Detroit Lions 7-Round Mock Draft
The NFL combine has wrapped up and pro days are underway.
With the NFL draft under 50 days away, most analysts and NFL team's big boards are becoming clearer.
With compensatory picks officially awarded to teams, the draft order is now finalized.
Naturally, it's time for the latest 7-round mock draft for the Lions.
FIRST ROUND - Pick No. 3
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
Draft analysts are raving about what Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons brings to the table. Many are calling him the perfect linebacker for today's style of game. He also may be the most athletic linebacker to ever come out of the combine.
At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, he is versatile enough to play all over the football field. As a junior, Simmons played 299 snaps at inside linebacker, 262 at slot cornerback, 116 at outside linebacker, 132 at free safety, and 100 at strong safety.
In my previous mock draft, I had the Lions selecting CB Jeff Okudah.
Okudah is still very much in play, but Simmons would be tempting from a pure talent standpoint.
Simmons does his best work in space and isn't a stout thumper like the Patricia prototype. The Lions would likely have to play Simmons a lot in the sub-package hang defender role and need to figure out a way to keep him on the field at all times -- otherwise, you can't justify the selection so high.
In a perfect world, this selection would be after a trade down scenario.
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SECOND ROUND - Pick No. 35
J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State
With the 35th pick, the Lions select running back J.K. Dobbins from Ohio State. At 5-foot-10 and 216 pounds, Dobbins is a running back ready to carry an organization on his back. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry in 2019 and rushed for 2,003 yards with 21 touchdowns.
He became the ninth Big Ten running back with over 2,000 yards rushing in one season and the first to accomplish this feat at Ohio State. Dobbins rushed for 100-or-more yards on 10 occasions in 2019. He averaged 174.6 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns against the top defenses in all of college football.
It is a bit scary that once again, the Lions could select another running back in the second round. It hasn't worked very well for them in years past, but the run game situation must be addressed. The selection of Dobbins would really ease the injury concerns that come with both Kerryon Johnson and Bo Scarbrough.
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THIRD ROUND - Pick No. 67
Ben Bredeson, OL, Michigan
Detroit looks to sure up the offensive line and selects lineman Ben Bredeson from Michigan. With one Michigan-man seemingly on his way out in Graham Glasgow, Quinn goes to the local team once again. Bredeson possesses a high degree of physical toughness, and that will come in handy battling defensive linemen in the trenches. As a four year starter, Bredeson already has the technique and veteran savvy that NFL teams will like. At this point, Bredeson is a much better pass protector than mauler in the run game.
Oddly enough, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com actually has Bredeson's pro comparison to Lions OG Joe Dahl. Important to note, Bredeson has very short arms for a player his size, which are important for a lineman, but is a little less concerning as an interior player.
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FOURTH ROUND - Pick No. 109
Leki Foto, NT, Utah
In the fourth round, the Lions grab one of the biggest defensive players in the draft to man the nose tackle position vacated by Damon "Snacks" Harrison.
In terms of value, Quinn is able to grab a two-down player who is vitally important to their defense. Patricia needs a big body to fill multiple gaps and hold up against double teams. Without sound gap control upfront, it makes the Lions relatively unathletic linebackers jobs much more difficult.
Fotu isn't a perfect prospect, but he is exactly the type of player the Lions need for the system.
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FIFTH ROUND - Pick No. 149
Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas
Duvernay is a player that likely would not be available at the top of the fifth round in most years. Due to the insanely deep wideout class, he slips to the fifth round and provides great value. With all three of the Lions top receivers contract up in 2021, Duvernay is a nice insurance policy and yet still provides a pure speed element to the receiving corps this season. He ran a 4.39 forty-yard dash at the combine.
As a true slot receiver, the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder knows how to avoid tacklers for a smaller player. His 23 forced missed tackles in 2019 ranks third in the class. On top of that, he doesn't drop passes -- only five drops on 180 catchable passes in his career. Overall, Duvernay is a perfect later round receiver for the Lions who would compliment the other Lions receiving options very well.
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FIFTH ROUND - Pick No. 172
Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
The Lions already selected one "linebacker" in Isaiah Simmons, but Wilson is a more traditional player for what the Lions ask their linebacker to do. At 241-pounds, Wilson enjoys contact and holds his ground well. Unlike the Lions current linebackers, Wilson has some decent coverage chops. He didn't play a ton of man coverage in college, but he has the instincts to make plays on the ball when reading the quarterback's eye. His 10 career interceptions are a testament to that.
There were some concerns about his overall athleticism pre-combine. His 4.63 forty-yard dash and 7.07 three-cone at the combine helped ease those trepidations.
© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
SIXTH ROUND - Pick No. 182
Reggie Robinson II, CB, Tulsa
With no cornerback selected yet, a developmental type had to be taken. Robinson does at least check a lot of boxes considering he is a sixth-round pick. Standing at 6-foot-1 and running a 4.44 combine forty-yard dash, the potential is there. Not to mention, he showed some serious ball-hawking ability last season at Tulsa. He grabbed four interceptions while only allowing one touchdown and a 52.6 passer rating against.
There are some struggles on film with mirroring receivers and looks to have limited hip fluidity. He got by with athleticism over technique against lesser competition. That won't be the case at the next level. At the very least, he carries the prerequisites that teams look for in a project-type player.
© Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
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