Some NFL Execs Skeptical About Detroit Lions’ Draft Picks

The NFL Draft has wrapped up, and some NFL executives are weighing in on what happened, including the Detroit Lions' draft picks.

The Lions selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick. The fact that they used their top-12 pick on a running back, a position that's become devalued in the NFL, has gotten some criticism. Even with the questionable picks, it's worth noting that there's a lot of excitement about the Detroit Lions going into the next season.

Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with some NFL executives about each team's draft class. Some of those executives expressed concern over the team's choices. "Using a first-round pick to swap out a non-premium position, that was a weird one," one executive said, via The Athletic. "How great does Gibbs have to be to justify it?"

Another executive said, "I think it’s really high to take Gibbs (No. 12), and it was high to take Campbell (No. 18), and you paid those positions in free agency with almost identical three-year, $18 million contracts. That said, Gibbs is dynamic, and that offensive coordinator (Ben Johnson) is going to get the most out of him. They are going to be hard to defend." Listen to "The Squad with Anne Erickson" here and listen to the latest episode about the NFL Draft.