Former NFL GM Provides Most Dynamic Lions’ Mock Draft Scenario Yet

Tyree Wilson

Getty Tyree Wilson answers questions at the 2023 NFL combine.

With the 2023 NFL draft right around the corner, mock draft season is kicking into full-swing as it comes down the home stretch with one month to go.

Given they have a pair of first-round picks, the Detroit Lions are a team that receives common love in terms of multiple scenarios playing out. To this point, most have shown they believe the team will look to the defensive backfield for upgrades first and foremost.

In free agency, however, a busy month of work has provided the team with some major answers for old weaknesses. That, along with a lack of signings for the trenches, could combine to make the defensive front a sneaky spot of need in Detroit.

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum has a solution for the Lions, though. In a new mock draft at the site, he took a shot at projecting the team’s first two picks. With the sixth-overall selection, Texas Tech lineman Tyree Wilson was his pick.

“I thought about another defensive back here. But Wilson had an outstanding career at Texas Tech after transferring from Texas A&M and logged 14 sacks over the past two seasons. He’s long and plays with heavy hands. Wilson paired with Aidan Hutchinson provides Detroit an outstanding duo of pass-rushers for the next decade,” Tannenbaum wrote of Wilson.

With the 18th pick, things got even better for the Lions in Tannenbaum’s mock. He had the team going with controversial Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who slips all the way down the board for the Lions to scoop up.

“I got the Lions an edge rusher earlier, but I’m not done building up this defensive line. A team with multiple first-round picks can take a calculated risk. Carter is just that. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing after an arrest during combine week, and he appeared out of shape at his pro day in mid-March. But despite just six sacks over the past two seasons, his talent is on another level, and this could end up a great pick at No. 18,” Tannenbaum wrote in the piece.

Obviously, this situation would be a massive boost to the Lions. The team already has names such as Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston and Alim McNeill in the trenches. Adding a talent like Wilson and Carter could be huge for depth’s sake, and give the Lions the making of one of the best young lines in football.

The Lions look as if they will be doing their diligence on Carter in the draft process, so this selection is possible. Whether or not Carter would make it to the 18th pick is certainly debatable.

Pairing him with a talent like Wilson in addition to what the Lions already have could be a major game-changer for the team.


Tyree Wilson’s College Stats & Highlights

During the process, Wilson has not been mocked to Detroit much. Still, if the Lions were to miss out on a player like Will Anderson Jr, he would not be a bad consolation prize for a team that could use more beef in the trenches.

After starting his career with Texas A&M and putting up 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a freshman, Wilson transferred to Texas Tech, where he came into his own the next three years, posting 15.5 sacks and 29 total tackles. He finished his college career with 121 tackles, 17 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Wilson is gifted athletically with a 6’6″ frame and an ability to move around up front on a line to cause havoc for both passers and running backs. That fact could lead him to be a significant piece for his new team in the league, especially if it managed to be Detroit.


Mike Tannenbaum’s Mock Would Make Elite Lions Defense

While the mock drafts have been all over the place for the Lions thus far, this is one of the more interesting mocks that has been seen early in the process.

Usually, Detroit has seen folks send them various defensive backs in the process. That class is looking deep, though, so the Lions could theoretically add to that position further down the board and still come away ahead. That would be especially true if they could upgrade their line in this manner.

During the 2022 season, Detroit’s defensive front ranked 29th in football, giving up 2,491 yards on the ground and over 146 rushing yards per-game. The only way to fix that would be to make more savvy additions in the draft to give Detroit a formidable young line for the future.

Will a situation like this play itself out? The draft can be wild, so it’s only fair for fans to sit back and watch. Out of all the mock scenarios presented, though, this is certainly the most dynamic for the defense.

Read More
,