Chirco: Lions' 7-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft
Mock draft season is in full bloom at All Lions.
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes currently is equipped with seven total picks, including two in the third round. It's expected that he'll focus primarily on upgrading the defensive side of the ball this April (April 25-27).
Without further ado, here is my first 2024 seven-round mock draft for the Lions.
Round 1, Pick 29 - CB Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
The Lions open up the 2024 draft by getting their No. 1 cornerback.
Lassiter, who suited up for Georgia for three seasons, closed out his collegiate career in standout fashion. In 2023, he recorded eight passes defensed and a passer rating against of 48.7, while earning a coverage grade of 87.2 from Pro Football Focus. Also, for his overall efforts, he received a grade of 85.4 from PFF.
Lassiter is a versatile defensive back who showcased the ability to play in both man coverage and zone coverage schemes during his time with the Bulldogs. He also displayed a willingness to come up and make stops against the run.
There's no doubt in my mind that he'd be an immediate contributor in Detroit's cornerbacks room.
Round 2, Pick 61 - DT T'Vondre Sweat, Texas
Sweat, to me, would be a great value pick with this second-round selection for the Lions.
With the ability to excel as both a run defender and a pass-rusher, he'd provide just the kind of interior defensive line help the organization is seeking.
The Longhorns product possesses immense size – at 6-foot-4 and 350 pounds – and an impressive level of strength. And he is also known to be equipped with a high football IQ.
All of this adds up to Sweat being able to start from day one for the Lions.
Round 3, Pick 73 - EDGE Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
Dorlus would provide Detroit with a solid EDGE counterpart to Aidan Hutchinson.
Dorlus played all along the defensive line for the Ducks, lining up as a 3-tech, 5-tech and stand-up EDGE. And, he was at his best when rushing the passer. He accumulated five sacks in his final collegiate season.
He's not a finished product yet, as he needs to refine his run-defense skills. However, I still believe he'd be a nice third-round find for the Lions.
Round 3, Pick 92 - OL Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
To me, you can never have enough offensive line depth. And for Detroit, that is especially the case now with the impending free agency of interior offensive linemen Graham Glasgow and Jonah Jackson.
Beebe showed off some versatility in his final season at Kansas State, logging 100-plus snaps at both right tackle (103) and left guard (819). In total, he ended up amassing a career-high 942 offensive snaps in 2023, while earning a 90.4 pass-blocking grade and an 83.9 overall mark from Pro Football Focus.
He also allowed just two sacks in 2,641 career snaps with the Wildcats.
I believe Beebe would be just what the doctor ordered for the Lions at this spot in the draft.
Round 5, Pick 162 - WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice
If you want to talk about good genes, McCaffrey has just that. His brother, Christian McCaffrey, is presently a do-it-all, All-Pro running back for the 49ers. Meanwhile, his father, Ed McCaffrey, played 13 NFL seasons for three different organizations, and won three Super Bowls.
Luke McCaffrey isn't too shabby himself. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder amassed 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final season at Rice, and earned first-team All-AAC honors for his efforts.
McCaffrey, who started off his collegiate career as a quarterback at Nebraska, profiles as a slot receiver at the next level.
He'd be a nice value pick for Detroit on Day 3 of the draft.
Round 6, Pick 206 - C Dylan McMahon, N.C. State
The Lions continue to add depth to their offensive line with this pick here.
McMahon played all along the offensive line during his four years with the Wolfpack, suiting up primarily at center in 2023. Through his final two collegiate seasons, he surrendered just two sacks on 867 pass-blocking snaps.
McMahon was a standout performer in the week of practice leading up to the East-West Shrine Bowl, and likely boosted his draft stock in the process. It'll be intriguing to see if he continues to improve his stock at the combine.
Round 7, Pick 246 - K Will Reichard, Alabama
The Lions add some much-needed competition to Michael Badgley for the starting placekicker job with this pick here.
Reichard, the NCAA's career points leader (547 points) and Alabama's career record-holder for field goals and 50-plus yard FG makes (10), made 22 of his 25 field-goal tries in his final season with the Crimson Tide. And, he finished his collegiate career with a field-goal percentage of 84 percent.
He'll go down as one of the very best kickers in NCAA history, and he'd be a slam-dunk pick for Holmes & Co. to close out the draft.
