Getty Sam Howell lines up to fire a pass for UNC during a 2021 game against Pitt.
The Detroit Lions have plenty of holes to fix this offseason, and the best way to get that done is always through the NFL draft.
With the 2021 season pushing to a close and playoffs only a reality for a small portion of the league, the rest of the teams are beginning to fixate their thoughts on the future and specifically, what could come with regards to the selection of new players.
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Detroit, given they have only a single win, has been on this train for a while, so it was likely big news to fans that one of the sages in the draft process revealed his first mock and made some major projections for the Lions. ESPN’s Todd McShay revealed his first mock draft in an Insider piece, and had a surprise for the team.
In the mock, McShay had the Lions drafting Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the first-overall selection. As McShay wrote, he believes without a quarterback worthy of top pick consideration, the Lions would go with the best overall player, and that would be Hutchinson. As for why, McShay believes that Hutchinson’s overall talent could make him the best player on Detroit’s defensive line right away.
From there, McShay had the Lions picking up UNC quarterback Sam Howell with their second pick in the first-round which originally belonged to Los Angeles. As McShay reminded, just because a quarterback didn’t go to Detroit with the first pick doesn’t mean the player they end up with here is not talented. McShay said he likes the touch and timing that Howell possesses, and would not be shocked if the Lions took a quarterback to groom behind Jared Goff for a few years.
Defensive line and quarterback has been a popular projection for the Lions in mocks early on. It will be fascinating to see if that is the direction the Lions go, or if there is another surprise waiting.
McShay Explains Hutchinson Should Be Lions’ Top Pick
In terms of why Hutchinson makes the most sense for Detroit, McShay admitted it has everything to do with how Hutchinson plays on the field and puts his skill to use in the best way possible.
As McShay said on ESPN as shared by WXYZ’s Brad Galli, while Hutchinson may not be as gifted as others who may compare with him positionally in the draft, he’s still a player who knows what he is doing and applies those lessons in a big way.
New No. 1: ESPN’s Todd McShay puts Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson at the top of his mock draft
“He may not have the elite of elite physical tools that (Kayvon) Thibodeaux does at Oregon, but Hutchinson pulls it all together. By that I mean he has really good quickness, power, he has surprisingly good closing speed as a pass rusher. When I say tie it all together, he knows how to use those skills,” McShay said.
If Hutchinson did end up as the pick, fans could at least have confidence based on this fact according to McShay’s analysis.
Howell’s College Stats and Highlights
When thinking about him as a prospect for Detroit at quarterback, Howell is an interesting potential selection for the team. He had thrown for 7,227 yards in his career and 68 touchdowns with just 14 interceptions entering this season. In 2021, Howell has thrown for 2,851 yards and 23 touchdowns. As a result, he is trending toward being one of the better pro prospects that can be picked up this offseason in the draft. No longer is he considered a top 10 selection, but could be lurking as a potential first-round pick.
Here’s a look at some of Howell’s highlights from 2020:
A lot can happen between now and the draft, and Detroit has plenty of other needs. Still, at this point, most project the team as looking at defense and quarterback the closest.