The Lions may still be in the hunt for the playoffs, but this upcoming draft is one of the most important for the Lions ever. They have five picks in the first round and need to hit on these if they want to win a championship in the coming years. I decided to run a mock draft and these are the results.
(Picks 8, 11, 41, 61, 72) note: I only did three rounds
Round 1, Pick 8 Will Levis, Quarterback, Kentucky
Will Levis might be a slight reach at number 8 but he sure has the talent to go this high and the Lions need a QB. Goff is not the answer and has never been the answer. Will Levis stands at 6’3 and weighs in at 231. He is a big QB with a big arm, Levis is very comfortable throwing from weird angles and has shown the ability to roll out of the pocket and make a play himself. Levis runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. Levis is extremely athletic which pairs excellently with his arm talent. Levis may need a year to develop but that should not be a problem if the Lions decide to hang on to Goff.
Round 1, Pick 11 Trenton Simpson, Linebacker, Georgia
The Lions have a glaring hole at linebacker and Simpson fills that hole and more. Simpson just and does about everything at Clemson which is why he is one of my favorite players in the draft. He is able to rush the passer and does so with fluidity and natural talent as he tallied up 10 sacks last year. He is also a stud in run defense and takes on blocks like no other, filling running lanes and being a menace on the ball. Clemson has also dropped Simpson back into coverage and frequently Simpson shows his ability to cover pass catchers as well. Simpson does it all and his versatility is the reason why I took him at 11 here, depending on how he plays the rest of the season I could easily see him going higher than this.
Round 2, Pick 41, Brian Branch, Defensive Back, Alabama
Brian Branch is a very fun versatile prospect. At Alabama Branch has played a lot of free safety and slot corner and has excelled. An extremely athletic player who can cover just about anybody and has good size at 6 foot 193 lbs. He hits with more force than most defensive backs. I can see Branch playing a lot for us during his rookie season, as the Lions could use just about any help in the secondary. Branch is a perfect fit for Detroit and would be utilized great here.
Round 2, Pick 61, Siaki Ika, Defensive Tackle, Baylor
It is a miracle that Ika fell this far, but if he does in April the Lions need to take him. When you see 6’4 351 lbs on a defensive tackle you are probably thinking that he is some sort of roadblock, like an alim McNeil clone but that would be wrong. Yes Ika is a roadblock in the run game for sure, but Ika has proved at Baylor that he is able to use his size and force to his advantage and wreak havoc on opposing teams’ backfields and quarterbacks. Ika is a tremendous athlete and the Lions can surely use those. He would look great next to Hutchinson on the line next year.
Round 3, Pick 72, Zach Evans, Running Back, Ole Miss
With Swift and Williams’s future in jeopardy, the Lions are going to need a running back and this is the perfect place to take one. Zach Evans is very talented, he was a five-star running back coming out of high school and he may not have lived up to the five-star status but has shown flashes and promise in his time at TCU and Ole Miss. Evans is a fluid athlete who shows his ability to explode in the open field and use jump cuts to make people miss. Evans is also a very tough runner, often making defenders look silly when they try to tackle him. Evans is a very good player who could help the Lions offense greatly next season
