The Detroit Lions have been very busy building up their roster during the free agency period the last few weeks, and while they have made some dramatic moves, the team still needs to round out their roster in plenty of ways with the upcoming NFL Draft.
While the draft might be very different in scope this year, it’s still going to happen. That means the Lions should theoretically be able to fill out their needs by picking up some players from this group.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest needs the team has left when it comes to the impending NFL Draft.
Cornerback
Detroit traded Darius Slay, and while they have made a solid signing in Desmond Trufant, the team could still use another player at the spot, particularly a young player. It’s possible the Lions look to free agency to fill out this need, but the better likelihood is that the team targets a player in the first few round of the draft to account for this need. Even with Trufant, as it stands now, cornerback is probably the biggest need the team has at this point. The Lions need to find their next version of Slay since the damage had been done with that relationship and it was time to move on.
Defensive Line
The Lions have added Nick Williams and Danny Shelton to the mix, but could still use a presence to rush the quarterback and perhaps provide some beef in the middle. Lucky for Detroit there are plenty of options on the market very early on from names like Derrick Brown and Chase Young to ones that could be had a bit later like Ross Blacklock. Obviously, the Lions can’t be content with the line they have given what they have lost this offseason, and while their signings add to the depth, the team could need a few more young cornerstones to build around in the defensive trenches.
Guard
Graham Glasgow has now exited, and the team has added plenty of bodies to compete at the position along the offensive front, but are any really capable of totally replacing him? The Lions might be better served just to rely on a fairly early draft pick in order to do so. They haven’t drafted interior linemen poorly under Bob Quinn, so nabbing one of these guys with an early to middle round pick could be the best way to solve a big need along the offensive front for a quality young body. Detroit made a splash in signing Halapoulivaati Vaitai, but he is expected to play tackle. The need is there for a strong presence along the interior.
Running Back
The Lions have Kerryon Johnson, Bo Scarbrough and last year’s pick Ty Johnson in the mix. They could still add a veteran runner, but even if they do, the expectation should be for the team to find a way to draft another running back particularly early in the draft for depth and competition’s sake. The Lions have suffered more than many teams in the NFL in terms of not having healthy, quality bodies at this spot in recent years and that cannot happen if the team wants to run their offense as they intend, making another young back a major point of emphasis for the team in the 2020 draft. The Lions should look to upgrade this spot much earlier than they did in 2019, when Johnson was a sixth round pick out of Maryland.
Punter
The Lions let Sam Martin walk out the door to the AFC, and the team currently doesn’t have an experienced punter on the roster. There are few options that exist in terms of free agency, so the best way for the Lions to fill the need for a punter could be through the draft. That’s what happened when they picked Martin in 2013, and that could very well happen again. At the very least, the Lions need to provide the punters they do have on the roster with some competition, so the team figures to be in the mix for a specialist now come the draft. Look for it between the fifth and sixth rounds perhaps.
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Lions Biggest Draft Needs Re-Examined Following Free Agency