Mock Draft Gives Eye-Opening Dual Upgrade to Worst Position on Lions

The Detroit Lions have what most see as one of the biggest weaknesses in football in their defensive backfield.

Even though that’s the case, many mock drafts don’t seem to see the Lions going all-in on the position in the NFL draft this year. Many early mocks have the Lions making upgrades along the defensive line first and foremost and looking to the backfield later.

A new mock draft from Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema, however, shows an interesting new idea for the team. With Detroit’s first-round picks, Sikkema went all-in on the team’s troublesome defensive backfield with a pair of elite selections.

First, with the sixth-overall pick, Sikkema had the Lions going with Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez as the selection over Devon Witherspoon. As he explained, Gonzalez has the traits that will make him tough for NFL teams to pass up.

“This is a popular spot for Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon. But for as much as I love Witherspoon, I wonder if there will be some size concerns with him, especially when the debate is between him and Gonzalez, who boasts ideal measurables at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. You can’t go wrong with either, but I opted for Gonzalez as the top cornerback off the board in this mock,” he wrote of the Gonzalez projection.

From there, with the 18th pick, the Lions landed another top difference-maker in the mock. Sikkema sent the team Alabama defensive back Brian Branch, a player that could play at safety or perhaps cornerback at the next level.

“The Lions are attacking the secondary with their first-round picks in this mock. It’s not a common outcome for them, but considering how depleted their secondary looked last season and the kind of talents Gonzalez and Brian Branch are, it would be an immediate upgrade,” Sikkema wrote in the piece.

With both of these moves, the Lions would be beefing up the spot that struggled most last season. Detroit’s defensive backfield allowed the team to rate 30th in the league and give up 245.8 yards per-game through the air. Worse, the Lions allowed an astronomical 7.9 yards per-pass attempt.

It’s tough to argue that the Lions could need a pair of new players on the back end, and that’s true no matter what happens in free agency or the offseason. There’s a chance the Lions won’t land both players, but if they did, it could be a cause for celebration for fans given what both offer.

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Gonzalez’s Career Stats & Highlights

During the process, Gonzalez could have the best chance of being a high-riser of any player the Lions look at for the cornerback spot. This is because he has what many see as a prototypical NFL body for the position.

At 6’2″, Gonzalez is tall and long, and has speed to burn. That makes him a very popular pick with scouts, and could make him popular with the Lions’ brass as well. In terms of production, Gonzalez has opened some eyes in a short amount of time with the Ducks.

The numbers show Gonzalez is a high-riser, and in the minds of some, a player who has the status of being one of the best potential cornerbacks in the draft. He posted 128 tackles and four interceptions in his college career.

Ironically, Gonzalez is the brother-in-law of former Detroit quarterback David Blough. If he came to the team, it’s likely he would have a great idea of what he was getting into as a result of that fact. It could be a quality fit for the team for many reasons, defensively and otherwise.

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Branch’s Career Stats & Highlights

While the cornerback class has been called deep, Branch could be an intriguing piece given his ability to play inside and out, as well as be position versatile for a backfield.

At Alabama, Branch had fantastic numbers in three seasons of work, putting up 172 total tackles, four sacks, three interceptions and 23 passes defended. He is very athletic and has solid closing speed, which he always showed when he was on the field for the Crimson Tide.

Branch was voted a second-team AP All-American as well as a second-team All-SEC player for Nick Saban and his defense. Theoretically, such a player with production and pedigree would be a major fit in the NFL.

Branch and Gonzalez would give the Lions a potential dynamic duo that could transform Detroit’s defense from a battered group to a unit with a bright future.

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