POLL: Should the Lions draft Kayvon Thibodeaux?

The consensus No. 1 pick for months, Thibodeaux’s stock has taken a hit during the pre-draft process. On Friday, Thibodeaux set to put those rumors to rest.

Slowly, but surely, the next monolith of the NFL offseason will be upon us—and we’ll all act accordingly when it arrives.

With less than four weeks until the 2022 NFL Draft, the pre-draft process rolls along with more college pro days. On Friday, the Detroit Lions were well-represented in Eugene for Oregon’s pro day to check out Kayvon Thibodeaux, one of the best available prospects in this year’s draft. Thibodeaux took to the field to demonstrate his athleticism to a group of scouts, coaches, and general managers—which included Lions general manager Brad Holmes. And while Thibodeaux certainly checked off a lot of boxes in terms of his athletic profile, he also shared his opinion on the most ridiculous thing he’s heard in the lead-up to this month’s draft.

“The most ridiculous thing I’ve heard is that I’m not the best player in this draft,” said Thibodeaux after his workout on Friday. “I really don’t listen to anything else, but that to me, that’s outrageous. With the film, with the numbers and what I can do as far as my ability, I have confidence in what I can do.”

With many outlets considering Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson as the draft’s top pick, the possibility of the self-proclaimed best player in the draft being available for the Lions to select with the second-overall pick is a very likely possibility.

This leads us to today’s Question of the Day…

Do you want the Lions to draft Kayvon Thibodeaux?

Of course, an answer along the lines of, “I want Detroit to take the best player available on their board” is what everybody hopes will happen when the Lions make their pick at two. But it’s also the sensible—and functional—approach to the draft fans are hoping the front office and coaching staff will take.

Much has been made about Detroit’s transition from a 3-4 defensive front to more 4-3 looks, and of course, that has an impact on what kind of player you’re looking to plug into that spot on the edge. A player like Aidan Hutchinson or Jermaine Johnson fits the mold for what teams covet in a traditional 4-3 scheme. Even a player like Georgia’s Travon Walker offers the team more flexibility in where they can line him up on defense, and that makes him a bit more scheme-friendly.

Thibodeaux, however, prefers to stand up and play the edge as a speed rusher. Now, that’s not to say he can’t set the edge and make a play in the run game, but I wouldn’t say that’s a strength of his in comparison to what he can accomplish when he gets to explode off the edge and use his elite combination of athleticism and bend to get to the quarterback. As far as the concerns with Thibodeaux’s interest in playing football versus his personal or financial interests, I think the sport of football offers him those opportunities, and I find him to be a sensible person who realizes that.

What’s most important and why we’re even having this discussion in the first place is the Lions are not boxing themselves in. Detroit isn’t excluding players from their board because said player doesn’t meet very particular measurables as the regime prior to them often did. At the moment, the Lions defensive front probably favors more looks with four down linemen because of who’s on the roster. All options are on the table for Detroit, though, and if Thibodeaux is the best player available for the Lions at two, Dan Campbell and his coaching staff will cater to his talent and find the best spot for him to succeed.

Your turn.