'THE SUPER EARLY, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS IT'S ONLY WEEK 4' MOCK

[Karnage84]

We're 2-1 and heading into a TNF matchup with the Packers. So why not take a look at an early 2024 mock. 

TEAM NEEDS

• OT: Taylor Decker has already had a game off and has been a question mark over the last few years. We should be adding an OT prospect to eventually replace Decker at LT (or play RT and flipping Sewell out to LT). 
• OG/OC: Vaitai is not the long-term option here. We haven't seen enough from Sorsdal to count him as anything other than a depth piece. Ragnow has had his own injury questions at times. He's not on the block just yet like Decker is, but I'd like to see us have a capable backup in place. Evan Brown is no longer on the roster and adding someone with his versatility would be ideal for that room. 
• WR: ARSB is a top-level WR, Jameson Williams has elite skills but is unproven. Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond are underappreciated depth pieces. In order to be a top level NFL offense, we would need to add a proper X WR to complement the skills of ARSB/Jamo. Marvin Jones was added as a veteran option in this space but he's a shell of his former self. 
• CB: Arguably one of our biggest needs, the Lions can't rely on Jerry Jacobs as the long-term option opposite of Cam Sutton. Emmanuel Moseley is only signed to a 1 year deal and he hasn't made any contributions so far. Even if the group steps up over the rest of the season, this is a position where depth is important. 
• EDGE: Likely our biggest team need overall. We have some decent depth pieces but we're currently struggling with a key starter opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. Josh Paschal has struggled to stay healthy; Romeo Okwara and Charles Harris are short-term options. 
• DT: This could become more of a fan-driven need than an actual team need by season's end. I'd still like to see a true pass-rushing threat at the position. 
• LB: This is probably more of a personally driven need but there's still a case. Rodrigo appears to have regressed while Campbell is getting up to speed. Anzalone is not a long-term option and Barnes is only now showing up. Adding a depth piece here should help the position group continue its ascent as not the worst on the team. 

Using the FanSpeak simulator/rankings, here's a general look at what the 2024 draft could look like for the Lions. 

• R1 - Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State: Aidan Hutchinson gets a true running mate. Great speed-to-power, body control and flexibility as a pass-rusher. 
• R2 - Connor Colby, OG/OT, Iowa: The Lions add a versatile player to their OL room. Colby has played LG, RG and RT. 
• R3 - Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan: The Lions add an athletic big body up the middle. 
• R3 - Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa: The Lions go back to the Hawkeye well and add DeJean. He's going to be pegged as a safety but he has the athleticism to play on the outside. However, he's also versatile enough that he can play safety if need be. The Lions lucked out with Brian Branch and now add another versatile piece to that secondary. 
• R5 - Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina: Offers decent size and playmaking ability
• R6 - Jack Kiser, LB, Notre Dame: A 4-3 Will, Kiser has the tools to potentially replace former 6th rounder and fan favourite, Malcolm Rodriguez. If this happens, it means the feel good story has unfortunately come to its end. 
• R7 - Ceyair Wright, CB, USC: A smaller CB with excellent ball skills and athleticism. He's bigger than some of the guys taken much earlier in the 2023 draft at 6'1, 180 lbs. 

 

[nagahide13]

That site has the Bears picking Joe Alt #1 overall. I could die of happiness.

https://fanspeak.com/ontheclock-nfl-mock-draft-simulator/draft.php?d=kjmpjk

I'd love coming out of this with Keon Coleman

Edited September 26, 2023 by nagahide13

[Karnage84]

9 minutes ago, nagahide13 said:

That site has the Bears picking Joe Alt #1 overall. I could die of happiness.

I wonder if the Bears would select Caleb Williams and trade away Justin Fields. 

[Just Want A Title]

If this year is like other years, player rankings will change quite a bit before the draft season starts.  Last year at this time Devon Witherspoon was rated as a second-round pick.  That said, the Lions finally seem to be on the verge of being a genuine winner.  If I can have the opportunity for one season where I am more focused on a winning team than early draft preparations because the season has gone off the rails I am going to take that opportunity.  It is a solid effort but I am going to enjoy the ride for a while.

[Karnage84]

6 minutes ago, Just Want A Title said:

If this year is like other years, player rankings will change quite a bit before the draft season starts.  Last year at this time Devon Witherspoon was rated as a second-round pick.  That said, the Lions finally seem to be on the verge of being a genuine winner.  If I can have the opportunity for one season where I am more focused on a winning team than early draft preparations because the season has gone off the rails I am going to take that opportunity.  It is a solid effort but I am going to enjoy the ride for a while.

No doubt - the rankings definitely fluctuate over the course of a college season and even more during the draft process. 

I'm definitely a draft dude (although I am enjoying the over .500 Lions) and it does help to fill in some of the gaps in between the games. 

[detfan782004]

Any mock that has a new DC would be a win for me 

Edited September 27, 2023 by detfan782004

[Louis Friend]

I’d like us to draft the big uglies (DT, OL, OL, OL) and more corner help. 
 

WR depth is a concern but to be honest, I’d call Cincy about Tee Higgins and see if we could work something out there. 
 

Most of all, I want BPA. 

[LionArkie]

I still want a transitional T who can start out at G and move when Decker moves on. Gives depth, solidifies line and keeps it elite. Not a bad day imo. But to echo @Louis Friend, you can't go wrong with big uglies every single draft. Take them early, and take them often. The whole team benefits.

I'd put WR next although that's a little tougher without seeing if Jamo has made any progress this year. I'm afraid he's going to end up a lot like Ebron though who can't really catch the ball, but full of athleticism.

If we could get DT with bpa in the first we better not pass on it.

Continue the one year trend of not drafting injured players in the first two rounds. That seems to pay off for some reason🙄.

[Karnage84]

13 hours ago, detfan782004 said:

Any mock that has a new DC would be a win for me 

Do we really need Derek Carr? 

[Karnage84]

10 hours ago, Louis Friend said:

WR depth is a concern but to be honest, I’d call Cincy about Tee Higgins and see if we could work something out there. 

He's going to want WR1 money and we already have a looming contract for that kind of money coming up in ARSB. As we've seen with teams like the Chiefs, the salary cap isn't real. Then again, some days it is. 

If the Lions could work out the money, Courtland Sutton feels like a really good fit for what we need. He's a veteran player who is still performing in an awful situation. He's nearly 28 years old, so he could be a guy not in future plans for Sean Payton. 

[detfan782004]

49 minutes ago, Karnage84 said:

Do we really need Derek Carr? 

Funny.

 

[Karnage84]

1 minute ago, detfan782004 said:

Funny.

 

I try sometimes... usually not successfully. 

[Lions017]

I agree with most of the team needs. Luckily we seem like we are at a point right now where the team can just draft the best players available. We don't have those screaming "holy ****, if we don't get someone at this position our team is going to be hot garbage" type of holes right now. We are also a team that finally has a pretty large group of good young players, and eventually you run into the position of not being able to pay them all. 

[Karnage84]

Just now, Lions017 said:

I agree with most of the team needs. Luckily we seem like we are at a point right now where the team can just draft the best players available. We don't have those screaming "holy ****, if we don't get someone at this position our team is going to be hot garbage" type of holes right now. We are also a team that finally has a pretty large group of good young players, and eventually you run into the position of not being able to pay them all. 

I'd say our two biggest immediate needs are OL and boundary CB rounding out the trio with an edge. We need to address the RG position long-term (maybe Sorsdal is it but that's TBD) while we need to add Decker's future replacement. Being forced to play guys like Matt Nelson and Dan Skipper while switching Sewell over to LT shows how vulnerable this group can be. 

 

[Just Want A Title]

I will say this about this draft class right now:

1.  There could be a lot of very good QBs available this year.  The Lions already have Hendon Hooker but it could create a trade opportunity for a QB needy team

2.  The OT class is strong and with the number of quality QBs available a pretty good OT may drop to where the Lions will be drafting (hopefully later in Round 1)

3.  There are some solid guards available with some very good ones that could go in late Round 1.  

4. There aren't a lot of CBs that are rated to high right now but that could change.  Kool Aid McKinstry and Caleb King seem like solid CBs but maybe not on the level of WItherspoon or Gonzalez from this year's draft.  There seem to be a bunch of CBs with second-round grades but they tend to rise

5.  The DT class has some solid prospects but no high-end alpha.  Maasen Smith could rise though.

 

It is tough to say where this draft class lands in February but it seems to align with the Lions needs.  Especially at OT.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Just Want A Title