Roundtable: Why Lions Should Not Trade Down in 2022 NFL Draft

Latest SI All Lions Roundtable focuses on why the Detroit Lions should not trade down in the 2022 NFL Draft.

1.) What is your reaction to Jason Cabinda being re-signed to a two-year deal? 

Adam Strozynski: To be honest, Cabinda is a piece that teams who are ready to win prioritize. A fullback is not a piece that you prioritize in a rebuild.

Vito Chirco: For me, it doesn't really move the needle. It's Dan Campbell rewarding one of his favorite players. 

Cabinda, from all accounts, is a great culture fit. But, the Lions would've been fine without him on their roster in 2022, as well. 

2.) How would you improve the depth on the Lions' roster? 

Strozynski: I don't think you fix this in one offseason. However, instead, you add guys in this April's NFL Draft and through free agency who are good and they compete with the talent from last year. And, next year, it's the same process.

The cream will rise to the top. As a team, you should have pieces to fill out this roster at all levels. 

Chirco: Build through the draft and free agency. It's how the best teams do it.

Sure, you're not going to build an extreme amount of depth in just one offseason, especially when your roster is as depleted as the Lions presently is. 

It's why Detroit fans should look at it as a gradual build-up of talent. 

You can acquire plenty of quality depth pieces in the mid-to-late rounds over the course of multiple drafts. 

That, to me, along with some shrewd free-agent pickups, is the best way to add some much-needed depth to a team's roster. 

3.) What is the ceiling for Amon-Ra St. Brown? 

Strozynski: Wes Welker. He was a guy that could do it all, but primarily operated out of the slot. I see St. Brown being that do-it-all, Swiss Army knife-type player. You just have to get the ball in his hands. I his abilities lead to a Pro Bowl or two and possibly an All-Pro appearance.  

Chirco: I think it's to be a high-end slot receiver that can terrorize defenses over the middle of the field.

Sure, it's highly improbable that he'll be able to dominate the opposition on a weekly basis (especially now that defenses know about him), as he did over the course of the last six weeks of the 2021 season.

However, at this point, I think fans and pundits alike expect the USC product to be a reliable, go-to target in the Lions' passing game in 2022 and beyond. 

4.) Make the case for why the Lions should stay at No. 2 this year and not trade down. 

Strozynski: You need talented, impactful guys and at No. 2, you have your pick of the litter. This is a spot where you can add the best player in the draft, for what this team needs. By staying at two, you will be able to grab a super-talented player to build around for the next five years.

Chirco: For me, it's because of two names that could be available with the pick: Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux.

I think Detroit will be hard-pressed to pass up the chance to take either of the two potential generational pass-rushing talents.

And, the Lions would be stupid to do so, especially considering how anemic their pass rush has been the last few seasons. 

5.) Is Matthew Stafford a Hall of Famer right now?

Strozynski: No, this is so laughable to me. The guy is a good quarterback, but he's not elite or even a top-five quarterback in the league. 

However, he will have an opportunity to add to his legacy and may become a Hall of Famer in the future. Right now, he is not, though. 

Chirco: No way, Jose. And it's almost laughable to me, just as it is for Adam.

I'm no Stafford hater, and I believe I respected the man a heck of a lot more than the "average Joe" for what he did over the course of 12 seasons in the Motor City.

He's also undoubtedly the best quarterback that has ever suited up for the Lions. And, the numbers back it up. 

However, one Super Bowl run doesn't all of a sudden make him a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Remember, the guy never won a single playoff game while with the Lions. 

Sure, he deserves to be in the discussion for enshrinement because of the stats he's accumulated over the years. But, I believe he needs to hoist another Lombardi Trophy before he gets a bust in Canton. 

And boy, if he came back to Detroit one day and led the organization to its first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, you could bet the proverbial house on Stafford becoming a Hall of Famer. 

6.) A drunk Matthew Stafford is a fun Matthew Stafford. Why are Lions quarterbacks so boring and buttoned up in public?

Strozynski: Losing takes a toll on you, and this organization is buttoned up and boring. Why would you expect the quarterback to be any different?

Chirco: I think because the Lions organization has been a non-creative and non-innovative, losing franchise for so long. So, the quarterbacks that Detroit has employed have adopted the organization's ways, and subsequently have become as uninspiring as the team. 

If the franchise ever starts winning on a consistent basis, I think you will see a noticeable shift in the mood and persona of the team's starting QB.