Edonidd
Well-Known Member
I agree there was no backup QB on the roster, and it's been a bitch of mine with the Lions for years.
Not going to nitpick on draft picks, I hear ya.
I understand what is happening in the NFL, but if you look at where players are drafted and the top receivers in the league, it isn't as clear cut as you would think. Of the top 10 reception leaders, only 7 are WRs, the top three were drafted in the later in the draft (1 in the 3rd, 2 in the 5th). If you look at the top 11, there are a total of 5 first rounders, 6 non-first rounders. I picked 11 so people wouldn't say I cherry picked and cut out Waddle. Only 2 players taken in the top 10, and what I find really interesting is every first rounder that is on the list is on their rookie deal.
Top 10:
Tyreek Hill - 5
Cooper Kupp - 3
Stefon Diggs - 5
Austin Ekeler - RB
Justin Jefferson 1 - 22 overall (r)
Michael Pittman RB
Ja'Marr Chase 1 - 5 overall (r)
Travis Kelce TE
Tyler Lockett - 3
Marquise Brown - 1 - 25 overall (r)
Next 4 (top 11 WR)
Diontae Johnson - 3
CeeDee Lamb - 1 -17 overall (r)
Curtis Samuel - 2
Jaylen Waddle - 1 - 6 overall (r)
Small nitpicks
Stefan Diggs was already traded for a 1st round pick.
Michael Pittman. JR. Is the son of the RB you're thinking of. He plays WR and was drafted 34th overall. Technically a second rounder.
Cooper Kupp just signed a 3 year 80 million contract
Tyreek Hill just signed the biggest non QB contract ever at 4 years 120 million.
In the past 3 years 17 WR's have been taken in the first round. On average over half of the NFL has used a first round pick on WR in the last 3 years alone. Maybe saying WR's were easy to come by and not worth a high pick would have made more sense in the past when you could at least point to Green Bay and their stubborn insistence that they wouldn't use high picks on wrs for Rodgers. But look where that's got him this year. The league is changing, WR has become increasingly important. I know Lions fans are still scarred by Matt Millen taking a WR every year, but you can't let past failures stop,future success.