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| The 2020 Draft is a huge part of a make-or-break season for Bob Quinn (Gregory Shamus/Getty) |
The exciting part of the NFL offseason is almost here. Teams are two weeks away from the beginning of free agency, and the draft is late next month. Trade negotiations are already happening as teams try to figure out what their rosters will look like before workouts and the preseason start.
The Detroit Lions are in a particularly interesting spot. Owner Martha Ford decided to keep General Manager Bob Quinn and Head Coach Matt Patricia after two consecutive years of under-performing. It seems as though they will be on a short leash, and wins need to come sooner rather than later. The directions Quinn and Patricia go with the roster will obviously have a lot of impact on the team's performance. With Matthew Stafford getting hurt halfway through the season and the losses piling up, fans have been speculating about roster moves since November.
So I thought I'd whip up a quick mock draft for my own speculation. I used The Draft Network's Draft Machine for that. I'm not a paid member, so I couldn't do any trades, which is a very real possibility for the Lions. Obviously it's hard to do mock drafts immediately after the Combine when boards haven't necessarily been updated to reflect stock falling/rising from that. Plus we have no idea who the Lions will be picking up from free agency in a few weeks, which could drastically change their biggest needs. The Draft Network can be kinda freaky to use sometimes as well. I know that teams overall don't tend to draft running backs very high these days, but when both Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins are sometimes dropping into the third round, you start to realize the limitations of the tool you're using.
This is a six-round mock draft, because the Lions do not have any seventh-round picks at the time.
Round 1, Pick 3: Jeffrey Okudah, Cornerback, Ohio State
If I could trade back, I'd probably move back to number 5 overall and take whoever the Giants don't pick of either Okudah or Swiss Army Defender Isaiah Simmons (assuming they would pick one of those players). I think those two are the only guys I'd want the Lions to pick if they stay at number 3 overall either (unless Chase Young somehow drops; take Chase Young if he's there, obviously).
There are people out there who don't love Simmons to the Lions at 3 because the Lions probably see him as more of a safety than linebacker. I understand that, but I'm so in love with Simmons as a prospect period that I'd still be excited about him.
I do agree that Okudah probably makes more sense. Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay wants to get paid this offseason. The Lions are exploring their options with that, and Slay may be traded. But even if they give Slay the big money extension he wants, or pick up a different CB1 in free agency, they still need somebody to play CB2. Rashaan Melvin was only signed to a one-year deal last year, and his play was inconsistent. I doubt he'll be back. Justin Coleman is signed to a longer-term deal, but he primarily plays the slot, and his play also dropped off heavily as the season went on. Amani Oruwariye has promise going into his second year, but he's still got a lot to develop.
Okudah is one of the best cornerback prospects in years. He's not only an athletic freak, but he's an extremely smart player who knows the ins and outs of opposing offenses and avoids penalties. He's a stud, and the Lions would be thrilled to have a guy like that going into this season.
Round 2, Pick 3 (#35 Overall): Kenneth Murray, Linebacker, Oklahoma
Kenneth Murray weighed just over 240 pounds at the NFL Combine. That's important to the Lions, because they like bigger linebackers. But unlike other big Lions linebackers, Murray's a great athlete (Kent Lee Platte, an essential follow for those interested in the draft, has Murray as a 9.94 out of 10 by his RAS metric). It seems like there is real interest from Detroit, who met with him during the Combine.
The Lions' linebacker corps has been one of the worst in the NFL for years, and could use some bolstering. The coaching staff and front office seem to like their guys more than fans and analysts (as evidenced by their extension of the oft-maligned Christian Jones last season), but I think they see that they could use more help in the middle.
The only reservation about Murray is that he's got a little bit of developing to do. I've seen him compared to current Lion Jarrad Davis both athletically and from film. Davis was of course the Lions' first-round pick in 2017, and he's never shown more than flashes as a complete product. Murray makes some of the same technical mistakes as Davis as far as over-pursuing and tackling go. But if Murray can develop under Patricia's coaching staff better than Davis has, they could have a really capable starter on their hands.
Note: TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock was taken by the Colts in the pick right before this. I probably would have taken him here instead if he was available.
Round 3, Pick 3 (#67 Overall): Jeremy Chinn, Safety, Southern Illinois
In two straight rounds, a defensive tackle prospect I was highly considering was taken right before I was able to pick, with Texas A&M tackle Justin Madubuike being taken by the Bengals at the start of the round.
The Lions have taken safeties in the third round in back-to-back years with Tracy Walker being picked in 2018 and Will Harris being picked in 2019. They could very well go that route again in 2020 with two extremely athletic safety prospects from smaller schools, Jeremy Chinn and Kyle Dugger. There are obviously questions about how they'll make the leap into the pros, but they both just blew up the combine with some crazy numbers. Considering how Walker has developed the past two seasons into a great player, I wouldn't be mad at picking up a versatile, athletic defensive back here.
Round 4, Pick 3 (#99 Overall): Leki Fotu, Defensive Tackle, Utah
Fotu's a guy I feel like I always end up picking up when I mess around with mock draft machines, getting him anywhere between rounds 3 and 5. So why change that up for a mock draft that I'm writing about?
The Lions desperately need defensive tackles. The team released Snacks Harrison a couple weeks ago after an underwhelming 2019 campaign. A'Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels have both been banged up, struggled with inconsistent play and will be free agents in two weeks. Detroit likely will need to fill up the defensive line in both free agency and the draft. They probably have to make one of those draft picks in the first few rounds.
Fotu's a guy who will probably just be a lane-clogging run stopper in the NFL. He probably won't be a great pass-rusher. But this Lions front office loves guys like that. That's the role Snacks played so well after he was traded.
Round 5, Pick 3 (#131 Overall): Tyler Johnson, Wide Receiver, Minnesota
The Lions finally address an offensive need in the fifth round. I wouldn't be mad if the Lions picked a higher-tier prospect in this loaded receiver class. Reliable Ohio State receiver K.J. Hill almost made it to the Lions in the last round and I would jump at that opportunity. There are so many great receivers in this draft class, so there will likely be very high-value picks at the position for the entire draft.
Johnson was an extremely fun receiver to watch on a surprisingly great Minnesota squad. He didn't participate in combine drills, so he could easily be a late round guy that makes a team very happy. He put up huge numbers for Minnesota, and could be the Lions' slot receiver of the future with current slot Danny Amendola turning 35 this November and only being on a one-year deal.
In general, this is an interesting year for Lions' wide receivers. Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Amendola all have contracts expiring next year. Assuming Golladay gets a nice extension this offseason, it's hard to think Jones will be there as well. But having all three players this season gives a rookie receiver time to learn under some top-tier NFL talent and build rapport with Stafford for a full year before really having to be pushed into a starting role. Seems like a good spot to be in.
Round 5, Pick 26 (#154 Overall): Anfernee Jennings, Edge Rusher, Alabama
The Lions were abysmal at rushing the passer in 2019. Grabbing players who can set the edge and run the passer is going to be very important to this team going forward.
Jennings is the kind of player that the Lions will probably value higher than the fifth round, even. He's not athletic but he's a thumper of an edge rusher who can contribute immediately in Patricia's scheme.
Round 6, Pick 3 (#162 Overall): Darryl Williams, Interior Offensive Line, Mississippi State
The biggest need I haven't addressed for the Lions is the guard position. The Lions apparently weren't interested in extending versatile guard Graham Glasgow last season, so Glasgow will become a free agent and likely doesn't have a shot at coming back. That's unfortunate, especially because two depth linemen in Kenny Wiggins and Oday Aboushi are also becoming free agents.
I think the Lions will probably bring back Wiggins as depth, and maybe try to pick up a mid-tier guard in free agency. If they don't, obviously that hole becomes a lot more prominent and you start thinking more about a guy like Lloyd Cushenberry III in the early rounds. The Lions do have Beau Benzschawel, who many thought might compete for a starting position even after sliding out of the draft entirely last year. However, Benzschawel hasn't seemed to show much in what we've seen of him.
Williams is a guy the Lions could take in the late rounds of this draft as depth if they do find a starting-caliber player in free agency. He was a good starter for Mississippi State, but he's very much undersized as a pro prospect. He's solidly athletic other than that, so it could be worth giving him a shot to prove himself despite his size.
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