Mock Draft Roundup: Long-Term Solution at Quarterback Surfaces for Lions
It's time for the latest SI All Lions mock draft roundup.
Since last week's roundup, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has emerged as the most popular passer for the Lions with the No. 7 overall pick.
Let’s explore now who the draft analysts believe the Lions are selecting in their latest mock drafts.
Quarterback Justin Fields, Ohio State
Fields is currently being mocked by the following:
NFL Network (Daniel Jeremiah), CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson), NFL.com (Adam Rank)
As Jeremiah writes,
"This could be a trade spot, with some teams picking after Detroit potentially in the market for a quarterback, but I wouldn't rule out the Lions staying put and taking a signal-caller themselves. Fields has more upside than Jared Goff."
Quarterback Trey Lance, North Dakota State
Lance is currently being mocked by the following:
USA Today (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz)
As Middlehurst-Schwartz pens,
"Hard to say whether first-year GM Brad Holmes is firmly in or out of the quarterback market. If a signal-caller of Lance's caliber falls into the Lions' lap, however, he might be hard-pressed to forge ahead with Jared Goff. Landing in Detroit would seemingly afford Lance the chance to sit and learn for a year while he resolves some ball placement and timing issues, positioning him as an imposing dual-threat option whenever he's ready to take the reins."
Cornerback Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
Horn is currently being mocked by the following:
*NBC Sports (Hayden Winks); *denotes trade
As Winks writes,
"The Lions were dead last in passing EPA in 2020 while primarily playing man coverage, something new DC Aaron Glenn is likely to bring with him from New Orleans. 2020 first-rounder Jeff Okudah and Horn excelled in man coverage in college, and Horn just showed off 97th percentile Adjusted SPARQ athleticism at his pro day. He's in the CB1 conversation with Surtain and Farley."
Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
Slater is currently being mocked by the following:
Linebacker Micah Parsons, Penn State
Parsons is currently being mocked by the following:
Eric Edholm (Yahoo Sports), *NBC Sports; *denotes projected trade
Rich Barnes, USA TODAY Sports
Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Waddle is currently being mocked by the following:
Sports Illustrated (Cory McCann Ezring), ESPN (Todd McShay), ESPN (Mike Tannenbaum), *CBS Sports (Josh Edwards); *denotes trade, CBS Sports (Pete Prisco), *DraftWire, Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer)
Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
Chase is currently being mocked by the following:
Newsday (Nick Klopsis), NFL Network (Cynthia Frelund), CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso)
As Klopsis states,
"The Lions' current projected starters at wide receiver: Breshad Perriman, Tyrell Williams, Quintez Cephus. Williams missed all of 2020 with a torn labrum in his shoulder, and Perriman and Cephus combined for 50 catches, 854 yards and five touchdowns. Ja'Marr Chase opted out of the 2020 season, but he won the Biletnikoff Award and set SEC receiving records in 2019 thanks to his great hands and mixture of speed, shiftiness and physicality."
Wide receiver DeVonta Smith, Alabama
Smith is currently being mocked by the following:
The Detroit News (Justin Rogers), *Peter Schrager (NFL Network); *denotes trade, Lance Zierlein (NFL Network), ESPN (Mel Kiper), Ben Linsey (Pro Football Focus), Drae Harris (The Draft Network), *Brentley Weissman (The Draft Network), Walter Football, Drafttek (Doug Hyde)
As Rogers writes,
"The names have changed, but the Lions will enter 2021 with the same issue they had a year ago, lacking a long-term solution at receiver. Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman, the projected starters, are stopgaps on one-year deals. Smith might be small in stature, but he proved he can stay healthy playing in the fast and physical SEC, all while putting up monster numbers during his Heisman-winning campaign. His elite route running will complement the speed the Lions have added on the outside, giving quarterback Jared Goff a dangerous weapon to take advantage of the space underneath and along the sidelines."
Offensive tackle Penei Sewell, Oregon
Sewell is currently being mocked by the following:
Sports Illustrated MMQB (Albert Breer), Pro Football Focus (Austin Gayle), The San Diego Union-Tribune (Eddie Brown)
Tight end Kyle Pitts, Florida
Pitts is currently being mocked by the following:
SI All Lions (Logan Lamorandier)
More from SI All Lions:
Mailbag: Will Brad Holmes Nail First Draft as Lions GM?
Should Lions Trade Up for Kyle Pitts?
Campbell: 'You Build a Winner, People Will Want To Be Here'
