Mock Draft Roundup: Lukas Van Ness Emerges as Target for Lions
It's time for the latest All Lions mock draft roundup.
Over the last week, an increasing number of mock drafts has targeted Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 6 overall for the Detroit Lions.
There have also been multiple projections that have the Lions selecting an EDGE rusher at No. 18 overall.
Let’s explore now who the draft analysts have Lions general manager Brad Holmes selecting in the first round, starting with the No. 6 overall pick.
Defensive back Brian Branch, Alabama
Branch is presently being picked by the following:
*Pro Football Network (James Fragoza); *indicates trade
Quarterback Anthony Richardson, Florida
Richardson is presently being mocked by the following:
As Sullivan writes,
"As we noted in the intro, Detroit likely won't have many cracks at finding a franchise QB inside the top 10 by looking at how its rebuild is going, so the Lions are proactive and bring aboard Richardson. With Goff established, the Lions can allow Richardson to develop for a season before possibly handing him the keys to the franchise."
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Porter is presently being mocked by the following:
*The Draft Network (Damian Parson); CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson); indicates trade
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Gonzalez is presently being mocked by the following:
The Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer); Walter Football (Walter Cherepinsky); Pro Football Network (Arif Hasan); *CBS Sports (Josh Edwards); Pro Football Focus (Trevor Sikkema); ESPN.com (Mel Kiper Jr.); CBS Sports (Kyle Stackpole); Pro Football Network (Ian Cummings); Walter Football (Charlie Campbell); *indicates trade
As Stackpole writes,
"In each of the past three drafts, there have been at least two cornerbacks taken in the top 10. It doesn't feel like that's going to happen this year, but you have to think one of these prospects will impress a team enough to be taken in the first several picks. In this exercise, that player is Christian Gonzalez, whose playmaking ability complemented his well-established physical traits this past season at Oregon."
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Witherspoon is presently being mocked by the following:
The Draft Wire (Luke Easterling)
Defensive lineman Myles Murphy, Clemson
Murphy is presently being picked by the following:
EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
Wilson is currently being mocked by the following:
CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso); DetroitLions.com (Mike O'Hara)
Let's turn our attention now to who the draft analysts have projected for Detroit at No. 18.
Wide receiver Jordan Addison, USC
Addison is presently being mocked by the following:
Pro Football Network (Ian Cummings)
As Cummings writes,
"In this 2023 NFL Mock Draft, Jordan Addison is the first wide receiver off the board, heading to the Detroit Lions. With his spry lateral agility, twitch, and burst, he could be a versatile weapon in the short range for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson while also providing the receiving chops to work downfield."
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Witherspoon is presently being mocked by the following:
NFL.com (Bucky Brooks); CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso)
Defensive lineman Keion White, Georgia Tech
White is presently being projected by the following:
As Wilson pens,
"White was another player who had a great week at the Senior Bowl, and NFL teams love his size (6-foot-4, 280 pounds) and his motor. He consistently wins at the line of scrimmage and is good against both the run and getting after the quarterback. He may eventually end up going early on Day 2, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him slip into the first round."
Defensive back Brian Branch, Alabama
Branch is presently being picked by the following:
Pro Football Network (Arif Hasan); Pro Football Focus (Trevor Sikkema)
As Sikkema writes,
"The Lions are attacking the secondary with their first-round picks in this mock. It’s not a common outcome for them, but considering how depleted their secondary looked last season and the kind of talents Gonzalez and Brian Branch are, it would be an immediate upgrade."
Linebacker Drew Sanders, Arkansas
Sanders is presently being mocked by the following:
As Kiper opines,
"They should double dip on defense in Round 1, and Sanders, my top-ranked inside linebacker, would really help them. Again, this defense ranked near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories, so the Lions could go with the best defender left on their board. Sanders, a transfer from Alabama, stuffed the stat sheet in his lone season at Arkansas -- 111 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. His pass-rush upside means he could move around the defense and make plays, and he should be a three-down defender."
EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
Van Ness is currently being mocked by the following:
The Draft Network (Damian Parson); CBS Sports (Tyler Sullivan)
As Parson writes,
"The pursuit of creating a more talented defensive unit for DC Aaron Glenn continues. Aidan Hutchinson was a force off the edge as a rookie and I love pairing him with Lukas Van Ness. This gives the Lions two non-stop and relentless edge defenders to collapse the edges around opposing quarterbacks. Lukas Van Ness is raw with his hands, but Hutchinson is a master technician and could be a teacher for his fellow Big Ten rusher."
Running back Bijan Robinson, Texas
Robinson is currently being mocked by the following:
Walter Football (Walter Cherepinsky); Walter Football (Charlie Campbell); *The Draft Wire (Luke Easterling); *indicates trade
Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Bresee is presently being picked by the following:
The Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer); CBS Sports (Kyle Stackpole)
Tight end Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
Mayer is currently being selected by the following:
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Gonzalez is currently being mocked by the following:
