It’s time for another AskPOD mailbag release, in which Jeremy Raisman and Eric Schlett answer a bunch of your questions about Detroit Lions.

Let’s get started!

Finally, Goff seems to have given some pocket time, something he’s been missing all year. So after seeing him perform in a “normal” QB environment, what’s your biggest hit? Sometimes it seems that he is struggling through progress. Could it be because of his lack of talent/confidence in WR? Or is it just a weak point? – ronleflorespeed

Jeremy: Well, I’m going to step back a bit from your initial hypothesis. Jared Goff averaged 2.79 seconds to throw per NextGenStats, which is roughly average for the league, and probably a bit longer than most quarterbacks get. His protection has been far from perfect this year, but I think he’s had chances all year long, and his high ball counts are at least partly his fault. Giving PFF Goff 19 presses, he is the eighth of all NFL quarterbacks.

But you nailed the next part. Joffe’s biggest problem is going through the sequence and doing the correct reading. If this issue translates to this year, I agree that it may have been a lack of confidence/talent in the broad receiver. Unfortunately, this is exactly the problem Goff encountered in Los Angeles when he had talented receivers that he trusted. In fact, I would argue that the problem was still present in most Vikings matches. He only had a great second quarter where this problem just went away. This is what makes Goof’s game so frustrating at times. He’s physically capable of making big throws, he’s not mentally able to try – at least not consistently.

Eric: My criticism of him lies in the discipline of his eyes. Most of his problems arise because he needs to see the pass catcher open before he is ready to throw the ball, which can have many negative effects. This difficulty is compounded with anticipation due to his intense desire not to turn the ball around. This combination will often cause him to slip out of his reading too quickly and will lead to an undistinguished target or verification.

As Jeremy pointed out, we saw a lot of these issues disappear in the second quarter against the Vikings, but this is starting to look like a rhinoceros, not a horse the attacker can ride.

Who wins the junior award for lions? – Black fan in So Cal

Eric: I know it’s not exciting to pick the first round pick for the Rookie of the Year awards, but Sewell was announced recently and she’s developing at a fast pace. Look no further than Jeremy’s timeline to see these results:

Additionally, something we don’t talk about enough about with Sewell playing the right tackle is that there are some killer pass forwards who do right on the face in the NFL (TJ Watt, Maxx Crosby, etc…). Only in the NFC North alone will the Black Right’s showdown take on Khalil Mack, Daniel Hunter and Zadarius Smith twice a year.

It’s not an easy path, but it paves its way.

Jeremy: It was undoubtedly Sewell, who not only did all of the things I mentioned above but did so while learning a different situation, then went back to the left intervention at the last minute… then back to the right intervention a month ago. Oh, and the child did not play football last year.

The already novice Sewell’s performance should be considered top notch. But when you put it all into context – including the fact that he’s only 21 – what Sewell is doing this year is special.

Jeremy: This coaching staff absolutely loves Jerry Jacobs. This was made explicit by their decision to keep him as a starting player even when third-round rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu returned from IR last week. Dan Campbell continues to praise Jacobs’ growth every week.

But my understanding is that they still believe in Jeff Okudah very strongly. Obviously an Achilles tendon injury will determine their entire decision, but if Okuda can rehab after the injury and could potentially be ready, I still think this team looks at him as CB1.

I know a lot of fans have talked about moving Okoda to safety, where any blast lost due to injury is hidden. Are you in that camp, Eric?

Eric: First, I’m with you that Okudah is a cornerstone in the minds of my coach lions, but Achillies’ injuries historically stem from player blowouts and that would be a problem for him, as his game relies heavily on this skill. So yeah, if the blast takes a hit, I’d be very comfortable moving to safety.

Some of Okudah’s best traits – outside of the blast – translate well into safety. He is very intelligent, reads the field with a disciplined look, and is a technical striker who is not afraid to throw his body in a bid.

I see a high probability that the Lions will win another two matches. With that said, given both the top edge dash goes 1 and 2, who would you pick at 3? – Old Wolf 00

Eric: It’s still early in the rating process for most draft analysts covering NFL teams, but based on some general thoughts I have about the upcoming draft class, there will likely be a withdrawal after Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

From a talent perspective, after the two editions of the EDGE, there are a few very talented offensive tackles – which the Lions wouldn’t be in the market for this high – and two defensive backs who are likely to attract their interest, but their positions are usually undervalued that are high in the draft. .

It would be hard to sell another draft angle at the No. 3 pick overall, but Derek Stingley is a rare player, who’s been shutting down receivers since he hit the LSU campus. With the questions surrounding Okudah you can’t rule it out, but as we’ve seen with Jacobs and AJ Parker, this front office has an eye for finding corners.

Instead, I think the Lions will pay serious attention to the other defensive back in this equation, the safety of Notre Dame, Kyle Hamilton. If you are not familiar, please note the following:

At nearly 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with an elite pool and a diverse skill set, Hamilton is easily one of the best players in this category. In fact, the only problem is the positional value, as safety hasn’t been formulated in the top three picks in 30 years.

Jeremy: I will probably be in the middle of the crowd as it will be difficult to sell another defensive in the third, especially when I have so much confidence in this coaching staff who is developing talent there. So I’m going to cheat here and say that if the lions are out of first and second positions, we’re talking about a potential trade down. As Eric mentioned, there are two offensive tackle possibilities worth picking, so I’m placing the third overall pick for a team in need that wants to pick it up for the trash.

Jeremy: Personally, I don’t think the order is very important. If you have the opportunity to take a franchised quarterback and you don’t currently have one, you take it. If you don’t have high quality support staff around, that’s fine. The quarterback will likely take a year or two to reach his potential anyway. If you have a quality support team, that’s great! They can carry the team while not weighing down the middle in the junior season.

The one thing I would make sure, though, is that you have at least a serviceable line of attack. You don’t want your rookie quarterback to get killed there.

Eric: yes I’m with you. I don’t necessarily want to be limited to one option when it comes to drafting. Even if the timing isn’t right, there are only so many midfielders who can succeed in this league and if you think you have a chance to grab one, you do.

However, I think in an ideal world you would have the team built first, and then add the midfielder. This way you can increase the number of seasons you have the quarterback on a competitive team with a lower salary contract, similar to what the Seattle Seahawks did with Russell Wilson.

If you could pick one person out of The Lions and hope it would be a future Hall of Fame knockout… who would your pick? – Billy Sims made me do it

Jeremy: Is it cheating to say Jared Goff? Because this question can only be read as which position is most valuable to the team. He’s clearly a quarterback, so if Jared Goff becomes a number one on the ballot, that means good things for Detroit.

But if we’re talking about realistic options, handling a Hall of Fame attack for 10 to 15 years is great. This is clearly possible for a guy like Penei Sewell, who already plays like a first-class right tackle. The least realistic option I support is Okudah, simply because that would make for one of the most inspiring stories in the NFL.

Eric: The way I initially read the question was which player on the current roster has the best chance of being a Hall-of-Famer, and I immediately thought of Sewell. But after reading Jeremy’s answer and rereading the question, I see I read it pretty quickly. Here’s the thing though, I guess I’m still holding on to Sewell. As the first major building block of rebuilding, if Sewell can reach this status, it raises the bar for everyone’s expectations.