NFL mock draft 2018: Predicting the Detroit Lions’ first round pick
By Matt Bosko
The Detroit Lions hold the 20th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. This NFL mock draft tries to predict the pick.
The Detroit Lions have several needs to address in the upcoming NFL Draft. They need help along the offensive line, defensive line, with pass rush, and their running game. With the 20th pick, a lot will be determined by the teams ahead of them.
In this first round mock draft, the Detroit Jock City staff predicts who comes off the board prior to the Lions’ selection, and who the Lions decide to draft as a result.
1. Cleveland Browns
player. 53. The Josh Allen hype might be believable in a year without a number of quarterback options at the top of the draft but I just don’t see it given the alternatives. The Browns desperately need to end their quarterback death spiral and so I’m looking to make a safer bet than Allen. Just about any of the other top quarterback prospects qualify, but I’ll go with Darnold. (Pick by Zac Snyder). QB. USC. Sam Darnold . 1
2. New York Giants
The Giants are just a year removed from an 11-5 season. Not sold on any of the top QBs to be a successor to Eli Manning, they take the talent that rounds out their entire offense. (Pick by Matt Bosko). RB. Penn State. Saquon Barkley . 2. player. 31
3. New York Jets
30. The Jets made a mistake by drafing a quarterback that needed time to develop in Christian Hackenberg a couple years ago. They will learn from that mistake and pick up the draft’s most pro ready quarterback. (Pick by Ash Thompson). QB. UCLA. Josh Rosen . 3. player
4. Cleveland Browns
Bradley Chubb . 4. player. 53. With quarterback out of the way with the first overall pick, attention turns to the other side of the ball. The chance to add another impact pass rusher to pair with Myles Garrett is too good to pass up. (Pick by Zac Snyder). EDGE. NC State
5. Denver Broncos
45. John Elway knows that he needs a franchise quarterback for his team to get back on top. Case Keenum is not their long-term answer, but he does give the Broncos time to develop Allen. (Pick by Matt Bosko). QB. Wyoming. Josh Allen . 5. player
6. Indianapolis Colts
46. Quenton Nelson is the best player in this draft regardless of position. The Colts need blocking, and a talent infusion virtually everywhere in their line up. They take the lay up in round one. (Pick by Ash Thompson). OG. Notre Dame. Quenton Nelson . 6. player
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
S. Alabama. Minkah Fitzpatrick . 7. player. 48. Need meets value as the Bucs pick up the top secondary prospect in the draft. Denzel Ward could have also been under consideration but Fitzpatrick gives the teams more versatilty, thereby increasing value in the short and long term. (Pick by Zac Snyder)
8. Chicago Bears
57. The Bears loaded up on offense during free agency. In a division featuring Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Kirk Cousins, they need playmakers in the defensive backfield. (Pick by Matt Bosko). CB. Ohio State. Denzel Ward . 8. player
9. San Francisco 49ers
Boston College. Harold Landry . 9. player. 42. Hello San Francisco, meet the best pure pass rusher in the draft. Sure the 49ers have spent a lot of draft capital up front, but the results have not come, and much of that was done by a previous regime. (Pick by Ash Thompson). EDGE
10. Oakland Raiders
player. 28. The Raiders could use another playmaker on defense and Edmunds has the chance to develop into just that. He has a freakish combination of size and athleticism and is one of the youngest prospects in the draft which means he’s oozing potential. (Pick by Zac Snyder). OLB. Virginia Tech. Tremaine Edmunds . 10
11. Miami Dolphins
I’m not sold that the Dolphins will take a quarterback and prepare to move on from Ryan Tannehill so quickly. Releasing Ndomukong Suh created a void in the middle of their defensive line, which they quickly address with a younger and cheaper Vea. (Pick by Matt Bosko). DL1T. Washington. Vita Vea . 11. player. 59
12. Buffalo Bills
<hr /><p>In the cold, when the ball turns to stone, and receivers can’t adjust to bad throws as well, ball placement is the most important trait for a quarterback. Mayfield has the same chip on his shoulder that the Bills have as the small market team in their division. (Pick by Ash Thompson)</p>. QB. Oklahoma. Baker Mayfield . 12. player. 16
13. Washington Redskins
14. Green Bay Packers
player. 49. Aaron Rodgers has broken each collarbone during his career. At 34, the Packers must do whatever it takes to keep him protected. (Pick by Matt Bosko). OT. Notre Dame. Mike McGlinchey . 14
15. Arizona Cardinals
Lamar Jackson . 15. player. 32. This is the only pick that I feel like I am 100% sure will happen if nobody steps in front of the Cardinals to make it. Jackson is a trancendent talent that needs a lot of work, and the Cardinals have put place holders in to keep him off the field for a year. (Pick by Ash Thompson). QB. Louisville
16. Baltimore Ravens
Alabama. Calvin Ridley . 16. player. 26. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And then try again. And keep trying. Then try some more. (Pick by Zac Snyder). WR
17. Los Angeles Chargers
Da'ron Payne . 17. player. 13. The Bolts continue to build up front, adding Payne to assist in the run defense on the same line as DE Joey Bosa. (Pick by Matt Bosko). DL1T. Alabama
18. Seattle Seahawks
player. 36. The Seahawks are hemorrhaging defensive talent. Their success has always been predicated on great coverage and a furious pass rush. The coverage they can get later, they take care of the pass rush now. (Pick by Ash Thompson). EDGE. UTSA. Marcus Davenport . 18
19. Dallas Cowboys
ILB. Boise State. Leighton Vander Esch . 19. player. 123. A wide receiver was tempting here after the release of Dez Bryant but the value just isn’t right. The Cowboys can look to add a receiver later in the draft while picking up an important defensive piece with their first round pick. (Pick by Zac Snyder)
20. Detroit Lions
50. With their top defensive targets all off the board, the Lions take the best talent available and their running back of the future in Guice. Though the team has needs elsewhere, and offensive line is a possibility at this point, I do not see them passing on Guice. The running back position is foritifed for the foreseeable future in Detroit. (Pick by Matt Bosko). RBF. LSU. Derrius Guice . 20. player
player. 50. Carter gives the Lions both a strong side linebacker and pass rush help in nickel defensive packages. Team officials have met with Carter multiple times and Matt Patricia personally ran the defensive line drills at the Georga pro day. This is not exactly the Lions typical two spots get better with one pick first round pattern, but it is a player that fills two holes himself. (Pick by Ash Thompson). EDGE. Georgia. Lorenzo Carter . 20
Isaiah Wynn . 20. player. 50. I’d love to see the Lions pick up an impact player for the front seven of their defense but with the way the board fell with the first 19 picks, I’d rather see the Lions go ahead and patch their last hole on the offensive line. To be honest, this isn’t a pick for me to get excited about but it is a prudent pick and one that will go along way toward hopefully seeing the offensive line flip from a weakness in 2017 to a strength in 2018. (Pick by Zac Snyder). OG. Georgia
Breakdown: While most agree that the Lions’ ideal pick would be a top pass-rusher, those impact players were mostly taken off the board before the Lions were on the clock. This will most likely be the case on draft day.
Given the Lions’ wide array of needs, the staff selected the most logical pick given the scenario. All are legitimate possibilities, and each selection improves the team in some way, although perhaps lacking the “splash effect.”