This draft would cover everything we need except for a QB!
Round 1
Pick No. 6 overall (from LAR) – Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
It’s no secret the Lions need some help on defense. They don’t necessarily need a defensive end, yet NFL rosters can never have enough pass rushers. Important to add, there could be some cap casualties, with a couple of the Lions veterans being displaced by youth.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter and EDGE Will Anderson would be great if they were to fall into the Lions’ laps at No. 6. It just doesn’t seem likely at this point – though, anything can happen.
For their consolation prize, I have them selecting Murphy. The impressive specimen just turned 21 years old, and has been productive since the first day he stepped on the field as a freshman. Murphy may not have the eye-popping stats, but he has all the tools to be great.
He was ranked No. 3 on Bruce Feldman’s 2022 “freak list” and reportedly consistently clocked in the high 4.5s in the 40-yard dash (while at 275 pounds). Not that the 40-yard dash is overly important for an EDGE rusher, but it’s a testament to how athletic the 6-foot-5, former five-star recruit is for his position.
Murphy has the makeup and potential to be an impact player at one of the league’s most important positions.
Pick No. 18 overall – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Like previously mentioned, draft big boards are all over the map, even more so at corner. Gonzalez has been sneaking higher and higher in other mock drafts for good reason. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Gonzalez has the requisite instincts, athleticism, and size that teams covet in a corner. He capped off an impressive 2022 campaign with four interceptions and six pass breakups, per Pro Football Focus.
It’s been noted that the Oregon coaching staff has clocked Gonzalez at 23.3 miles per hour on the GPS – that’s Jameson Williams-type top speed. Add a reported vertical jump of 42 inches, and Gonzalez’s stock is about to skyrocket if he can back up these numbers at the combine.
Round 2
Pick No. 48 overall – Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
At 6-foot-3 and 235-or-so pounds of seemingly pure muscle, Simpson looks the part. Maybe more of a project in a traditional off-ball backer role, he provides plenty of versatility – especially in space and while in coverage. If the defensive front can keep him clean, he will wreak havoc on opposing offenses. Projected to be in the high 4.3s to low 4.4s with his 40-yard dash, he has true sideline-to-sideline capabilities against the run. His violence and run-stopping power are excellent, mixed in with some blitzing ability, as well.
Pick No. 59 overall (from MIN) – Andrew Vorhees, OL, USC
A sneaky need for the Lions is their right guard spot. The incumbent on the interior right side of the line, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, missed all of last season with a back injury. Take into account Vaitai’s exorbitant cap hit, and his future status with the team is a bit unknown. Even if he were to still be in Motown in 2023, a succession plan should be in place. That’s where Vorhees comes in.
Much like Vaitai, Vorhees has size at 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, plus some positional flexibility and plenty of grown-man strength. Vorhees has been starting as USC since 2017, and is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, linemen in the entire draft class. He’s a perfect fit for a team looking to bully defenses on the ground.
Round 3
Pick No. 81 overall – Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
A name plenty of football fans around the state of Michigan are familiar with, Smith is a unique prospect. He possesses nose tackle size, but has the quickness of some of the best interior gap shooters. Not many men of his stature have his movement skills. Despite his insane athletic profile, he is still considered more of a run defender. That doesn’t mean he can’t collapse the pocket in passing situations, but nose tackles are rarely drafted all that high.
Smith would fit the Isaiah Buggs role perfectly in the Lions’ scheme, while also injecting more movement and youth into their interior. At a position that is typically heavily rotated, adding Smith could really boost one of the Lions’ weaker positions.
Plus, Smith lining up alongside Alim McNeill would be a formidable combination of size and athleticism for the future.
Lastly, it goes without saying, but the Lions would definitely need to do their homework on the “loaded gun” incident involving Smith at Michigan. As of now, the misdemeanor charges appear to be in the rear-view mirror.
Round 5
Pick No. 149 overall – Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State
The Rose Bowl MVP is a playmaker. Brown was tied for the most interceptions in the nation in 2021 with six, and followed that up with four more picks in 2022. Detroit general manager Brad Holmes likes defensive backs that can get their hands on the ball. Holmes has had a knack for finding these type of players in the later rounds of the draft, as well.
Brown has elite quickness, great deep speed and has a solid build to play in the slot or in the box when necessary.
With any prospect projected in the back-half of the draft, they don’t come without concerns. Despite a violent and aggressive style of play, it can also lead to missed tackles and blown assignments. There are also questions surrounding his instincts, but anytime a player grabs 10 interceptions in two years, that can’t go unnoticed.
Round 6
Pick No. 169 overall (from DEN) – DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
McBride was the 2022 FBS rushing leader as a junior. Of members of the 2023 running back class with at least 20 percent of a team’s carries, he boasted PFF’s highest yards-after-contact average, and amassed the most yards after contact (1,072 yards). McBride also had the third-most forced missed tackles. Lastly, he finished with the second-highest running back grade from PFF, behind only Texas’ Bijan Robinson.
Despite all the impressive production, he will drop down draft boards due to average athleticism and a penchant for putting the ball on the turf. Depending on how Jamaal Williams’ free agency pans out, the Lions could have a need for a physical back who can create yards by himself. McBride would come at a much cheaper cost than Williams, but it’s a big gamble whether he can ever find the success at the NFL level that Williams did in 2022.
Pick No. 180 overall – Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati
After the trade of former first-round draft pick TE T.J. Hockenson, the Lions find themselves a little lighter at the position. That’s not to say the remaining cast didn’t perform, because it did. It’s just that the tight ends room could be improved.
Given the Lions’ surrounding weapons on offense, the tight end spot may not be a priority in the pass game. With Whyle, he may provide more of a pass-catching element that could be lacking in the group.
Second-year tight end James Mitchell demonstrated some flashes. Yet, was it enough to warrant not trying to upgrade the position?
Whyle has the athletic traits, natural hands and a 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame that is enough of a reason to take a chance on him at this stage in the draft.
Thoughts??