Lions Projected to Land Offensive Weapon in 2021 Mock Draft

The Detroit Lions have just finished off their 2020 NFL Draft, so it’s probably way too early to consider what the team is going to do in 2021, right?

Wrong, according to some notable analysts. Already, one of the first looks at the 2021 NFL Draft have been presented thanks to the Sporting News, and had the Lions with another high pick next season. As Vinnie Iyer explained, the Lions are going to need pass catching options badly next year, which could lead to them picking up a wideout early in 2021.

Iyer has the Lions going with the No. 7 pick early on, and picking up Justyn Ross out of Clemson in order to add another dynamic offensive weapon to the mix.

“The Lions will have a need here as Marvin Jones is unlikely to be re-signed as a 31-year-old free agent opposite Kenny Golladay next year. Ross (6-4, 205 pounds) is a big target who was very productive for Lawrence running sound routes all over the field. He put up 66 catches for 865 yards and 8 TDs last season.”

Detroit added Quintez Cephus in the 2020 draft, but he was a 5th round selection, meaning the team might be looking to the future for an earlier pick at the spot. That’s just what is predicted by Iyer early on as it relates to next season.

Experts Credit Lions With Multiple Draft Steals

While analysts might not be able to agree on how the class should be graded from this season, Detroit might have been able to steal multiple players along the way. Pro Football Focus took a look at naming the biggest steals in the entire draft, and the site credited the Lions with finding a pair this year, more than any other team in the NFL at this point.

The first steal they identified was Julian Okwara, an edge rusher that PFF was extremely high on as the No. 28 overall player on their board Detroit got at pick 63. Here’s what Anthony Treash wrote:

“Although he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11 this past year, there’s no reason Okwara should have been available in the third round. With his explosiveness off the line, overall athleticism and long arms, Okwara was a first-round talent in this draft. Prior to getting hurt, Okwara was having one of the top seasons in college football at his position by owning an elite 90.4 pass-rush grade.”

From there, the Lions didn’t have to wait long to find their next steal. They traded up to get him in offensive guard Jonah Jackson, a player credited as one of the best pass defending guards in the draft and PFF’s 40th rated player. The Lions scored him with pick 75.

“No one in this draft class has better pass sets than Jonah Jackson. He gets on defensive linemen rapidly and can play anywhere along the interior. While playing for Rutgers and Ohio State the past few years, Jackson logged snaps at every interior position and performed incredibly well in pass protection, recording a pass-blocking grade on true pass sets above the 90th percentile. He’s the best pass-protecting interior lineman in this class.”

Obviously, the Lions hope these players, along with the others they selected, help infuse some much needed talent on their team. If they end up getting better in the years ahead as a result of these players, it will only merely prove the point they were perhaps a bit underrated.

Lions 2020 Draft Class

The Lions had a busy weekend, picking up cornerback Jeff Okudah, running back D’Andre Swift, guard Jonah Jackson, edge rusher Julian Okwara, guard Logan Stenberg, wideout Quintez Cephus, running back Jason Huntley, defensive tackle John Penisini and defensive lineman Jashon Cornell. As a whole, the draft class was solid in plenty of ways. Detroit addressed some of their biggest needs including a new cornerback as well as toughness on the offensive and defensive lines. They also added a potentially elite runner in Swift.

Many have graded the draft highly as a result, and it looks as if the Lions may have even found a few steals along the way to help them out as well.

There’s plenty of time before 2021 rolls around, and the Lions might not even get a crack this high. For now, if they do, they could consider Ross according to this mock.

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