The Detroit Lions made a pair of picks during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday. It’s safe to say that they reached for both.
With their first pick, the Lions selected Alabama running back, Jahmyr Gibbs. Six picks later, Detroit selected Iowa linebacker, Jack Campbell.
Of course, the draft is always a crapshoot. Surefire picks often miss and questionable picks often hit. Both happen every year, frequently several times. But regardless of how Gibbs and Campbell end up working for the Lions, one thing about both picks is essentially undeniable. The Lions didn’t need to take either when they did. And it wouldn’t have taken any more trades up.
SportsCenter tweeted on Thursday night that there was a better than 99% chance that Gibbs would have been available to Detroit for its No. 18 pick and that there was a 96% chance he would have been available to the Lions for their first pick of the second round, No. 34 overall.
The Lions had an interesting first round. According to ESPN Analytics there was a:
🦁 >99% chance Jahmyr Gibbs would've still been available at No. 18
🦁 96% chance Jack Campbell would've still been available at No. 34 pic.twitter.com/ZJpsd9Oxak— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 28, 2023
Football fans were quick to question Detroit for its big first-round reaches.
On the bright side maybe we’re packing in all our losses now so we can win once the football starts https://t.co/WSHsx6pYc4 pic.twitter.com/qbCneKoEFs
— Alexander Shur (@AlexanderShur) April 28, 2023
Horrible https://t.co/AZfn0d2cpe
— Dave Spielman (@PuckheadDad) April 28, 2023
TERRIBLE first round tbh https://t.co/PQKOrIP1Er
— The Coolest (@eazilynunu) April 28, 2023
Maybe these dudes will be good players but this is just insane https://t.co/M27ro3GNrf
— NYJNYMBKN (@NYJNYMBKN) April 28, 2023
Of course, analytics and projections aren’t foolproof either. But the Lions narrowly missed the playoffs a season ago and look to be one of the NFL’s most promising up-and-coming teams heading into the 2023 season.
Reaching for Gibbs and Campbell doesn’t mean that optimistic outlook won’t come to fruition. But one does have to wonder who the Lions could have added had they been more patient in selecting the pair of first-rounders.
