This year the Lions selected 8 players (6 defense and 2 offense). The obvious prize is Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson staying home. Lions fans have been excited about that and deservingly so. Hutchinson could be an elite defensive player by his first snap.
The controversy, as some may see it, comes with the Lions trading up to select Alabama Wide Receiver Jameson Williams. Part of the controversy is the idea of trading up for a wide receiver when the Lions' weak defense still has many holes to fill. Additionally, there were still elite defensive prospects still on the board such as Notre Dame's safety Kyle Hamilton.
Furthermore, Williams's ACL injury should be cause for concern. There is some buzz out there that he is recovering ahead of schedule, but all of that is to be taken with a grain of salt. Injuries are hard to predict. I, personally, wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see him play this season. Now, injuries aside, you generally draft a player for what they will do. The Lions must feel that he will at some point be a net positive to the franchise.
I have my doubts about drafting wide receiver talent in the first round. So many teams do it. What team can say they won a Super Bowl due to having a stellar wide receiver? Wide receivers are the most overvalued position in football. The Patriots have won a lot of games with less than stellar talent at the wide receiver position. Now, I know they had Tom Brady and Bill Belichek, but the point remains that it is possible.
Look at the opposite situation. The Tennessee Titans have tons of weapons on offense but can't win in the post-season. The issue is that the strategy of surrounding game managers with playmakers doesn't work. Game managers can get you to the playoffs, but they don't win big games. The defense in the playoffs is just too good.
That brings me to my final point. The rest of the draft looked really good. The emphasis on drafting defense is smart. The Lions, in general, look to be trending in the right direction. This team's weakest area is defense and I think this draft class may bring in multiple starters within the first season. Alongside Hutchinson, I don't think it is unrealistic to see Kentucky defensive end Josh Paschal and Illinois safety Kerby Joseph play a large role in the defense from game 1.
All in all, I hope that I am wrong about the Lions drafting a wide receiver in the first round. I hope that Jameson Williams turns out to be the steal of the draft. Ultimately, most NFL franchises turn things around by not only drafting well early but by drafting well throughout. Let us Lion fans hope that there are multiple steals from this weekend. That is how the Lions will ultimately turn things around.