Detroit Lions: 2021 Draft Preview

We have officially reached one of the most exciting times of the year in the world of sports: The NFL Draft. There are few things I love more than the NFL Draft, and every year I block out my schedule to watch all seven rounds of it. The great irony in that, of course, is that I am a Lions fan, and they are historically bad at drafting. There have been very few picks that I have seen eye-to-eye with the Lions on, specifically first-round picks. I have made my disdain for draft selections such as Eric Ebron, T.J. Hockenson, Jahlani Tavai, and Jeff Okudah abundantly clear on this website.

That being said, the Lions find themselves once again in the top 10, and from the looks of it, they are going to have quite the array of talented players to choose from. That, combined with the fact that there are a number of directions the Lions could go with the pick, makes for a very interesting set of circumstances. There are honestly about 30 players I could list as options for the Lions both at the seventh pick and in trade-down scenarios, but I am not going to exhaust you with in-depth looks at all of those. I am instead going to go in-depth on the top guys at the positions the Lions will most likely be looking at with the seventh pick, as well as give my personal choice at each position if the decision came down to me.

Wide Receiver

Arguably our biggest need following the loss of our top three receivers from last year in Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola. Golladay was really the one I was the most upset losing. He looked like he was going to be a staple of our receiving corps for a long time, and he was a force to be reckoned with in contested catch situations. I was surprised we did not at least franchise tag him for another year if we could not sign him to a long-term deal. That means our top receiver returning from last year is Quintez Cephus. Not ideal. We have brought in two notable receivers in Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman, as well as Geronimo Allison, who opted out of last season, as well as a couple other depth guys. These guys are solid receivers, but we lack a true number one receiver. The seventh pick provides us with quite a few options, although I anticipate at least one if not two of these players will go in the top six.

Ja’Marr Chase – LSU (6’0” 201 lbs.)

If you do not remember hearing Chase’s name during the past college football season, that is because he in fact opted out. Despite not playing last year, he is viewed as the most complete receiver in this draft, and it really shows on tape. He is a good route runner with strong yards-after-catch ability. His speed, in my opinion, is underrated. He is not known as a burner, but on tape he seems to just get by guys, both while running routes and after the catch. Furthermore, he is really good at bringing down contested catches, winning a number of jump balls. He and Justin Jefferson were a dynamic duo with Joe Burrow in 2019, and that group was one of the most prolific offenses I have ever seen in college football. Of all the receivers in this draft, I definitely think Chase is the most likely to go before the Lions’ pick. If he did end up falling to 7, I think he would be an easy choice for the Lions.

Devonta Smith – Alabama (6’1” 174 lbs.)

Smith accomplished the rare feat of winning the Heisman trophy as a receiver, and when you watch him play, it is easy to see why. He just has a knack for getting open and making plays. He is fast, quick in and out of cuts, and has great hands even in contested situations. He put up the performance of a lifetime in the National Championship game against Ohio State, where he had 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns in just over a half of a game. Ohio State’s offense had just 191 yards in the first half, for reference. The one knock about Smith is his slim frame. I personally think it is being a bit overblown because guys like Marvin Harrison and DeSean Jackson were of a similar weight and made it in the NFL. I think Smith’s talent far outweighs, no pun intended, any concerns that his sleight frame brings to the table.

Jaylen Waddle – Alabama (5’10” 183 lbs.)

One word to describe Waddle’s game is speed. He has been a mainstay in Alabama’s offense since he got there, even when they had players like Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, who were both first-round picks from last year. He does not only create space while running routes, but he also made a ton of plays after the catch and on kick and punt returns, which would also benefit the Lions since they let Pro Bowl punt returner Jamal Agnew walk in free agency. The concern with blazing fast receivers is that they often end up being busts, because in college they rely on their speed alone and it does not work as well in the NFL because the speed of the game is much faster (e.g. Tavon Austin, John Ross, Darius Heyward-Bey). I do not think Waddle is going to fall into that category, although I think Chase and Smith are a bit more well-rounded. That is not to say that if the Lions draft Waddle I am going to be upset about it, because this team desperately needs some speed in their receiving corps. One could argue that Waddle is the receiver the Lions could use the most just because of that speed. It is hard to disagree.

Kyle Pitts – Florida (6’5” 240 lbs.)

One of the most polarizing prospects, particularly in the eyes of Lions fans, is TE/WR Kyle Pitts. There is no debating Pitts’ athletic ability, running a 4.44 40-yard dash at his pro day and displaying impressive quickness while running routes despite his size. He also has good hands, and while not a great blocker he is at least an okay blocker. I could see him being used in a role that has him lining up in-line, in the slot, and outside over the course of a game. All that being said, I do not want the Lions to draft him. No, it is not because I just hate tight ends. I acknowledge that Pitts is a player that should be talked about as a top-10 pick, much more so than, let’s just say, T.J. Hockenson. If the Lions had drafted a player like Pitts when they drafted Hockenson, I probably would have been less upset about it, because I could have at least seen the reasoning behind it. I just do not think that Pitts quite fits the need that the Lions have. Our wide receiver room is headlined by a bunch of guys that are number 2 receivers, at best. Additionally, Hockenson showed some strides last year, in that he looked like more dependable catching the ball. He even made his first Pro Bowl, even though his competition in the NFC at his position was essentially non-existent, with both George Kittle and Zach Ertz ending up injured. Still not even close to living up to his eight-overall draft slot, but the progress was encouraging. My point being, we need a pure wide receiver, not a hybrid player. Pitts is not going to dominate outside corners in the NFL like he could in college. Sure, we could run a bunch of two tight end sets, but ultimately keeping both Hockenson and Pitts here long-term would be difficult, because they would both want to be paid like a number one tight end should be.

In my opinion, wide receiver is our biggest need, except for maybe linebacker. So, this is a direction I would love to see the Lions go early in the draft. Even if we do not take one at 7, there are a lot of talented receivers that could be had in later rounds. It is honestly hard for me to pick a favorite among the three receivers listed above, because I think they are all extremely talented and will be great at the next level. I’ll give Ja’Marr Chase my top spot, simply because I think he has the least number of concerns surrounding him. If Chase is gone before 7, which I anticipate will happen, then flip a coin between Smith and Waddle and I would be happy.

Offensive Lineman

This is a pick I have seen trending a lot as of late, and it kind of came a little out of nowhere, but with the guys that could be available it makes sense that the Lions would have to think about it. It is certainly a possibility, and I think it is worth at least mentioning given the prospects in this draft. Overall, I would say the offensive line was one of our best, if not the best position group on the team. Frank Ragnow looks like a star in the making at center, Taylor Decker seems to have finally turned a page, and Jonah Jackson had a rock-solid rookie season. Now, we still have a tackle and a guard that have been filled by mediocre-at-best players. Our big free agent signing from last season, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, was supposed to be our right tackle, but he completely busted last season, being hurt most of the year and not producing when he was healthy. The guard slot can, and should, be addressed later in the draft (although I hope to see Logan Stenberg, a fourth-round pick from last year, get some reps), but there are two top-tier tackle prospects in this draft that could be considered.

Penei Sewell – Oregon (6’6” 331 lbs.)

Sewell has long been considered not just the best offensive lineman in this draft class, but one of the best offensive line prospects in the past decade. It is easy to see why on film. He is huge, strong, and moves very well for his size. He has good footwork and technique in both the pass game and the run game. I personally do not see Sewell getting past the Bengals at pick 5. Joe Burrow got destroyed last year and Sewell is a guy they could build their offensive line around for the next 10-15 years. There has been a lot of debate about the Bengals potentially taking Ja’Marr Chase and reuniting him with Burrow, but I think they would be dumb to pass on a guy like Sewell. That being said, if he fell to the Lions and they took him, it would be hard to complain, even if I do not think it is our biggest need by a long shot.

Rashawn Slater – Northwestern (6’3” 315 lbs.)

Slater is an interesting prospect who has gained a lot of momentum towards making his own bid as the best offensive lineman in this draft. With Sewell opting out of the season, it gave Slater a chance to shine without Sewell taking the spotlight away, if there really is a spotlight on offensive linemen week in and week out. Slater really impressed this season, too, showing impressive strength and speed for an offensive lineman. His is also fundamentally sound in his footwork and technique. He has a knack for getting off the line quickly, which is normally something said about defensive linemen, but he has such a quick reaction to the ball being snapped that sometimes gets him a step ahead of his opponent. It also allows him in the run game to get up into the second level of the defense and make blocks before the running back gets there. The Big Ten is certainly known for its offensive linemen, and Slater looked like the best of the bunch this year.

With these two extremely talented linemen in the draft this year, it would be hard to complain about seeing either of them get drafted by the Lions. It is more likely that Slater will be there at 7 than Sewell, although one can never be too sure with the NFL Draft. I think my only issue with it is that I just feel like we have bigger needs than offensive line. Our receiving corps and defense are much worse than our offensive line right now, and I feel like those are the things we should be looking to address early in this draft. If I had to pick a preference between these two, I would give Sewell the slight edge, but I do think Slater will also be very productive in his NFL career.

Defense

Speaking of defense, let's talk about it. This is a much more out-there idea, with this being such an offensively top-heavy draft, it would not surprise me if there were not a defensive player taken in the top 10 at all. There is no Chase Young or Myles Garrett or Jeff Okudah (ugh) that is a unanimous top 10 pick. There are three guys I am going to talk about just for the sake of conversation, but I personally only see one of them as a real option for us.

Micah Parsons – LB, Penn State (6’3” 245 lbs.)

This is a strange case from a draft preview perspective. Early on in the offseason, Parsons was talked about as a consensus top 10 pick, but now there are people saying he could fall to the middle or late first round. I have no idea what caused this sudden change, but I like what I see out of Parsons on tape. He is fast, and extremely effective on the blitz, against the run, and every once in a while, he lines up on the line almost as an edge rusher. He has incredible closing speed that is reminiscent of watching Devin Bush at Michigan. With our linebackers being arguably the worst group in the NFL, I think Parsons makes a lot of sense for us, although again he is viewed as more of a mid-first-round pick, so I think it is unlikely we take him at 7 straight up unless we really love him. If the Lions decide to trade down a few picks, Parsons may be the guy we are targeting.

Kwity Paye – EDGE, Michigan (6’4” 271 lbs.)

Another player who has fallen down draft boards as the offseason has progressed, similar to how Parsons has, is Michigan man Kwity Paye. He is viewed as the number one edge prospect by a lot of people, although some have one of Miami’s duo, Jaelen Philips and Gregory Rousseau, ahead of him. Those two are viewed more as projects than Paye. As someone who has watched Paye a lot at Michigan, the fact that he is the number one edge prospect shows how weak of an edge class this is. Paye was a good player for us, do not get me wrong, he has a great blend of size, speed, and strength that I am sure has many teams very interested in him, but he was not a game-breaker like so many great edge rushers we have seen in the last few drafts. To me, he is not even close to being in the same discussion as guys like Chase Young, Myles Garrett, or even T.J. Watt, who was a late first-round pick. I do not think the Lions need an edge player this early, although it certainly is a question mark for us, but I thought Paye was worth mentioning simply because he seems to be the number one edge prospect.

Patrick Surtain II – CB, Alabama (6’2” 203 lbs.)

Why not do the whole cornerback thing again? It went so well for us last year. This year, the consensus number one corner is Surtain, and I must say, his film is ten times more impressive than Jeff Okudah’s was last year. He is fast, sticks to receivers well in coverage, and makes great plays on the ball to break up passes. In comparison, Okudah’s film consisted of him making tackles and…that is pretty much it. The fact that people actually hyped up Okudah as much as they did last year is beyond me, while a guy like Surtain, who looks so much better on film, is talked about as not even a certain top 10 pick. I honestly feel like we can almost call Okudah a bust now with how bad he played last year, the “best corner prospect since Jalen Ramsey” as some people called him, got burnt consistently by guys like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Keelan Cole. Sure, he had one interception on a terrible throw by Kyler Murray but that was one of only two pass breakups he had the entire season. Yes, you read that correctly, he only had one more batted ball over the nine games he played before ending his season due to injury. That is inexcusably bad production for the Third. Overall. Pick. He did battle a few injuries last year, so maybe that was the reason he looked so bad, but I personally do not think that his horrendous play last year was due to just injuries. I do not think the Lions can afford to take a corner in this draft because of all the other holes we have to fill, but mark my words, Surtain’s rookie season is likely going to put Okudah’s to shame.

I think the only defensive player that I can see the Lions taking early is Parsons. He may even be a candidate if we decide to trade just outside the top 10. I do not think people are talking about Parsons enough as an option for us. Our linebackers were so bad last year that I feel like he would be such an easy choice for us. If I were the Lions, I would at the very least consider taking him at 7, although a trade-down scenario is probably a bit more likely.

Quarterback

I have been calling for the Lions to draft a quarterback for such a long time, and even though we now have a younger quarterback in Jared Goff, I still think this would be a worthwhile investment. Goff has had an okay career so far, but he has not been anything special, and while I am hopeful that he will find some success here in Detroit, I do not see him developing into a top 10 quarterback in the league at any point. This is a loaded quarterback class, with as many as five quarterbacks having the potential to be taken in the top 10 picks of this draft. Since the Lions failed to #TankForTrevor like I would have liked them to, I will be highlighting the other four quarterbacks who I could see the Lions try to go after.

Zach Wilson – BYU (6’3” 209 lbs.)

Is this a long shot to happen? Yes, absolutely. Unless something absolutely insane happens, Wilson will be going to the New York Jets at #2, or if the Jets decide to be the Jets that we have all come to know and love, he will go to the San Francisco 49ers at #3. I am still going to talk about Wilson here, though, because crazier things have happened, and he is my favorite prospect aside from Trevor Lawrence. Wilson and the rest of the BYU Cougars were one of the most entertaining teams to watch last season. He passes my “eye test,” so to speak, which essentially means that when I watch him, he just looks like a good quarterback. There are no numbers or metrics involved, it is simply that I like what I see. He has a great arm, goes through progressions, utilizes the pump fake once in a while, and is effective with his legs. On tape he has some extremely impressive throws, fitting it in tight windows, dropping it over his receivers’ shoulders on deep routes, and overall just putting the ball right where it needs to be. He is also a great playmaker both when passing and when scrambling, evading pass rushers while keeping his eyes down field, and also not shying away from contact as a ballcarrier. He really looks like the complete package as a quarterback, and it really bums me out that his stock has risen so much that he will almost certainly not be available for the Lions to take him.

Justin Fields – Ohio State (6’3” 227 lbs.)

Prior to the season, Fields was seen as the surefire second-best quarterback in the class as well as the second overall pick. He has seen his draft stock tumble over the course of this season, unfortunately. Really, I think it has been a combination of factors, some of which are not his fault. The play of guys like Zach Wilson and Mac Jones has sent their stock skyrocketing, while Fields struggled a few times this season against teams like Indiana, Northwestern, and in the National Championship against Alabama. The game against Northwestern was by far his worst, where he went 12/27, 114 yards, 2 interceptions, and 3 sacks. Another reason his draft stock is falling is people are finally catching on to the fact that Ohio State quarterbacks do not translate to the NFL, especially with Dwayne Haskins falling out of favor in Washington. On tape, Fields’ most impressive trait is certainly his legs. He is a gifted runner, who is fast (4.44 40-yard dash) and capable of making guys miss in the open field. He also has impressive arm strength, connecting on numerous deep balls during his time at Ohio State. One concern I have with Fields is that he may be a bit of a one-read-and-run type of player. This is common in scrambling quarterbacks, in that they basically only look at their primary receiver, and if he is not open, they then just choose to run for it. That can work in college, especially against subpar defenses, but in the NFL that sort of thing does not fly due to the superior talent level, which is why very few scrambling quarterbacks actually make it in the NFL. That leads to me wondering if Fields will be able to read defenses and go through progressions in the NFL. There is no doubting his physical abilities, but I do wonder if Fields will be able to develop his mental game enough to become a good NFL quarterback. I do think his potential is high enough that it would be worth it for the Lions to at least look into selecting him.

Mac Jones – Alabama (6’3” 214 lbs.)

The latest quarterback to come out of Alabama, Jones showed out this season, feeding Heisman-winning wide receiver Devonta Smith all season. On tape, there is no doubt that Jones throws a nice ball, but he is certainly a much more limited athlete than guys like Wilson and Fields. I am wary of talking up Mac Jones to be a surefire stud because I think it is important to point out that he was throwing passes to a Heisman winner in Devonta Smith, another first-round pick in Jaylen Waddle, and John Metchie III, who really showed out when Waddle went down with his injury. It has been a while since an Alabama quarterback made it in the NFL, although we are still in wait-and-see mode with Tua Tagovailoa, and I think it is because they are always throwing to some of the best receivers in college football. Think about guys like Greg McElroy, A.J. McCarron, Jake Coker, and Blake Sims. McCarron has had the best NFL career of all of them, and he has been a career backup. I cannot definitively say that Jones looked significantly better in college than McCarron did. I think Jones would be an extremely underwhelming pick for the Lions. I do not see him as being much better than Jared Goff, and since he is limited athletically, they have similar playing styles. I really hope they choose to go a different route.

Trey Lance – North Dakota State (6’4” 227 lbs.)

Perhaps the most intriguing quarterback prospect in the draft this year, Lance lit up the FCS at NDSU. Most notably, he went the entire 2019 season (16 games) without throwing an interception. It does not matter to me if the competition level in the FCS is less than that of the FBS, that is impressive. He played only one game this season back in October, where he did end up throwing his lone interception, but with the FCS moving their season to the spring, he chose to prepare for the draft instead. Lance is a rare blend of size and speed, and he really flashes on tape. Lance has a strong arm, and pairs that with an aggressive running style that makes him a true dual-threat quarterback. His tape is honestly somewhat similar to that of Justin Fields, who we discussed earlier, but with a few differences that set him apart for me. First, Lance is a much tougher runner than Fields, often taking on and powering through defenders. Secondly, and perhaps much more importantly, Lance shows the ability to go through progressions and look off safeties while in the pocket, which as I mentioned, is a concern with Fields. Now, there is no doubt that the jump from FCS to the NFL is a significant one, and Lance will certainly have to make plenty of adjustments. To me, Lance passes my aforementioned eye test a little better than Fields does. When I watch him on tape, he just looks like he knows what he is doing. I feel like Lance is the perfect quarterback prospect for the Lions in this draft class since we already have Goff, who can be our starter for a year or two while Lance could sit behind him and develop. Then we trade away Goff and let Lance take over. If the Lions decide to go this route and select Lance at 7, I would be really happy with that, although I think he could definitely end up getting drafted sooner.

With Zach Wilson all but certain to be drafted at #2, I think Lance is my top choice at the quarterback position in this draft. I think it is unlikely that the Lions will decide to go with a quarterback in the first round, but as I have made clear many times before, we need to get a young quarterback in this draft to develop behind Goff, and it would be very exciting to see us take Lance.

Potential Trade Down Targets

There are a lot of rumors that the Lions are looking to trade down from the seventh pick, and while I would only do it if the haul back was really good, it definitely warrants conversation. I will not go in-depth on all of these guys, but these are certainly some names to keep in mind should we decide to trade down. I am excluding guys like Micah Parsons and Jaylen Waddle, who were discussed above, but if we decide to only trade down a few picks, those are two names I would definitely think are on the table.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – LB, Notre Dame

Zaven Collins – LB, Tulsa

Kadarius Toney – WR, Florida

Elijah Moore – WR, Ole Miss

Rondale Moore – WR, Purdue

Christian Barmore – DT, Alabama

Frankly, there are about 10 other names I could include here, but these are the guys that I think fit the bill best based on our team needs. Toney and JOK are two personal favorites of mine in this class, and if we get a great haul for the seventh pick and end up drafting one of those two, I would overall be quite happy.

One position I have not mentioned once in this post, but I want to bring up, is the safety position. The Lions would do well for themselves to pick up a quality safety in this draft, since Duron Harmon is gone and the only proven guy that we have is Tracy Walker, but the reason I have not mentioned it up until this point is that there are none in this class that are at the level of guys like Tyrann Mathieu or Jamal Adams coming out of college. Nonetheless, it is certainly a position, along with wide receiver and linebacker, that in my opinion the Lions need to address in this draft, and there are a number of talented players to choose from. Here are some notable names to keep an eye out for:

Trevon Moehrig – TCU (likely a first-round pick)

Richie Grant – UCF

Jamar Johnson – Indiana

Elijah Molden – Washington

Jevon Holland – Oregon

Ar’Darius Washington – TCU

You may recognize the name Richie Grant from my Senior Bowl notes, so you already know he is one of my favorite prospects in this draft. I would honestly be happy with the Lions drafting any of these players, but preferably in the second round or later, as I see other positions as bigger needs for us.

Overall, this is set up to be a very interesting draft for the Lions. We have a new GM, a top 10 pick, and a number of directions we could go that I think would all be good for us. I think taking a wide receiver would be great, I think taking a quarterback such as Trey Lance would be great, and I think trading down and taking a linebacker like Micah Parsons or Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah would also be great for us. Ultimately, unless we draft Mac Jones or some other player that is completely out of left field, I think it is hard to really go wrong. I also do not really want Kyle Pitts, because he is not a pure wide receiver, and I think he is a bit too thin to be a pure tight end, plus he is not great at blocking, and we already have T.J. Hockenson, but at least I can understand the intrigue that exists with his size and athleticism.

Draft Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year, and I cannot wait to see what the Lions do in this year’s draft.