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The Detroit Lions have transitioned into the week after the initial free agent flurry, and while there are still some values to be had, the focus will shift to the NFL Draft for the better part of the next coming month.
Every need a team has cannot be solved in free agency alone, so the Lions will have to find a way to continue to patch holes on their roster with the draft. A big way they might choose to do this is to continue to target a few key spots in order to beef them up for 2021.
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Recently, Lance Zierlein revealed his first post-free agent flurry mock draft. He had the Lions sticking with the seventh pick in the draft and nabbing big time wideout and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith for the offense.
Zierlein wrote:
“Detroit desperately needs to find new receivers for freshly minted Lion Jared Goff. Smith is the most talented inside/outside target in this draft.”
Smith has been one of the more popular names linked to the Lions, but many think the team may look at defense as well in the form of Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. Parsons at pick seven might be too rich for Detroit’s blood, so the team might be content just to sit back and take the best playmaker on the board.
Detroit has added Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman in free agency, but that is hardly enough to prevent the team from chasing down top end talent in the draft if that’s the route they want to go.
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DeVonta Smith’s Stats and Fit With Lions
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner made a great case to take home the award with a huge performance against Notre Dame, putting up 130 yards and 3 touchdowns. Nearly every single catch Smith made was of the highlight reel variety and he looked like an NFL wideout already making plays in the bowl game. Many have connected Smith to where Detroit could pick, and given the talent drain that could play out at wideout with the team, adding a talent like Smith high in the draft has to be enticing for the Lions given his production while in school. With 3,750 yards and 43 touchdowns in college, he is an elite talent, and could make sense as it relates to Detroit depending on how high they select and what they determine the biggest need to be.
In this case, Smith makes extra sense for Detroit given what they need at wideout for the future.
Would Lions Consider Wideout a Need for 2021 NFL Draft?
With the seventh pick, the Lions should be wide open when it comes to the 2021 draft thanks to the fact that they’ve addressed a ton of spots on both offense and defense recently within their selections. One of the most obvious spots of need would be the defensive line given Detroit’s constant lack of a consistent pass rush. The team could also use more young depth at the cornerback spot given the struggles there in relation to depth that have been greatly aided by injury. On offense, the Lions could use another young wideout, and while they might seem set at quarterback, there could always be a significant challenge to that moving forward given changes in direction of the front office which could lead to a change at that position. There also figure to be plenty of elite quarterbacks to be found within the top 10 where Detroit will select.
The Lions have added wideouts in free agency, but the team might have a reason to do so even more now.
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