Fresh Mock Provides Lions’ Defense Much-Needed Depth at Key Spots

Getty Bryan Bresee with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney in 2022.

Unfortunately for the Detroit Lions, the Los Angeles Rams have enjoyed a rare turnaround late in the season which has harmed the team’s inherited draft pick.

Once a top-three selection, the pick has slipped to seventh after a 2-1 Rams stretch over the last three weeks. There is still two weeks to go and lots of changes ahead. What would happen if the Lions were out of the sweepstakes for one of the top few players in the 2023 draft, though?

A new mock shows the team could still be expected to land some impact studs to their team to help on defense, even if they’re not the bigger names everyone was expecting. A fresh Pro Football Focus mock by Trevor Sikkema added the Lions Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee and Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

For Bresee, Sikkema sees the lineman as a great fit in Detroit given his athletic background and the role he would fill for the team.

“The Lions would love to get their hands on Jalen Carter, but after their second-half resurgence this season, they’re likely out of that sweepstakes. But fret not, Lions fans. Bresee is another uniquely gifted three-technique player who has the burst of athleticism, size and strength to be a perfect fit for one of Detroit’s biggest needs along the defensive line. His presence will allow Alim McNeill to stay in his true home as a nose tackle while freeing up the edge rushers,” Sikkema wrote.

Further down with the 18th pick, Sikkema had Detroit making another defensive selection, this one at cornerback in the form of Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. That pick would offer the back end of the defense a guy who could force incompletions.

“The Lions need a lot of help on defense, and after addressing the interior defensive line with their first selection in this mock draft, setting their gaze on shoring up the secondary would be next on the list. Enter Joey Porter Jr., a boundary cornerback with good size at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and a ton of ball production in the form of forced incompletions,” he wrote in the mock.

In terms of a plan, this isn’t a bad one for Detroit. Taking the best defensive lineman on the board and then going after a top cornerback with the next pick could offer the Lions a quick shot of depth on their worst side of the ball this season.

As their recent loss proved, the Lions need to get a lot tougher up front while also improving on the back end. This kind of first-round would be a solid combo platter as it relates to the team doing just that for their defense.

Specifically, both of these players could offer the Lions some definite upside as well given what they have done while in school.

Bresee’s College Stats & Highlights

At Clemson, Bresee has been one of the true studs for the team’s defense, and has proven a force in just three years of play time.

After emerging as a freshman in 2020 with 23 tackles and four sacks with one forced fumble, Bresee had a slow next two seasons, putting up just four total sacks and 26 tackles. Still, he has an NFL body as the highlights show.

Bresee has endured multiple injuries the last two seasons while playing for the Tigers, which has prevented him from making a bigger impact on the field. Still, he is very athletic and explosive in the middle of the line, and could be a player

Detroit could let him develop and give him a chance to join a defensive front that already has major upside for the future.

Porter’s College Stats & Highlights

In terms of Porter, there is a lot to like about the young cornerback as this piece alluded to. He’s been battle tested in the Big Ten and has elite NFL bloodlines considering former Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker Joey Porter is his father.

Clearly, Porter is his own man in terms of his play, though, which is something that he has proven time and again when playing for Penn State. Statistically, he’s been solid given he has racked up 112 total tackles, one interception and 20 passes defended in a four year career with the Nittany Lions.

Between Porter and Bresee, the Lions would be in good shape moving forward at two key positions on the field on defense.

These would be a good pair of building blocks for a very needy roster in terms of depth and elite playmaking on the defensive side of things.