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The Detroit Lions found a breakout star last season in first-round running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and one insider believes they can add even more versatility deeper in the coming NFL Draft.
Vito Chirco of SI.com’s All Lions laid out his prediction for all seven picks that Detroit holds in April’s draft, guessing that general manager Brad Holmes will lean heavily on defense as he continues to build up what had been one of the league’s worst units just a few years ago. But Chirco also predicted that the Lions would give a boost to their offense by adding a player with a strong football pedigree — Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey.
Lions Add ‘Good Genes’ to Offense
Chirco predicted that the Lions would use their fifth-round pick on McCaffrey, who started his college football career as a wide receiver at Nebraska before converting to wide receiver.
“If you want to talk about good genes, McCaffrey has just that,” Chirco wrote. “His brother, Christian McCaffrey, is presently a do-it-all, All-Pro running back for the 49ers. Meanwhile, his father, Ed McCaffrey, played 13 NFL seasons for three different organizations, and won three Super Bowls.”
Chirco added that Luke McCaffrey has the tools and resume — including 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns in his last season at Rice — to make an impact in the NFL and would be a “nice value pick” for the Lions on Day 3 of the draft.
There is a chance that the Lions would have to invest a higher pick if they want to land McCaffrey. As SI.com noted in its pre-draft analysis, McCaffrey’s stock is rising after a strong performance at the Senior Bowl and could go even higher if he performs well at the NFL Draft Combine.
“After having an impressive Senior Bowl week, McCaffrey’s Pro Day should see him record a 40-yard-dash time that puts him in line with the upper third of wideout prospects in this year’s draft,” the report noted. “While he’s still a raw talent, there’s no denying that there’s major upside and McCaffrey should have a strong chance at being selected in April.”
The Lions could also have some holes in their receiving corps, with veteran receiver Josh Reynolds headed to free agency.
Continued Focus on Defense
Outside of McCaffrey, Chirco predicted that the Lions would take just two other offensive players in the draft, and no other skill players. He predicted they would take Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe in the third round and N.C. State center Dylan McMahon in the sixth round.
The SI.com writer instead predicted that the Lions would continue to build up their secondary, taking Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter with their first-round pick. Chirco wrote that Lassiter would become the team’s No. 1 cornerback, giving the Lions the versatile defensive back they need.
“Lassiter is a versatile defensive back who showcased the ability to play in both man coverage and zone coverage schemes during his time with the Bulldogs,” Chirco wrote. ‘He also displayed a willingness to come up and make stops against the run.”
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