Morning Lions Links for Thursday 8-20-20

 Articles:

Report: Detroit Lions work out 4 defenders after rookie DL Jashon Cornell's injury:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/08/report-detroit-lions-work-out-4-defenders-after-rookie-dl-jashon-cornells-injury.html

Lions’ Jamal Agnew making some strides at receiver despite hampered offseason:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/08/lions-jamal-agnew-making-some-strides-at-receiver-despite-hampered-offseason.html

New Lion Halapoulivaati Vaitai settling in at right tackle:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/new-lion-halapoulivaati-vaitai-settling-in-at-right-tackle

Lions' D’Andre Swift turning heads, but not texting teammates too late, as he vies to be RB1:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2020/08/19/detroit-lions-dandre-swift-matthew-stafford/3392976001/

Quotes from the Lions' beat: Praise for rookies during early days of camp:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2020/08/19/detroit-lions-2020-training-camp-beat-writers-rookies-praise/

Lions Re-Signed Wide Receiver Chris Lacy:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/detroit-lions-sign-wr-chris-lacy

Kenny Golladay Tells Glover Quin: 'Nine Got That Dog in Him':   https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/kenny-golladay-praises-matthew-stafford

Matthew Stafford Sets Standard for Teammates to Follow:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/matthew-stafford-sets-standard-for-teammates

D'Andre Swift Compares Himself To Christian McCaffrey:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/dandre-swift-comparison-to-christian-mccaffrey

Preseason All-NFC North team (Golladay, Hockenson, Decker, Ragnow, Collins and Coleman made the team.  Golladay is coming off his best season, and he did that work without Stafford for half the year. He's a terrific downfield threat and seemed to be building an even better rapport with Stafford before the QB got hurt.  The tackle pool is relatively thin elsewhere in the division, but Decker is coming off a solid season and has been an average or better starter, for the most part.   Taylor-Jenkins-Ragnow is just kind of where we landed, given Taylor's track record, Jenkins' strong rookie year, and Ragnow's step forward in Year 2.  Collins should be able to have more impact with the Lions than he did the last time he left New England, with his former defensive coordinator now acting as his head coach in Detroit.  The third cornerback spot came down to Kevin King and Justin Coleman, and we ended up going with Coleman as the slot guy.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2020-preseason-all-nfc-north-team-aaron-rodgers-gets-nod-at-quarterback-bears-loaded-on-defense/

Training Camp:

Lions Training Camp: 6 Takeaways from Day 2:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/six-takeaways-detroit-lions-training-camp-practice

Predictions:

NFL record projections: Who makes the playoff cut? (Detroit Lions (7-9): They gave the opposition, including eventual champion Kansas City, all it could handle in the first half of 2019. Then QB Matthew Stafford went down with a back injury. So let's not take this team lightly – especially if rookies like CB Jeff Okudah and RB D’Andre Swift make smooth professional transitions while WR Kenny Golladay and DE Trey Flowers continue to quietly flourish. But ... third-year coach Matt Patricia will have to navigate a schedule that includes just one home game in both September and October as he tries to make the case he should be retained into 2021):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/nate-davis/2020/08/19/nfl-team-record-projections-2020-predictions-patriots-cowboys-packers/3397583001/

Positional Value: Have receivers replaced quarterbacks as most valuable?:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/value-by-position-have-receivers-replaced-quarterbacks-as-most-valuable/

2021 NFL Draft:

College Football: The 2020 PFF College All-American team:  https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-all-american-team

Analyzing the top Memphis prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/memphis-top-prospects-2021-nfl-draft/

2021 NFL Draft: Preseason cornerback rankings:  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-draft-preseason-cornerback-rankings

Meet Robert Rochell, Central Arkansas' gem of a CB prospect:  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2020/08/19/2021-nfl-draft-prospects-robert-rochell-central-arkansas-interview/

Shaun Wade projects as a high Day 2 box/slot cornerback prospect without significant experience at outside corner:  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-ohio-state-cornerback-shaun-wade-high-day-2-box-slot-cornerback-prospect-2021-nfl-draft

Is Missouri LB Nick Bolton a top tier 2021 NFL Draft prospect?:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/missouri-lb-nick-bolton-challenge-top-linebacker-spot/

2 new CFB opt-outs Mayfield and Surratt could be prime Lions targets in the 2021 NFL Draft:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2020/08/19/2-new-cfb-opt-outs-2021-nfl-draft-sage-surratt-jalen-mayfield-lions-scouting/

Playing or not, expect the Utah pipeline to the NFL to continue:  https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/bulldozing-blockers-lead-the-way-among-utahs-2021-nfl-draft-prospects

NFL Hot Press: Teams Worried About Justin Fields, Trey Lance Development:  https://walterfootball.com/nflhotpress/article/Teams-see-Slowed-Development-for-Lance,-Fields

2021 NFL Draft: Devonta Smith’s elite release makes him a problem for opposing CBs:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/how-devonta-smiths-releases-make-him-a-problem/

2021 NFL Draft: Preseason position rankings:  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-draft-preseason-position-rankings

Video:

WATCH - Lions Training Camp -- Position Battles:   https://www.fox2detroit.com/video/841777

Srephania Bell explains Hockenson's injury comment:  http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=29696570