Mock Draft Round up #6

Foxsports (6. Detroit Lions — Grant Delpit, S, LSU (2019 season stats: 6 passes defended, 2 INTs, 53 total tackles):  The Lions season had a promising start. Then the defense fell apart, and they — someone please explain this one to me — traded safety Quandre Diggs to Seattle. Matt Patricia is operating out of the Patriots handbook and would likely want an edge rusher to complement Trey Flowers. Try this for fun: Throw a dart on any level of the defense, and you'll find a potential positional need in the early round of the draft.) (12-7-19):  https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/gallery/nfl-mock-draft-2020-chase-young-joe-burrow-tua-tagovailoa-draft-order-120719

Walterfootball Charlie (6. DT Derrick Brown:  Detroit's defense has been a massive disappointment this season. A'Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels are entering free agency and may not be re-signed. Here's a versatile defender who could dominate between Snacks Harrison and Trey Flowers.  Brown has 50 tackles with four sacks, four passes batted and two forced fumbles in 2019. Against Oregon and Texas A&M, he was very disruptive and made a lot of superb plays that showed off his tremendous skill set.  Brown totaled 48 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss and one forced fumble in 2018. Teams sent consistent double teams at him, but he still managed to stuff runs and cause disruption. Brown also has the quickness to fire into the backfield and pressure the quarterback from the interior. The 6-foot-5, 316-pounder contains a ton of upside and is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of doing.  Brown (6-5, 316) had an impressive 2017 season, playing well down the stretch when Auburn made a run into the SEC Championship. He totaled 56 tackles with 3.5 sacks, nine tackles for a loss, one pass broken up and two forced fumbles on the year.  39.  Cameron Dantzler, CB:  Teez Tabor was a bust for the Lions, and they could use more corner talent to go with Darius Slay.  Dantzler has 31 tackles with two interceptions, seven passes broken up and a fumble recovery this year. Team sources have said that Dantzler was a player who jumped out at them in 2018 despite them not watching him closely as he was yet to be eligible for the NFL draft. The sophomore totaled 43 tackles with nine passes broken up and two interceptions in 2018. Dantzler (6-2, 195) has good size, and the questions will be how well he runs and if he is fluid enough to maintain coverage and prevent separation.) (12-6-19):  http://walterfootball.com/draft2020charlie.php

CBS Josh Edwards (6. Lions - OL Andrew Thomas:  Thomas has the versatility to play any one of the five positions along the offensive line. Detroit can find a spot for him.) (12-5-19):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2020-nfl-mock-draft-raiders-land-new-qb-wr-duo-for-vegas-move-dolphins-follow-top-corner-with-two-linemen/

Sporting News (6. S Grant Delpit:  The Lions have become shaky at safety after trading Quandre Diggs. Tracy Walker can't stay healthy, and both Tavon Wilson and Miles Killebrew are pending free agents. Delpit flies round the field, stopping the run like an extra linebacker and making big plays on the ball while working inside in downfield coverage. He plays like the Chargers' Derwin James with tremendous hybrid size (6-3, 203 pounds) for the position.). (12-5-19):   https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-mock-draft-2020-dolphins-tua-tagovailoa-saints-chiefs-colts/12dzse6kb0wq91no4kru7u4o91

Draftwire (6. Detroit Lions - DT Derrick Brown:  Matt Patricia’s defense needs more help across the board in the trenches, making this pick a choice between the best value at defensive tackle or on the edge. In this scenario, Brown’s incredible athleticism and limitless upside give him the nod.  39. Detroit Lions - DE  Terrell Lewis.  70. Detroit Lions - CB Lamar Jackson) (12-4-19):  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2019/12/04/2020-nfl-mock-draft-4-rounds-joe-burrow-chase-young-tua-tagovailoa-jerry-jeudy/

Walterfootball (6.  Detroit Lions - CB Jeff Okudah:  Darius Slay is a terrific cornerback, but the rest of Detroit's secondary has been horrible this season. They've needed an upgrade across from Slay for quite a while.  Jeff Okudah is a big, athletic, speedy cornerback with immense upside.  39. RB Najee Harris:  Kerryon Johnson hasn't been able to stay healthy, so I wonder if the Lions would be willing to spend a second-day pick on a running back to complement him.  Najee Harris was one of the top recruits in the country in 2017, and he showed off his talents as a freshman. He's been tremendous again this season.  70. LB Dylan Moses: Matt Patricia needs a centerpiece for his defense, as the Lions have struggled to cover in space for quite a while.  Dylan Moses, a former five-star recruit, missed a chunk of his freshman campaign, but was very productive as a sophomore. Unfortunately, Moses tore his ACL early in 2019.) (12-4-19):  https://walterfootball.com/draft2020.php

CBS Chris Trapasso (6.  CB Jeff Okudah:  The Lions defense has gotten shredded by most teams this year, and Matt Patricia can't like that too much given his background. If he's still the head coach in 2020, expect him to prioritize the acquisition of a lockdown corner on the outside. Darius Slay could be released to save the club more than $10 million.) (12-4-19):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2020-nfl-mock-draft-panthers-begin-franchise-rebuild-with-justin-herbert-chargers-take-jerry-jeudy/

Draftcountdown (6. CB Jeff Odukah:  Considering they have one of the leagues worst pass defenses the Lions would be fortunate to find Okudah still on the board at this point. A unanimous five-star recruit coming out of high school, Okudah only had one career start entering his junior season due to the embarrassment of riches the Buckeyes have had at the cornerback position in recent years. Despite that modest experience Okudah was projected to be a Top 10 pick based mostly on potential. Not only did Okudah live up to those lofty expectations, he surpassed them. A big, fast and athletic cover guy, the physical tools were never in doubt with Okudah. Scouts wanted to see him make more plays in the secondary though and Okudah answered those questions in emphatic fashion. Okudah is arguably the first true shutdown corner to come along since Jalen Ramsey and is a better pro prospect than former teammates Marshon Lattimore (#11 overall in 2017) or Denzel Ward (#4 overall in 2018).) (12-4-19):   http://draftcountdown.com/mock-draft/2020-mock-draft/round-1-2020-mock-draft-1/

Yahoo Eric Edholm (6. DE A.J. Epenesa:  This might feel a skosh early to some, but Epenesa has been on fire of late and is starting to resemble the game-wrecking defender many thought he would be at the start of the season. And besides, doesn’t he look like a Lions defender? That is, of course, if GM Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia are afforded a third year together in Detroit. A top wide receiver also could be an option here.) (12-4-19):  https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-draft-2020-mock-lands-record-seven-bama-players-including-tua-in-round-1-144935782.html

CBS Ryan Wilson (6. WR Jeudy Jones:  Jeudy falls to No. 6 because the teams above have more immediate needs, but Matthew Stafford isn't complaining. Yes, Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are Detroit's top targets but both have contracts that expire after the 2020 season, and Jeudy is the most dynamic route runner in college football.) (12-3-19):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2020-nfl-mock-draft-colts-take-qb-patriots-target-big-play-wr-and-cowboys-find-wittens-replacement/

PFF Mock Draft (6. EDGE A.J. EPENESA, IOWA:  After a lackluster start to the year, Epenesa has shown down the stretch that he’s a talent worthy of a top-10 selection. Over his last six games, Epenesa has racked up 28 pressures and a pass-rushing grade over 90.0. His versatility is perfect for Matt Patricia’s scheme and would give them a lot of options opposite Trey Flowers.) (12-3-19):   https://www.pff.com/news/draft-pff-2020-nfl-mock-draft-tua-tagovailoa-lands-in-green-bay

Draft Tek (7. Lions - OT Austin Jackson:  It's that time of year again, Lions' fans, the weather is getting colder, the leaves have amost fully fallen, Christmas music is slowly seeping its way onto the radio, and the Lions are in last place in the NFC North. Traditionally, the Lions have always been great reminders of what is truly important on Turkey Day: family, friends, and enjoying each other's company. It's not often the Lions have played in a meaningful Thanksgiving Day game, and this year is no different. Objectively speaking, the last meaningful game the Lions played on Thanksgiving was in 2016 against the Minnesota Vikings (both teams 6-4 heading into the contest). The Lions would end up winning 16-13 and finish 9-7, 1 game ahead of the Vikings to clinch a Wild Card berth. This year, hosting the 5-6 Chicago Bears, both teams on the surface seem to have nothing to play for. However, Bears' QB Mitchell Trubisky and Lions' Head Coach Matt Patricia are looking to this contest as a sort of "job-saving" type of game.  Trubisky has been, for a lack of a better word, bad. His 10 touchdowns to 6 interceptions on the 2019 campaign are well below last season's output of 24 TD and 12 INT. Also considering his yards per completion is a league-worst 5.8 this season compared to 2018 at 7.4, this has not been a banner year for the QB. The same theme of regression can be seen in Patricia's defense from 2018 to 2019. The Lions finished last season as a top 10 total defense, and now rank 29th. They have given up at least 420 yards to opposing offenses 6 times in 11 games. Facing Chicago earlier this season, Trubisky had his best passer rating of the season against Detroit.  This Thursday's Thanksgiving Day game is the proverbial, "something's gotta give" game. Whether it's Trubisky yet again having his way with Patricia's defense, or Patricia saving his job and giving us Lions' fans some glimmer of hope into 2020. This was not what Bob Quinn sold the Lions' faithful. Patricia's current record of 9-17-1 is a major regression when comparing it to Caldwell's first two seasons of 18-14. In fact, Caldwell won more games in his first season (11) than Patricia currently has won in two. The media is starting to chirp about Patricia's hot seat and while being without Stafford is a convenient scapegoat, Mitchell Trubisky's season numbers would suggest a Lions win. Then again, losing in Washington to a struggling Dwayne Haskins doesn't give me much confidence heading into Thursday. Simply put, Patricia and this Lions organization need a win on Thursday. If they don't, fans seeking a change can't be faulted. - Doug Hyde, Lions Analyst 39. ILB Malik Harrison. 71. LB K'Lavon Chaisson. 103.  WR Devin Duvernay.  139.  OC T.J. McCoy.  156. CB Darnay Holmes. 166. QB Anthony Gordon) (11-27-19):   https://www.drafttek.com/2020-NFL-Mock-Draft/2020-NFL-Mock-Draft-Round-1.asp

Tony Pauline (11. Detroit Lions: Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson:  Simmons is the off the ball linebacker the Lions need. He brings great athleticism and ball skills, something he showed as a redshirt freshman when he lined up at safety. Simmons will be a top 20 pick if he enters the draft, something I expect he will do if Clemson makes a serious push towards the championship game.) (11-21-19):   https://www.profootballnetwork.com/tony-pauline-2020-nfl-mock-draft-v1/

SI Mock Draft (11. Detroit Lions: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama:  The younger brother of Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs, Trevon has the length, speed, physicality and ball skills to give Detroit an upgrade opposite Darius Slay. This selection would also provide them insurance as Slay is slated to become a free agent after the 2020 season.) (11-13-19):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/11/13/nfl-mock-draft-2020-joe-burrow-andrew-thomas-chase-young

Round 1 Pick (4 CB, 3 DT, 2 DE, 2 S, 1 LB, 1 G, 1 OT, 1 OL, 1 WR):

3 CB Jeff Okudah
2 DT Derrick Brown
2 DE A.J. Epenesa
2 S Grant Delpit
1 CB Trevon Diggs
1 LB Isaiah Simmons
1 OT Austin Jackson
1 OL Andrew Thomas
1 WR Jeudy Jones

Round 2 Pick (1 RB, 1 ILB, 1 DE, 1 CB):

1 ILB Malik Harrison
1 CB Cameron Dantzler
1 DE Terrell Lewis
1 RB Najee Harris

Round 3 (1 CB, 2 LB):

1 LB K'Lavon Chaisson
1 LB Dylan Moses
1 CB Lamar Jackson

Round 4 (1 WR):

1 WR Devin Duvernay

Round 5 Pick 139 (1 OC):

1 OC T.J. McCoy

Round 5 Pick 156 (1 CB)

1 CB Darnay Holmes

Round 6 (1 QB):

1 QB Anthony Gordon