Wherever the Detroit Lions pick in the 2020 NFL draft, whether it’s at No. 3 or a few picks later in a trade down, general manager Bob Quinn said the objective is the same.
“The idea is to get an impactful player,” Quinn said in his pre-draft video conference Friday. “And I think we have enough guys in that range that we think we can do that.”
The Lions have been linked to three defensive players in particular with their first-round pick: Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown and Clemson linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons.
Each would fill a different need, and no matter who the Lions take, it will start a chain reaction that will set the stage for their picks in later rounds.
The Lions currently have nine picks overall, including four of the first 85 selections. In this annual exercise, I take my best guess at how what the Lions do in the first round will impact their choices in Rounds 2 and 3.
This year, I have scenario for each of the Lions’ most likely targets, Okudah, Brown and Simmons, with one of those incorporating a trade down with the Miami Dolphins since Quinn is openly shopping the No. 3 pick and the quarterback-needy Dolphins remain the team most likely to come up.
Because there appear to be so few suitors, my mock trade has the Lions getting Miami’s first second-round pick, No. 39, to move down two spots. According to the Rich Hill trade value chart, the Dolphins are paying only a small premium in compensation.
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Scenario 1: Load up on D
First round: No. 3: CB Jeff Okudah, Ohio State. Second round: No. 35: LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin. Third round: No. 67: DL Jordan Elliott, Missouri; No. 85: OG Ben Bredeson, Michigan.
Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Zach Baun. (Photo: Thomas J. Russo/USA TODAY Sports)
The Lions spent most of their free agent dollars on defense, but that doesn’t mean they’re done overhauling a unit that was one of the worst in the league last year. Okudah is a special talent at cornerback and would ease the loss of Darius Slay. Baun played for the Lions on the North team at the Senior Bowl, which should help him contribute this fall in a year that, because of the coronavirus pandemic, will be tough to expect much out of rookies. Linebacker is more of a long-term need than an immediate one, but he has the versatility and pass-rushing ability the Lions covet. In Round 3, the Lions get help for both lines. Elliott should be a rotational player as an interior pass rusher, and Bredeson could start at guard. The Lions would enter Day 3 with a long-term need at receiver in this scenario, but the thought is the position is deep enough to grab help with the third pick of the fourth round.
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Scenario 2: Beefing up
First round: No. 3: DT Derrick Brown, Auburn. Second round: No. 35: CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah. Third round: No. 67: OG Jonah Jackson, Ohio State; No. 85: WR Bryan Edwards, South Carolina.
This is a fairly deep draft at the cornerback position, and if the Lions think they can find a replacement for Slay on Day 2, they might opt for Brown, the draft’s best run-stuffer, with their first pick. Johnson is a big, physical corner with press-man ability, though he recently underwent shoulder surgery. There’s a chance he could go in Round 1, in which case the Lions would have to turn their attention to a Jeff Gladney-type. After focusing on defense with their first two picks, the Lions turn their attention to offense in Round 3. Jackson is a guard only, but like Bredeson and Baun, he’s familiar with Lions coaches from the Senior Bowl. Edwards missed the combine with a broken foot, but he’s a talented receiver and the Lions need more help at that position in 2021 than they do this fall. On Day 3, the Lions could look for help at running back, safety and pass rush.
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Scenario 3: The trade down
First round: No. 5: LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson. Second round: No. 35: RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin; No. 39: OL Robert Hunt, Louisiana Lafayette. Third-round: No. 67: DL Raekwon Davis, Alabama; No. 85: CB Bryce Hall, Virginia.
Quinn’s logic for wanting to trade down is easy to understand. If Okudah, Brown and Simmons are about equal as prospects, it makes sense to add another top-40 pick and fill a position of need. In this scenario, the Lions take Simmons, the do-it-all linebacker, up top, one of the best running backs in the draft early on Day 2 and fill the vacant right guard spot on their offensive line with the extra pick acquired from the Dolphins. Miami has three first-rounders, and if a bidding war erupts, it’s possible the Lions could come away with the 26th pick of the first round. Short of that, Taylor projects as a long-term starter at the running back position, Hunt has attractive guard-tackle versatility, and Davis and Hall would fill backup roles in Round 3. Hall is a bit of a gamble coming off a season-ending ankle injury, but he was a borderline first-round pick before he got hurt and could pay big dividends down the road.
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