If you’re not familiar with how the Detroit Lions roundup works, each week we collect data from the latest expert mock drafts published over the last seven days and compile them (with links to the original pieces) in one easy-to-access article. In addition to providing Lions fans with the names of prospects being paired with Detroit, we also provide commentary that points to trends, player fits, and overall team philosophy.
We’re less than two weeks away from the 2024 NFL Draft and there’s been a dramatic shift in projections for the Detroit Lions. In the 41 mock drafts we reviewed this week, a whopping 38 of them projected the Lions to take a defensive player, and one player, in particular, received an incredible one-third of this week’s predictions.
Let’s take a look.
Wide receivers
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Source: Mel Kiper (ESPN)
“Detroit general manager Brad Holmes had a tremendous 2023 draft class, which featured impact contributions from tight end Sam LaPorta, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, defensive back Brian Branch and linebacker Jack Campbell. Can he do it again? Looking at this Lions roster, there aren’t many holes to fill. I could make the case for them taking a depth interior offensive lineman, an edge rusher or a corner, but receiver also stands out, particularly one who could run vertical routes and play on the other side of Jameson Williams.
“Mitchell could be a fit. At 6-2, he ran a 4.34-second 40 at the combine, showing off impressive physical tools. He had 11 touchdowns last season. You might consider this a luxury pick, but this roster is so talented that the Lions can afford to take Mitchell.” — Kiper
Erik’s Thoughts:
The week after losing Josh Reynolds to the Broncos, several wide receivers were connected to the Lions but we have seen a whiplash effect this week, with only Kiper dipping his toe in the wide receiver pool. I still believe wide receiver is very much in play for the Lions but it’ll have to be the right guy at the right spot.
Offensive linemen
Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
Source: Nick Baumgardner (The Athletic), Jeff Risdon (Lions Wire)
“Lions Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow turns 28 in May, and he’s been very banged up the last few years. Plus, Detroit’s in the market for a guard today. Powers-Johnson could be the team’s future center while filling an immediate need on the depth chart.” — Baumgardner
Erik’s Thoughts:
Powers-Johnson would be a tremendous fit in Detroit, even if he doesn’t fill an immediate starting need. He’s one of the best players mocked to the Lions this week, and if he is available when Detroit is on the clock, it’d be awfully hard to pass on him. He’s a stud.
Defensive tackle
Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
Source: Diante Lee (33rd Team), Danny Heifetz (The Ringer), Ryan Mink (BaltimoreRavens.com), Matt Rooney (Bleacher Nation)
“The Detroit Lions’ run defense needs some help up the spine, and nobody is more disruptive on the interior than Jer’Zhan Newton. His lower body explosiveness and agility are impressive at his size, and there’s a lot to like with his motor and hand placement as an interior pass rusher. Detroit has invested so much into its front four, and I can imagine some fan exhaustion here, but the trenches must be built to sustain the Lions long-term.” — Lee
Erik’s Thoughts:
Newton is slowly gaining traction and getting paired with the Lions more frequently of late. He would immediately step into a rotation with Alim McNeill and DJ Reader, would offer them another way to create interior pressure—something they’ve lacked for years—and would be insurance for the team in the short and long term.
I also can’t help but keep thinking back to his response to the media when asked about meeting with the Lions at the Combine (via Colton Pouncy of The Athletic):
“They f–k with me, and I f–k with them.”
Edge Rusher
Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
Source: Ian Valentino (33rd Team)
“The Detroit Lions will hit the clock without an obvious position of need to fill, which is every team’s dream scenario. Even after adding Marcus Davenport in free agency, there’s room to improve the edge position across from Aidan Hutchinson. Laiatu Latu doesn’t quite have the high-end power and athleticism Hutchinson had as a prospect, but Latu’s deep move set and creativity are similar.” — Valentino
Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State
Source: Steve Palazzolo (PFF), Ryan McCrystal (Sharp Football Analysis), Garrett Podell (CBS Sports), Pete Prisco (CBS Sports), Kyle Dvorchak (NBC Sports), Matthew Freedman (Fantasy Life)
“Regardless of his lack of polish, Robinson is a gifted player athletically — likely on a level that is top of the class. A lot of what leaves you wanting more from Robinson is coachable. Unlocking that is the key for him to go from a boom-or-bust athlete to a dominant edge defender.” — Palazzolo
Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri
Source: Damian Parson (Draft Network), Shane Hallam (Draft Countdown)
“Darius Robinson is physical and versatile with his alignment. He gives the Lions another relentless DL to pair with Aidan Hutchinson.” — Parson
Erik’s Thoughts:
Edge rushers continue to get a lot of love, which makes sense when considering the potential value at the end of the first round, and Chop Robinson remains the most popular. Chop is such an intriguing prospect and the upside may be worth the risk.
Defensive backs
Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
Source: Evan Silva (Establish the run), David Furones (Sun Sentinel)
“Arguably college football’s premier corner in 2023, DeJean fractured his fibula during a November practice and missed the season’s final four games. At 6-foot-1, 202, DeJean bounced back to bank a mid-4.4s forty time, 38 1/2-inch vertical, and 10-foot-4 broad jump at the Hawkeyes’ early-April Pro Day.” — Silva
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Source: Erik Schlitt (Pride of Detroit), Rhett Lewis (NFL.com), Gennaro Filice (NFL.com), Nate Davis (USA Today), Max Chadwick (PFF), Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports), Josh Edwards (CBS Sports), Jeff Kerr (CBS Sports), Molly Bauer (Canal St. Chronicles), Jeff Ratcliffe (FTN Fantasy), Kent Weyrauch (Fantasy Pros), Mike Fanelli (Fantasy Pros), Nolan Mangiamelli (Last word on sports), Matt Urben (Falcons Wire)
“This feels like such a franchise fit. There’s a toughness the Lions have embraced under head coach Dan Campbell that wouldn’t be a problem for McKinstry, who enters the league with a highly respected résumé, having started 33 games for Nick Saban at Alabama.” — Lewis
Nate Wiggins
Source: Cory Giddings (Bleacher Report - Staff), David Howman (Blogging the Boys), Dan Wilkins and Dane Belbeck (The Score), Chris Gregory (Rotoballer)
“Wiggins helped his draft stock in a big way at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s on the thinner side (173 lbs) but lit up Lucas Oil Stadium with a 4.28-second 40-yard dash. He then showed very good movement during the on-field drills. During contests, Wiggins displays good patience when playing in press and uses his hands and length very well to disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage. He can be immediately inserted into the lineup opposite Davis.” — Giddings
Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri
Source: Kyle Stackpole (CBS Sports), Adam Rank (NFL.com), Tori McElhaney (AtlantaFalcons.com)
“Ennis Rakestraw Jr. just feels like a Dan Campbell guy. His energy and physicality will be welcomed in the Lions secondary.” — Stackpole
Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
Source: Eric Galko (CBS Sports), Brady Quinn (CBS Sports)
“Detroit is known for not caring about where other teams have players ranked nor perceived positional value. Tyler Nubin isn’t talked about as a potential first-round pick, but I believe he’ll be the first safety taken. And even in an era now where safeties are “devalued,” adding Nubin to their defensive backfield can make it an elite, complete unit.” — Galko
Erik’s Thoughts:
DeJean would be a tremendous fit with the Lions mentality (though I believe he will be off the board), but McKinstry dominated this week’s projections—including showing up in my second mock draft of the offseason.
McKinstry checks an incredible amount of boxes that the Lions look for. He has three years of starting experience in a top SEC program—including starting for Nick Saban as a freshman—and is one of the top press man corners in this class. If he’s available when the Lions are on the clock, as most are anticipating, he very well may end up in Detroit.
Wiggins is a tremendous cover corner, one of the best in the class, but I question if his intangibles line up with this organization. Rakestraw is brimming with Lions’ intangibles, but does he have enough talent to warrant a first-round selection? I still believe he’ll be in play.
This is the second week in a row that Nubin has been connected to the Lions. It is interesting though that all three of the analysts projecting him to Detroit all work for CBS Sports (Tom Fornelli, last week). Is this evidence of groupthink gone wrong at CBS Sports, or do they know something no one else does?
Trades
Lions trade pick No. 29 to Bengals
Source: Nick Wright (Fox Sports)
- Lions acquire: WR Tee Higgins
- Bengals acquire: Pick No. 29
Erik’s Thoughts:
I’m not a fan of this one. Yes, Higgins is just 25 years old and just scratching the surface of his potential, but he also has a $21 million cap hit this season (due to the Bengals placing the franchise tag on him) and would likely demand an extension averaging a similar range of cost. With Amon-Ra St. Brown also likely to get a shiny new contract averaging over $20 million, I’m not sure how much fiscal sense it would make for general manager Brad Holmes to pay two wide receivers top dollar.
Additionally, it would also likely mean Jameson Williams is gone after his rookie contract expires because they wouldn’t be able to afford him. That goes against the grain of the Lions’ draft-and-develop philosophy, especially considering the draft capital they used to acquire him and how they believe he is ready to expand his game.
And then, on top of creating a potential cap issue by overloading the wide receiver room, the Lions would also no longer have a first-round pick to help them build their roster.
