Getty Jahan Dotson celebrates a touchdown with a teammate against MSU in 2021.
With the NFL season winding to a finish, mock draft season is about to come into full focus for 2022, and following a week of evaluation during the Senior Bowl, some potential new wrinkles have come up.
A few of the senior quarterbacks have stated their case, but will that mean anything in the end for the prognosticators? A new round of mocks has come out off the Senior Bowl, and as it relates to the Detroit Lions, not much is different at all.
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ESPN’s Jordan Reid was the latest to put out a new mock draft, and he didn’t offer much in the way of a post-Senior Bowl surprise for Detroit. Reid had the Lions sticking with the second-overall pick in the draft and picking Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, whom he said could be a player the team will bet on thanks to his athletic ability and upside.
Where things got a bit interesting in this mock was with Detroit’s final first-round pick, one that Reid is betting will come in the 32 slot. He had the Lions selecting explosive Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson with that selection. Reid believes Dotson could be the ideal player for the Lions to help them stretch the field for Jared Goff, while allowing Amon-Ra St. Brown to do his work underneath.
From there, a few picks later, Reid had the Lions nabbing Michigan safety Daxton Hill with pick 34. As he explained, Detroit’s safety room is set to be bare, which means a top-end talent like Hill could come in and offer the team some playmaking and youth at the spot.
The rival Big Ten stars could give the Lions a pair of players who could make an impact on both sides of the ball, which is something the team could be looking for after their depth struggled mightily in 2021.
Lions’ Wide Receiver Spot Could See Draft Changes
The Lions didn’t make a splash signing in the 2021 offseason at the wideout spot, and didn’t make the position a huge priority until later in the 2021 NFL draft. That seemed to hurt them at times on the field. Jared Goff needs a bit more help at receiver to feel good about what the Lions’ offense can become, and taking a big swing on a free agent or a high draft pick would be an easy way to perhaps change the narrative ahead of 2022. Far too often, the Detroit offense lacked big plays, which culminated in the 18th rated passing attack in the league.
The good news? There are some options already on the roster. In Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions have a potential young stud developing. Quintez Cephus should be coming back feeling better off injury. The team has also witnessed Kalif Raymond become a late-season force, and since signing off waivers, Josh Reynolds has become a major difference-maker for the team and a player who could be in the mix for a consistent role moving forward in Detroit. Both should come back. Add in the development of Benson and KhaDarel Hodge and the Lions do have some youngsters capable of making plays at the spot providing they continue to grow and develop.
A potential addition of Dotson would be huge for the team and their overall depth.
Dotson’s Stats & Highlights
If Dotson’s the choice, there aren’t many players that will be better equipped to come in and make perhaps an immediate impact from day one. Penn State has put more than its fair share of elite wideouts into the league lately such as Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson, and Dotson looks like the next player poised to walk in their footsteps. With Penn State, Dotson put up solid numbers en-route to being first-team All-Big Ten in 2021 as well as a third-team All-American. He collected 2,757 yards and 25 touchdowns in a very solid four-year career with the Nittany Lions.
Here’s a look at some of his top highlights from a sterling 2021 season:
Dotson and Hill could be the ticket toward helping turn the Lions around dramatically on the field. It’s clear the playmaking of the receiver would be a huge positive for Detroit
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