Getty Ja'Marr Chase catches a pass against Clemson.
The Detroit Lions do need a wide receiver when all is said and done in terms of their preparation for the 2021 NFL Draft, but the only question is what player the team will target.
Many see them as having their pick between Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, but others aren’t so sure some of those players won’t be gone by the time the Lions get on the clock.
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Recently, a new mock put together by NFL Network reporter Cynthia Frelund had an analytical approach to the draft, and she had the Lions being able to land an elite wideout to help their offense.
In the mock, Frelund had the Lions picking up Chase with the seventh pick in the draft, which could turn out to be a huge steal in the end.
She wrote:
“Should the Dolphins select Chase at No. 6, the next-best pick to increase the Lions’ 2021 win total is linebacker Micah Parsons.”
Much like his fellow-SEC stud Kyle Pitts, Chase had an excellent pro day in which he managed to blaze with a 4.3 40 yard-dash. Many assume this could guarantee he is selected in the top five picks if not just ahead of Detroit like Frelund admits to in her writeup.
If Chase fell to the Lions, it would be an excellent move for the team to try and snap him up as quickly as possible to help out their offense given how dynamic he looks. Unfortunately for the Lions, they will have to rely on a lot happening up above them for that to be the case.
Analyst Suggests Lions Trade up for Ja’Marr Chase
One way the Lions could ensure Chase plays for their team? Make a bold move. Detroit’s been figured to potentially be interested in selecting a wideout, but what if they traded up for arguably the best one in the 2021 NFL Draft? That’s just what an analyst wants to see the team do in order to kick-start potentially one of the next great offenses in the league.
Recently, Bleacher Report and writer Maurice Moton put together a piece which detailed some of the moves that should be made to create the next great offenses in the league. For the Lions, the move was simple. Trade up from pick seven to pick five in the draft in order to grab Ja’Marr Chase for the offense.
Moton wrote:
“In order to compete with the Packers’ top-scoring offense, the Lions will need more firepower. They could move up to acquire one of the top two wide receivers in the draft class.
While the move seems bold, Detroit could pair LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase with Kenny Golladay, who’s prepared to accept the franchise tag, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
“Being honest, I’d rather get a deal done,” Golladay said. “But if the franchise tag would come, I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. So yeah, for sure I want to get a long-term deal done.”
The Lions should target the No. 5 spot because the Cincinnati Bengals could consider Chase even though wide receiver isn’t one of their top needs. ESPN’s Ben Baby discussed the possibility of an LSU reunion between quarterback Joe Burrow and Chase if the front office addresses the offensive line in free agency.
Nonetheless, Cincinnati may take a cost-effective approach with a depressed salary cap. Secondly, Trent Williams is arguably the best impending free-agent tackle, and the San Francisco 49ers could re-sign him.
In this trade scenario, the Bengals could slide down two slots and still potentially land Oregon’s Penei Sewell if they don’t address the position during free agency. Picking at No. 6, the Philadelphia Eagles already have their starting tackles in Andre Dillard and Lane Johnson.
With Golladay possibly having to prove he’s worth a long-term deal on the franchise tag, he and Chase could wreak havoc on pass defenses across the league. The latter opted out of the 2020 campaign, but he had a spectacular 2019 season, hauling in 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Toss in Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson and dual-threat running back D’Andre Swift, who will line up in the slot, and you have an explosive young offense primed to score a lot of points.”
Within the deal, Moton has the Lions dealing the seventh pick as well as a third-round draft selection to facilitate the move. That’s not a high cost given Detroit just added another third-round selection in the trade for Goff, but given Detroit wants to grab assets, it would be interesting to see how much they value a high pick such as this.
The Lions could have the makings of an elite offense if they were to add Chase or even another wide receiver high in the draft this year. Making a trade for one via a draft move would certainly be interesting, and given where Chase is trending, it might have to happen if the Lions like him enough.
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Chase’s Stats and Highlights
While Chase didn’t play this past season on the field, he has been no less successful statistically through the years playing with LSU. In just a pair of seasons played in the SEC with the Tigers, Chase put up a solid 2,093 yards and 23 touchdowns. He flashed his big-play potential with Joe Burrow before he departed for the NFL, and is a potentially elite talent getting ready to make his transition to the next level.
Chase has size and speed and many consider him to be one of the best wideouts set to make the transition to the league this coming season. After a solid pro day, he’s probably going to be a top selection even as some give the Lions an edge to landing him in mocks.
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