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Detroit Lions mock draft: Todd McShay 2.0 goes offensive line

By Zac Snyder

Nick Chubb #27 of the Georgia Bulldogs and Isaiah Wynn #77 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrate after a 50 yard touchdown in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Nick Chubb #27 of the Georgia Bulldogs and Isaiah Wynn #77 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrate after a 50 yard touchdown in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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ESPN’s Todd McShay is out with his second mock draft of the 2018 NFL Draft cycle, changing his pick from defense to offense this time around.

With Super Bowl LII in the books, the entire NFL shifts into offseason mode. That means a focus on free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft, and with that comes mock draft season.

ESPN’s Todd McShay is out with his second mock draft of the 2018 cycle today and it has a big change for the Detroit Lions from his first iteration. In his 2018 debut mock draft released in mid-December, McShay had the Lions selecting Virginia Tech OLB/DE Tremaine Edmunds.

Since then, Edmunds’ draft profile has been on the rise to the point that he is off the board well before the Lions’ pick at 20 in McShay’s second mock. With his first pick off the board, McShay goes in a completely different direction, instead giving the Lions some offensive line help in the form of Georgia’s Isaiah Wynn.

McShay offers the following commentary with the pick:

"An edge rusher would be ideal with Ezekiel Ansah a pending free agent, but I don’t see a great value here. Detroit has plenty of needs on defense, but needs to keep Matthew Stafford upright to have any chance. Wynn developed into a dominant OT at Georgia and had a brilliant week of practice at the Senior Bowl when they moved him to guard."

This pick wouldn’t fill the team’s biggest needs but it could fill a need just the same. Although a tackle in college, Wynn is expected to play guard at the next level and did so at the Senior Bowl last month – quite well in fact. Travis Swanson is set to become a free agent and it would come as no surprise to see him replaced as the starting center by Graham Glasgow. That creates a hole at left guard, which Wynn would fill.

A downside going this route is it doesn’t maximize the versatility of Glasgow as it forces him in at center. Ohio State’s Billy Price, who McShay has going three picks later to the Rams, would give the Lions a second starting caliber player capable of playing guard or center.

Next: 30 Best Draft Picks in Detroit Lions History

It seems from McShay’s explanation that he would have preferred to give the Lions a pass rusher but Bradley Chubb (third) and Marcus Davenport (14th) were already off the board. Harold Landry (27th) is a pass rusher that the Lions could consider that was still available when McShay made his Lions pick. Passing over Landry for Wynn would be a controversial decision with many fans.

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