82.9%. Along with that rookie allowed 10.0 yards per reception and a touchdown.
Derrick Barnes didn’t fare much better with this pass coverage as he allowed 12 receptions off of just 15 targets and 6.8 yards after the catch.
Playing 235 more snaps than Barnes, Rodriguez is currently slated as one of the starters.
Anzalone will continue to lead the linebacker unit, and the team can afford to draft another linebacker to play alongside him.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Lions:
- Cameron Sutton
- Emmanuel Moseley
- Jerry Jacobs
- Jarren Williams
- Chase Lucas
- Will Harris
- Khalil Dorsey
- Saivion Smith
- Mac McCain
Last year was a rough one for the secondary as they allowed the third most passing yards on a per-game basis (261.5). Those passing yards also came in chunks as they allowed the second most yards per pass attempt (7.5).
Of the 12 interceptions by the defense, only three of them came from the cornerback position. It is these sorts of numbers that had the Lions finishing 30th in pass defense.
The team looked to address this by adding Cameron Sutton.
Last season with the Steelers, Sutton had a career-high in interceptions (three), pass breakups (eight), and reception percentage allowed (50.7%).
The Lions also brought in Emmanuel Moseley on a one-year deal.
Moseley spent the first five years of his career with the 49ers and is recovering from an ACL tear last October.
Beyond that, the Lions lack significant experience at the position.
A seventh-round pick last year, Chase Lucas played in just three games, was targeted twice, and allowed a touchdown.
Jerry Jacobs is a player who could have an impact in 2023.
Last season, Jacobs played in 11 games, recording 33 tackles and allowing a reception percentage of 55%.
The Lions could benefit from spending one of their early draft picks on the cornerback position.
Safety Depth Chart, Lions:
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- Tracy Walker III
- Kerby Joseph
- Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Brady Breeze
One of the highlights of the Lions’ offseason was the addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Playing for the Eagles last season, Gardner-Johnson accounted for six interceptions, half as many as the entire Lions defense and tied for the league lead.
The newest addition also allowed a career-low 4.1 yards after the catch.
A versatile player, Gardner-Johnson could also help out at corner.
Also on the backend of the secondary is Kerby Joseph.
Drafted in the third round of last year’s draft, Joseph played in 14 games while recording 61 tackles and four interceptions. Two of those interceptions came against Aaron Rodgers in Week 9.
There is also Tracy Walker. After signing a three-year extension with the Lions last offseason, the free safety played in just three games before tearing his Achilles against the Vikings.
Walker reportedly has not had any setbacks and is on track to be ready for Week 1 of the 2023 season.
Due to mounting injuries, Ifeatu Melifonwu played 98 snaps over four games last season.
He struggled in those opportunities as he missed 14.3% of his tackles and gave up one touchdown off of two receptions allowed.
While the Lions appear to be set at safety, the team could look to add some depth in case of injuries.