Getty Cade Johnson playing against Minnesota.
The Detroit Lions are flipping the page to the offseason and beginning to ponder what moves to make now in relation to scouting for the 2021 NFL Draft.
While most folks are beginning to get an idea of the big names that could be around for the team early in the draft, a similarly-important focus could be figuring out what sleepers exist that the team could take a chance on in the middle to later rounds.
To this end, Pro Football Focus and Michael Renner has an idea of what the Lions should be looking at. Recently, the site gave a look at who the team should be looking at later on in the draft. The Lions have to be looking at wideouts according to the site, and if they look at one early, Jaylen Waddle from Alabama could make sense. If they look at one later, Cade Johnson is the sleeper pick.
Here’s what he wrote:
“Even if the Lions keep Kenny Golladay, they desperately need some speed to open up the offense. Waddle has that in a big way, and so does Johnson. The South Dakota State product earned the highest grade of any receiver in the one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl and could sneak into Day 2.”
Johnson is a talented player, and he is the type of lower name that could make a big impact on the Detroit attack moving forward given his speed and his ability to make big plays down field as well as being consistent.
Cade Johnson Stats
If the Lions are looking for a productive wideout that they might not have to nab very early on, Johnson is a good option. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl recently, and as the site says, the Lions should have been all-eyes as it relates to this. While at South Dakota State the last two seasons, Johnson had a solid performance as a pass catcher, nabbing 139 passes for 2,554 yards and 25 touchdowns. That type of production is impressive anywhere, but even more at South Dakota State given the small nature of the school.
The Lions could be looking for a wideout, but if they don’t want to prioritize one in the first-round, someone like Johnson could make a lot of sense for the team to focus on.
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Lions Have Multiple 2021 NFL Draft Needs
With the seventh overall pick coming up this spring, 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. On offense, the Lions could use another young wideout, and while quarterback might seem to be the slam dunk spot for a pick, the team shouldn’t force anything other than the move and player they like the best at the position. Quarterbacks will likely still be in the mix for the team, but other positions are likely to be in play as well given all the needs the Lions have offensively and defensively.
Regardless of who the Lions take where early on, Johnson could make sense for the team.