Mock Draft Round Up #7

Walterfootball Charlie (5. 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.  AJ Terrell, CB:  Detroit Lions: A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson:  Teez Tabor was a bust for the Lions, and they could use more corner talent to go with Darius Slay.  Terrell (6-2, 190) has 23 tackles with a pass broken up and two interceptions in 2019. He has a good skill set and showed a lot of upside in his first season as a starter. As a sophomore, Terrell helped Clemson win a National Championship as the other starting outside corner with Trayvon Mullen. Terrell produced well for the Tigers in 2018 with 54 tackles, three passes broken up and three interceptions. Terrell also flashed as a freshman backup with an interception and seven breakups. He has a lot of talent and could rise as the 2020 NFL Draft approaches.) (12-13-19):  http://walterfootball.com/draft2020charlie.php

CBS Josh Edwards (5. LB Isaiah Simmons:  Simmons provides a lot of versatility. He is a long player that is developing as a pass rusher. The Clemson product will be a chess piece for Matt Patricia, or whoever is coaching the team next season.) (12-12-19):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2020-nfl-mock-draft-giants-finally-get-their-pass-rusher-falcons-add-receiver-to-replace-mohamed-sanu/

Draft Tek (5. CB Jeffrey Okudah:  As hard as it is for me to say, I'm kind of glad that more and more Lions' fans, analysts, and beat writers are seeing the light about this club. After a Thanksgiving Day loss to Trubisky's Bears (we called it) and an expected loss against the Vikings, the Lions have all but secured their spot at being in the cellar of the NFC North for the 2019 season. A team that was 9-7 in 2017 is now just 3 potential losses away from finishing this season 3-12-1. In other words, Matt Patricia is responsible for regressing this team by 6 games in his first 2 seasons (6-10 in Year 1). Not good.  There's a rumor that no GM or Head Coach change is even being discussed for Detroit and that they are actually considering giving Quinn and Patricia both another year to turn it around. Early on this season, we had mentioned how this was a make-or-break year for the Quinn-Patricia duo, especially after a mediocre draft. Big free-agent signings like Justin Coleman, Trey Flowers, and even considering the change in Offensive Coordinator to Darrell Bevell, seemed to mitigate a less-than-stellar draft and give us fans hope that this would be the year we'd see some progress. Instead, the defense has regressed mightily from a top-10-overall squad to a defense that allows the 3rd-most passing yards per game in the entire NFL (276 per game). Stafford, Hockenson, and Kerryon Johnson's injuries don't do this spin any favors, but I'm honestly just not sure how an organization can rationalize this rate of regression to give Quinn-Patricia one more year.  On the surface, it just seems that Quinn and Patricia don't know exactly what they're doing. They don't draft well, they have spent money on free agents that haven't truly helped, they talk about "inconsistencies" and "culture change", but their decision-making says they're ready to win now. It's awfully confusing. Some could say Quinn's simply lying to the fans to buy good will and continue to sell hope but the numbers don't lie; this team is bad and the decisions they've made to improve the roster haven't worked. The bottom line is, they truly feel as though the moves they've made were to better the football team and, honestly Bob, it just hasn't been "good enough".  - Doug Hyde, Lions Analyst.  37. DE Julian Okwara. 69. ILB Troy Dye.  101. LB Zack Baun.  133.  WR Donovan Peoples-Jones.  157. S Richie Grant. 164. WR James Proche) (12-11-19):   https://www.drafttek.com/2020-NFL-Mock-Draft/2020-NFL-Mock-Draft-Round-1.asp

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.) (12-11-19):  https://walterfootball.com/draft2020.php

Sporting News (5. 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.). (12-11-19):   https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-mock-draft-2020-joe-burrow-lsu-ceedee-lamb-tee-higgins-justin-jefferson/12dzse6kb0wq91no4kru7u4o91

CBS Chris Trapasso (5.  CB Jeff Okudah:  The Lions secondary needs retooling, especially if Darius Slay is not a part of the team's plans in 2020. Okudah has great size, length, twitchiness, and ball skills.) (12-11-19):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2020-nfl-mock-draft-jordan-love-lands-with-raiders-eagles-prioritize-receiver-with-ceedee-lamb/

SI Mock Draft (5. CB Jeff Okudah:  Okudah is a top-five prospect with the size (6' 1", 200), fluidity and athleticism to develop into a true shutdown corner at the next level. Not only would he give Detroit an upgrade opposite Darius Slay, but Slay is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020 season.) (12-11-19):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/12/11/nfl-mock-draft-2020-jeffrey-okudah-jerry-jeudy

Draftwire (5. Detroit Lions - DT Derrick Brown:  This defense needs a dominant, disruptive force in the trenches to build around, whether that’s on the edge or along the interior. In this scenario, Brown is the best combination of value, need and fit. He’s got rare athleticism for his size, and all the strength and power you’d expect. 38. Detroit Lions - DE  Terrell Lewis.  69. Detroit Lions - WR Donovan Peoples-Jones) (12-10-19):  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2019/12/10/2020-nfl-mock-draft-3-round-projections-heading-into-week-15/

CBS Ryan Wilson (5. DT Derrick Brown:  The Lions' D-line ranks 27th against the run and 29th getting after the quarterback, according to Football Outsiders. Brown is the most dynamic interior defensive linemen in this draft class and he'll immediately upgrade the middle of Detroit's defense.) (12-10-19):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2020-nfl-mock-draft-jaguars-take-quarterback-raiders-add-deep-threat-cowboys-get-playmaker-in-secondary/

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

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

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

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/

Round 1 Pick (5 CB, 3 DT, 2 DE, 2 S, 2 LB):

5 CB Jeff Okudah
3 DT Derrick Brown
2 DE A.J. Epenesa
2 S Grant Delpit
2 LB Isaiah Simmons

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

1 DE Julian Okwara
1 CB AJ Terrell
1 DE Terrell Lewis
1 RB Najee Harris

Round 3 (2 LB, 1 WR):

1 ILB Troy Dye
1 LB Dylan Moses
1 WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

Round 4 (1 LB):

1 LB Zack Baun

Round 5 Pick 139 (1 WR):

1 WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

Round 5 Pick 157 (1 S)

1 S Richie Grant

Round 6 (1 WR):

1 WR James Proche