Getty The Lions make their pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions are going the wrong way on their 2020 season, but as it relates to the 2021 NFL Draft, some would argue they’re merely starting to go in the right direction.
With a blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day and after a crazy Week 12 playing out on the field, the Lions have seen themselves surge back into the top 10 of the 2021 NFL Draft order.
Here’s a look at the current standing of the draft order as of this moment and where the Lions place out:
The Lions being in the ninth position is certainly good news as they keep climbing. Having a top 10 draft selection is good news as it relates to being able to lure the best possible general manager candidate and also coach possible.
At this point, the best thing for the Lions to do would be find a way to keep losing so their pick gets better and better the rest of the way. As it stands now, it has moved into the top 10.
How Lions Changes Impact Draft
When the Lions fired Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn, they committed to a complete rebuild of their front office which means the team’s approach could shift wildly this offseason. The next general manager is going to have big decisions to make with regards to Matthew Stafford and others on the roster. Those decisions could lead to more draft picks potentially being stockpiled and different players coming into the mix.
Obviously, having a top position in the draft would be a good place for any executive to start so the hope will be the Lions can hold on to that as they move on the rest of the season. It would be a nice selling point for the staff to have coming to Detroit.
Lions 2021 Draft Needs
Regardless of where the team picks, the Lions should be wide open when it comes to the 2021 draft thanks to the fact that they’ve addressed a ton of spots on both offense and defense recently within their selections. One of the most obvious spots of need would be the defensive line given Detroit’s constant lack of a consistent pass rush to help their defense. The team could also use more young depth at the cornerback spot given the struggles there in relation to depth. On offense, the Lions could use another young wideout, and while they might seem set at quarterback, there could always be a significant change to that depending on who takes over in the front office.
Detroit will have plenty of big draft decisions to make in the coming months, and depending on who takes over, the team could have an entirely different approach by the time they kick things off next season on the field.
Currently, that selection that they will have is trending toward being safely within the top 10, and perhaps even a little bit higher if they’re lucky enough the rest of the way.
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