Getty Washington defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike.
The Detroit Lions have a quick turnaround from the first day of the 2021 NFL Draft to day two, and with a pair of rounds tonight, the team will have three selections to help fill out their roster further.
When the Lions get down to business, who will the picks be? A new mock draft has come in just ahead of the second day of the draft, and the team fills out some huge needs with some confident picks.
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Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News put together a mock for day two and he had the Lions going defense twice and offense once as part of an overhaul. First, the team picked defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike out of Washington with pick 41. With their first pick of the third-round, the Lions land LSU wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. Finally, the team picks a hybrid cornerback and safety out of South Carolina with pick 101 in Isreal Mukuamu.
If the Lions were to come out of day two with these players, it would have to be considered a major win for the franchise. Help is needed both on defense and offense, and while the most pressing need feels like linebacker, it’s always tough to argue with the team potentially adding help up front to a changed defensive front.
Lions Positions of Need Leading Into Day 2
Detroit is still wide open for the most part after selecting Penei Sewell in the 2021 NFL Draft. Sewell’s addition combined with the other pieces the team has likely will prevent another offensive lineman from being drafted, but there are spots of major need on the offensive side at wideout and perhaps quarterback the team could think about addressing. On the defensive side of the ball, there is some heavy lifting to be done at linebacker, edge, cornerback and perhaps even safety.
The good news for the Lions? There are several great players left that will be on the board that should help these issues out. At wideout, names like Rondale Moore, Elijah Moore, D’Wayne Eskridge and Terrace Marshall Jr. linger on the board. Defensively, names like Azeez Ojulari, Asante Samuel Jr., Nick Bolton and others are left on the board. Adding any could be huge for this group.
Marshall Jr.’s Stats and Highlights
The headliner of this group from a Detroit perspective? It’s obviously Marshall, who is a top weapon in this class. Marshall is a player who has shown his talent not only in high school but in the rough SEC as well. While with the LSU Tigers, Marshall put up some solid statistics with 1,594 yards receiving as well as 23 scores. Those numbers weren’t as good as some of his contemporaries in this class, but still good enough to make him a player who should be a high draft pick this year.
Looking at the tape shows what kind of an explosive athlete and NFL stud Marshall could be.
If the Lions manage to get their hands on him and a couple defenders, it could lay the groundwork for a very solid NFL class in 2021.
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