Walterfootball Charlie (11. QB Zach Wilson - A new regime in Detroit could take a quarterback and start the rebuilding process. Matthew Stafford still has good trade value, and he could be sent to a contender while netting some picks to help build around the new quarterback. Wilson has some arm talent, makes good decisions, and has an efficient style of play. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder also is a very good athlete who can pick up yards with his feet, and is excellent at buying time to escape the pass rush and extend plays. Team sources say Wilson is confident and intelligent, plays tough, and inspires his teammates play for him. On the negative side, they say Wilson is a rich, entitled brat who rather than being a leader, is a selfish know-it-all - his parents are a pain to deal with too. Those opposing opinions suggest Wilson is going to need to mature, so it will be interesting to see how he handles getting humbled in the NFL. Wilson played well in 2020, dominating a lot of weak competition and completing 73 percent of his passes for 3,692 yards with 33 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also notched 10 rushing scores. In 2019, he completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,382 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In 2018, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,578 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. 42. DE Dayo Odeyingbo: The Lions need more edge rushers and linebacker talent. Here's the latter. Odeyingbo totaled 32 tackles with 5.5 sacks and a pass batted in 2020. He has played better than the numbers illustrate and has produced steady pressure on the quarterback. The 6-foot-6, 276-pound Odeyingbo is strong at the point of attack with enough power to bull his way into the pocket and hold his ground in run defense. With his quality first-step and a second gear to get upfield, Odeyingbo can use a speed rush to put heat on the quarterback. Odeyingbo is making himself look like a potential second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft this season.) (1-1-21): https://walterfootball.com/draft2021charlie.php
CBS Edwards (7. WR Jaylen Waddle: One would think that the new head coach will prioritize re-signing Kenny Golladay but it is a clean slate with so many free agents otherwise. Jaylen Waddle can work vertically or horizontally opposite Golladay for Matthew Stafford.) (12-31-20): https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2021-nfl-mock-draft-49ers-replace-jimmy-garoppolo-patriots-add-kyle-pitts-cowboys-snag-a-cornerback/
Draftwire (7. Lions - QB Justin Fields. 42. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) (12-31-20): https://draftwire.usatoday.com/gallery/nfl-mock-draft-2021-2-rounds-trevor-lawrence-zach-wilson-justin-fields-trey-lance/
Touchdown Wire Schoefield (7. Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama: If you are going to break the mold in the Top Ten of the NFL draft, you better do it for a complete game-changer. DeVonta Smith is that type of player. Smith is undersized for the wide receiver position by many standards, as he is listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, and as you can tell from the above picture, he is what some might consider “slender” for the NFL. But Smith makes up for that with game-breaking ability as a receiver. Last year he was playing in the shadow of Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy – as well as current teammate Jayden Waddle – but this year was his breakout campaign as he caught 17 touchdowns and 98 passes in the regular season alone. With the Lions facing decisions on Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, Smith is a nice find in the first round.) (12-31-20): https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/touchdown-wire-mock-draft-1-0-trevor-lawrence-justin-fields-zach-wilson-jamarr-chase/
CBS Trapasso (7. QB Justin Fields: In this scenario, the Lions either move on from Matthew Stafford or let him play for one year while Fields gets a redshirt season.) (12-30-20): https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2021-nfl-mock-draft-jets-decide-on-zach-wilson-at-no-2-eagles-add-kyle-pitts-to-help-jalen-hurts/
Walterfootball (7. Kwity Paye, DE: The Lions need to address every position on defense, and this includes the front line, which took a hit with some offseason losses prior to 2020. Kwity Paye has a chance to move into the upper half of the first round; he's shown some upside in his only year as a starter. 42. CB Shaun Wade: The Lions have serious problems at cornerback, so they may use a second-day pick on the position. Shaun Wade has a ton of upside and was able to produce well in the slot in 2019. He has struggled this year, however.) (12-30-20): https://walterfootball.com/draft2021.php
Draft Tek (7. WR Jaylen Waddle: 2020 reared its ugly head again as the Lions suffered a blowout loss against Tampa Bay in Week 16 (47-7). This is primarily due to Detroit not being fully staffed, as Interim Head Coach Darrell Bevell and Defensive Coordinator Cory Undlin were ruled "out" due to NFL COVID-19 protocols. This isn't to say that Tampa Bay wasn't the better team entering into the contest, but it still contributed to the beatdown that ensued on Sunday. Honestly, did anyone expect a different result.? This loss shows just how important coaching really is. How preparation, strategy, and game-planning directly impacts the team's play on game day. A team reeling to find answers, needing to game-plan for the game ahead...this is the end result of that fire drill. This is why it's so important that Detroit's front office gets the next hire right. After witnessing the last 3 years of Lions teams being unprepared thanks to Matt Patricia and his staff, watching the clinic the Bucs put on just underscored how bad things can get at a pro level if teams have "no coach". With these leadership searches still underway, it's somewhat difficult to predict the direction the franchise will take when it comes to the upcoming NFL Draft. Prior to Week 16's loss, the Lions were slotted with the #11 draft pick, which would have likely taken them out of the mix for the top QBs available. With the Lions moving to #7, these QBs, outside of Lawrence or Fields, would be likely still in play for Detroit. Lions' fans hoping for a QB will be rooting for another loss in Week 17 versus the Vikings, but pro-Stafford fans would likely hope to add another playmaker on offense, or to supplement a defense that had been built to fit Patricia's "scheme" versus adding pure talent. This is unfortunately the situation we find ourselves in here in Detroit. This debate of "keep Stafford or trade Stafford" has been well-documented among Lions' fans and professional analysts alike. Neither side is wrong in their rationale, but it's most certainly a conundrum the next GM will think long and hard about. In fact, ESPN NFL Analyst Louis Riddick, who was interviewed for the Lions' GM job a few weeks ago, has been quoted as saying Stafford hasn't been given a fair shake here in Detroit. He's not wrong, but neither are those who wish to see the QB traded to start the rebuild. Either way, it's difficult to project what the Lions will do at this point in time. With such a divisive topic, the Lions find themselves at #7 staring at a fork in the road (again). - Doug Hyde, Lions Analyst) 39. LB Joseph Ossai. 71. WR Tylan Wallace 102. OC Drake Jackson. 134. QB Shane Buechele) (12-30-20): https://www.drafttek.com/2021-NFL-Draft-Team-Pages/Lions-Draft-Page.asp
CBS Wilson (7. WR Ja'Marr Chase: Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are all in the final year of their deals. And while the Lions will almost certainly keep Golladay, who has been injured for much of this season, adding Chase makes too much sense not to happen.) (12-29-20): https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2021-nfl-mock-draft-jaguars-locked-in-on-trevor-lawrence-justin-fields-slips-steelers-get-rb/
PFF Gayle (7. DETROIT LIONS: WR DEVONTA SMITH, ALABAMA: Even if the Lions re-sign soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Kenny Golladay (27), Marvin Jones (31) and/or Danny Amendola (35), the team still needs more talent at wide receiver. Smith should finish the year with the highest single-season receiving grade in the PFF College era (2014-20) and currently ranks 12th overall on PFF’s 2021 NFL Draft Board.) (12-29-20): https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-mock-draft-justin-fields-atlanta-falcons-jaylen-waddle-philadelphia-eagles-first-round-wr-green-bay-packers
SN (7. Detroit Lions (5-10) - LB Micah Parsons: The Lions have had some of the worst linebacker play in the NFL and must address their run-stopping and coverage issues there. Parsons is a rangy, hard-tackling and well-covering cleanup man in the Luke Kuechly mold. Ahead of his opt-out from conference play, he had 109 total tackles, including 5 sacks, in 2019 for the Nittany Lions.) (12-29-20): https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-mock-draft-2021-jets-jaguars-eagles-trevor-lawrence/1t1xmk1y4i60j1tb6xln4isrhn
Foxsports Mcintyre (7. Detroit Lions – Micah Parsons, LB - 2019 season stats: 109 total tackles, 5 sacks. They have no GM or coach, so the future of the franchise is up in the air. For now, we’ll go best on board. Detroit is stacked with talent on offense and defense, but the schemes didn’t fit the talent. If Robert Saleh is the new coach, he’ll likely lobby for defense; if the new GM foolishly doesn’t want to pay Kenny Golladay, a receiver would be a smart investment.) (12-28-20): https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/mock-draft-trevor-lawrence-draft-order-jaguars-jets
PFF Renner (11. QB Trey Lance: With a new head coach and GM combo in Detroit, nothing is tying them to Matthew Stafford. This isn’t giving up on Stafford by any means, though, just like the Packers drafting Jordan Love wasn’t giving up on Aaron Rodgers. It’s simply admitting Stafford is a mid-tier quarterback and that Lance has the tools that could develop into more than that.) (12-23-20): https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-mock-draft-clemsons-trevor-lawrence-goes-no-1-overall-to-the-jaguars-jets-take-byus-zach-wilson-at-no-2
NFL RealGM (11. Detroit Lions: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State. If the new regime wants to hedge their bets away from Matthew Stafford long-term, taking a developmental project like Lance here makes sense. Lance has arm strength to spare but his accuracy and ability to read the field need ample work before he’s ready to play in the NFL.) (12-23-20): https://football.realgm.com/analysis/3334/2021-NFL-Mock-Draft-Christmas-Edition
Yahoo (11. Detroit Lions - Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle: Here’s another “who will be GM and head coach?” situation. Also, is Matthew Stafford in the picture? If the Lions end up being bent on trading him amid a rebuild, that would dramatically change this scenario. Almost certainly, wide receiver is an area of concern. Kenny Golladay is a pending free agent whose price tag could be massive. Marvin Jones is, too. It’s almost certain at least one of them won’t be back. Watch Nick Saban somehow convince Waddle, who is out for the season with an ankle injury, to come back to Bama in 2021. He did it with DeVonta Smith. But in this scenario, he’d step into a big role for the Lions and be a blur on that Ford Field turf.) (12-17-20): https://sports.yahoo.com/2021-nfl-mock-draft-4-quarterbacks-go-in-top-7-overall-picks-140635174.html
ESPN sends BYU QB Zach Wilson to Detroit Lions in early 2021 NFL mock draft (12-9-20): https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/12/espn-sends-byu-qb-zach-wilson-to-detroit-lions-in-early-2021-nfl-mock-draft.html
PFN Tony Pauline (9. Detroit Lions: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota: The Lions have several good receivers but no true No. 1. Rashod Bateman solves that problem.) (12-2-20): https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2021-nfl-mock-draft-tony-pauline-december/
USA Today Middle-Hurst Schwartz (11. Lions — Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama: Even if Detroit brings back Kenny Golladay on a hefty extension, bolstering the receiving corps should remain a point of emphasis. Prior to having his season cut short by a broken ankle, Waddle established himself as college football's pre-eminent big-play threat by record 22.3 yards per reception.) (11-12-20): https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2020/11/12/nfl-mock-draft-trevor-lawrence-justin-fields-cowboys-giants/6260945002/
Round 1 Picks (8 WR, 6 QB, 2 LB, 1 DE):
4 WR Jaylen Waddle
2 WR Devonta Smith
2 QB Trey Lance
2 QB Zach Wilson
2 QB Justin Fields
2 LB Micah Parsons
1 WR Ja'Marr Chase
1 WR Rashod Bateman
1 DE Kwity Paye
Round 2 Picks (1 DE, 1 WR, 1 CB, 1 LB):
1 DE Dayo Odeyingbo
1 WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
1 LB Joseph Ossai
1 CB Shaun Wade
Round 3: (1 WR):
1 WR Tylan Wallace
Round 4 (1 OC):
1 OC Drake Jackson
Round 5 (1 QB):
1 QB Shane Buechele
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