In theory, any new offensive tackle in Detroit is a threat to Taylor Decker's job. In reality, Decker has nothing to fear. The Lions' starting left tackle is signed through 2024 and he's coming off arguably the best season of his career.
So if the new regime wants to draft another offensive tackle with the seventh overall pick on Thursday night -- say, Oregon's Penei Sewell -- Decker fully supports it.
"I’m all for adding anybody that can help the team win," Decker said Tuesday. "If you’re asking if I’m concerned about my job, no, I’m not. So take a lineman in the first round. I mean, a couple years after me they took Frank (Ragnow) and Frank turns out to be an All-Pro and he’s one of my best friends. Take all the linemen in the draft, I love it, because I’m an offensive lineman and I see a lot of value in that position."
Former GM Bob Quinn didn't get much right during his five-year tenure in Detroit. But he left behind a strong offensive line, headlined by a pair of first-round picks in Decker (2016, 16th overall) and Ragnow (2018, 20th overall). If Brad Holmes can add another high-end player to that group, the Lions stand to have one of the best O-lines in the NFL.
"There’s other people that can add value outside of what you can do. ... I know I can do my job, I know I can play left tackle," Decker said. "Anybody that can make our room better or make our team better, I'm gonna do what I can do and I’m gonna be confident in that, but there’s a lot of things I can’t do and I’m gonna need other people to help us be better and to help me be better."
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Sewell, widely considered the best offensive lineman in the draft, would be a great get for Detroit at No. 7. But the Bengals feel like his most likely landing spot at No. 5. If the Lions trade down, offensive linemen to watch include Northwestern's Rashawn Slater, Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw and USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Decker would welcome any one of them with open arms.
"I would love it," he said. "If we can add talent at any position, wherever it may be, let’s do it. I don’t follow the draft, I don’t know a lot of the college players, I watch Ohio State and that’s about it. But I know there’s talented guys. And whoever the organization deems can be a help and add value to the team, I’m all for it."
NFL Draft expert Tony Pauline of the Pro Football Network told the Stoney & Jansen Show Monday that the Lions "are in a good spot" at No. 7.
"If they’re sitting there at 7 and Penei Sewell happens to fall in their laps, I think that’s the pick," Pauline said.
Sewell spent his college career at left tackle, but he's been training at right tackle ahead of the draft in the event he's asked to switch sides in the NFL. It's a possibility for which he's prepared. And his potential arrival in Detroit is something Decker would endorse.
Just like Decker vouched for the return of offensive line coach Hank Fraley in a meeting with team president Rod Wood at the end of last season. Dan Campbell later took Decker's words to heart and kept Fraley on staff, one former player sticking with another.
"I’ll just say flat out: one thing I asked for was just give Hank an opportunity to interview for the job, don’t just clean house, because I think he does a really great job," Decker said. "I think he has a really great understanding of the game. He studies the hell out of everything and all the defenses. And then I think his approach with delivering the information and coaching techniques is fantastic because he played the game for 11 years. I think he’s just good for the room."
Decker, one of the longest-tenured players on the Lions' roster, said "it’s a good feeling to know that the organization wants to hear what the players have to say."
"My big thing was, I’ve been here for some time, I’m invested in Detroit, I hope to retire a Lion one day, and I’d seen Hank do a great job so I wanted him to at least have the opportunity to be able to interview for the job," Decker said. "If there was anything that I could do just asking, ‘Hey, will you guys do this for the O-line, for Hank?’ they did."