Detroit Lions Draft Position: Should Lions Tank Last 2 Games?

The debate will rage over the next week: Should the Detroit Lions 76 the rest of the season?

For the NBA uninitiated, the Philadelphia 76ers have won 37 games the last two seasons. They're 1-30 this year. And it's all in the name of tanking, or losing to pile up top draft picks to complete a drastic turnaround.

Some fans and analysts think the Lions should adopt a diluted version of this solution for the last two games of the season. Others believe that playing to lose can taint a locker room. And then there's a select group that just wants to enjoy a few moments of decency before this dismal season closes.

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I know it kills draft stock, but screw it, I hope the Lions ball out in New Orleans tonight. #ToiletBowl2015 #DETvsNO

— Justin Simon (@justincsimon) December 21, 2015"

Whatever the motivation, both sides of the argument have some validity, which means both sides must be explored before you can arrive at a decision.

Lions Win Out

The Lions are already 10.5-point favorites over the San Francisco 49ers, per Odds Shark, and the Chicago Bears have lost three in a row. Both teams are beatable.

A pair of wins will almost certainly cause the Lions to drop back from the 11th slot they occupy now because of their strength of schedule.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The league uses schedule difficulty to determine draft order among teams with the same record. Seven teams will enter this weekend with 6-8 records, and all of them currently sport a weaker schedule than the Lions.

Yet losses by these teams will improve their opponents' winning percentage, and Detroit will be adding losses to opponents with already mediocre resumes.

Plus, four of the teams in that 6-8 group are favored this week. This group will undoubtedly have a couple teams that get to 8-8 and probably one or two that settle in at 7-9, which would put Detroit somewhere in the 16 to 18 range with a definite ceiling (or basement) of 20th since that's the last non-playoff spot.

Lions Lose Out

This scenario sees the Lions tripping over themselves at home against the Niners and then losing a divisional game on the road. Only the latter seems possible, but then again, the Lions have made the improbable look easy this year.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

A 5-11 record could move the Lions all the way up to third pick, although the odds of the Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys and the San Diego Chargers winning out are so remote that entertaining the notion is a waste of time. That puts Detroit no higher than sixth.

Yet that climb also requires the Miami Dolphins to beat either the Indianapolis Colts or the New England Patriots. The latter is a sure loss, while the former could be tough since the Colts are still playing to win the AFC South.

The same demand will be made of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they're on the road the next two weeks against somewhat better teams. Let's go ahead and put Detroit behind those two at eighth in this scenario.

That leaves us with a range starting at eight all the way up to 18 in this exercise.

The Cost

Mock drafting is an inexact science at its best. A game of craps at its worst.

However, we can safely project that the near unanimous fan favorite for Detroit, Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, will be off the board by the eighth pick. So will Ohio State pass-rusher Joey Bosa. Aside from a quarterback or maybe cornerback Jalen Ramsey, that does it for surefire franchise cornerstones.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Well, as much as the NFL draft can have any "surefire" prospects.

The range Detroit will pick in won't matter nearly as much as the execution of the selection. The next grouping of players doesn't have much to distinguish the individual members from each other, putting pressure on the scouting staff and a new front office to find one that fits the best.

Additionally, there are enough defensive playmakers at deficient Detroit positions in said group to ensure a promising pick. And the offensive tackle depth in this draft should allow Detroit to pick up one here or in the next round.

Lastly, asking professional football players to lose games or putting them in bad situations is a great way to kill morale and trust. As quarterback Matthew Stafford said on ESPN (h/t Bleacher Reports' Ty Schalter), "[I]t doesn't matter what your record is. Your competitive juices are always going." These guys don't play to lose.

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That moment alone was worth the #Lions picking six spots lower in the draft.

— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) December 22, 2015"

Basketball teams only use five players at a time and have 15 guys on the roster. Football uses 11 for each play and has 53 ready to roll each week. The logic for building the rosters is as different as their composition. What works in the NBA will not translate to the NFL.

If you believe the Lions should lose out in order to secure Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley or some other good but not eye-popping talent, it's understandable. But the potential poison introduced into a locker room filled with players working hard to win doesn't outweigh the relative cost in draft positioning. 

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter @BrandonAlisoglu.