Day 2 NFL Draft Grades: Did Lions Make Mistake Passing on Skill Players?
The Lions used their three picks on Day 2 to upgrade their defensive line and secondary.
Detroit first-year general manager Brad Holmes used his lone second-round selection (No. 41 overall) on Washington defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike.
Holmes followed that up by using his first of two third-round selections (No. 72 overall) on fellow defensive lineman Alim McNeill, out of N.C. State. And, to cap off Day 2 for the organization, he selected Syracuse cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu at No. 101 overall.
Let's take a look now at what draft pundits across the country had to say about those three selections.
Overall Day 2 Grade: C+
Why: The Lions selected Onwuzurike, a strong penetrator who will be difficult to block at the next level, early in Round 2. Then they picked McNeill, a severely underrated player who will challenge offensive linemen on every play, in the third round. These picks were on top of trading for Michael Brockers from the Rams this offseason. Building on the lines is great, but ignoring other positions of need could cause depth issues during the season. Melifonwu has the length and size to be a solid outside corner, but he has to be more physical to stick in the league long-term. The former Syracuse defender was selected using the third-rounder gained in the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff trade.
Grades: A for Onwuzurike; B for McNeill; A for Melifonwu
Why A for Melifonwu: The Lions took the ideal complementary corner for 2020 first-rounder Jeffery Okudah. Melifonwu was a second-round pick and most boards because of his size and how he uses his body well in tight coverage.
Grades: B for Onwuzurike; B for McNeill; B+ for Melifonwu
Why B for McNeill: McNeill (6-foot-2, 317) had 10 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in three seasons. He also batted down six passes and had an interception. McNeill is a run-stuffing nose tackle who Brugler compared to Javon Hargrave. This is another sensible pick by Detroit.
CBSSports.com's Chris Trapasso
Grades: A- for Onwuzurike; C+ for McNeill; A- for Melifonwu
Why C+ for McNeill: Athletic nose tackle with a serious first step and a devastating bull rush. Not much else in his arsenal. Did Lions really need to pick two defensive linemen today?
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski
Grades: C+ for Onwuzurike; F for McNeill; C for Melifonwu
Why F for McNeill: McNeill can own the middle of the line of scrimmage and make everyone around him better.
The Detroit Lions aren't messing around. They're not going to be pushed around in the trenches any longer. They want to win at the line of scrimmage. McNeill adds a wide body who can eat up blocks or one-gap.
However, the Lions have now gone three picks without addressing wide receiver. Their wideouts are easily the league’s worst, but they've started off the draft with an offensive tackle and two defensive tackles.
Winning at the point of attack is nice. At the same time, Detroit needs an offensive playmaker of some sort.
Grades: B for Onwuzurike; B for McNeill; A for Melifonwu
Why B for Onwuzurike: Onwuzurike can put the hammer down and has great strength at the point of attack. He needs seasoning, but he’s poised to develop into a true disruptive force. Dan Campbell has a good shin eater here.
Grades: B- for Onwuzurike; C- for McNeill; B for Melifonwu
Why C- for McNeill: I get one defensive tackle to help stop the run, but two? That makes less sense. I never had Alim McNeill in the second day of my mock draft. In my final update, he was chosen at the end of the fourth round, so this is a slight reach.
Grades: B+ for Onwuzurike; B- for McNeill; A+ for Melifonwu
Why B- for McNeill: The Lions have now taken three players in the trenches. McNeill can be a pass rushing nose tackle which is hard to find. In a weaker class, the early third round was an expected landing spot for McNeill. His athleticism as a nose tackle is hard to find.
