Detroit Lions: The perfect 3-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

With the no. 97th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Cam Taylor-Britt.

If this past season taught us anything, it’s that NFL rosters can’t have enough contributors in the secondary.

Detroit Lions’ former no. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah was lost for the year following Week One after rupturing his Achilles against the San Francisco 49ers. The organization also saw injuries to rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu along with undrafted rookie cornerbacks A.J. Parker and Jerry Jacobs. By the end of the year, the team was also forced into battle without their top corner Amani Oruwariye.

Earlier in this mock draft, we addressed the need for an elite edge rusher, linebacker, and safety drafting Aidan Hutchinson, Quay Walker, and Lewis Cine; now it’s time to get a corner.

With the plethora of injures, the Detroit Lions would be wise to use at least one of their mid-round choices on another corner, and Cam Taylor-Britt is the perfect candidate. The Detroit Lions, who are coaching in the Senior Bowl, will get an up-close and personal look at the Cornhusker corner, who will be competing in the game.

Taylor-Britt excelled in Nebraska’s secondary, mostly when in zone coverage. He could patrol an area but have the freedom to read the quarterback’s eyes and target in on a receiver often eager to lower the boom. Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network notes the senior 6-foot cornerback hits like a safety.

"Tackling: Yes, please. This dude hits like a strong safety. He’s a violent striker in head-up instances and I didn’t see many missed opportunities in one on one—only a handful of missed reps near the line of scrimmage when he was reducing down and ducking underneath kick-out blocks by TEs or pulling linemen, which compromised his fit."

Taylor-Britt amassed 51 tackles, one sack, and one interception as a senior. The talented corner finished his career with Nebraska totaling 140 tackles, ten of which came for a loss, plus 2.5 sacks and five interceptions. He also scored one touchdown along with defending 22 passes and forcing four fumbles while recovering one.

Taylor-Britt’s willingness to lower the boom immediately brings a lot to the backend of the roster as he’d be a perfect candidate to contribute on special teams and as a backup perimeter corner who will hopefully push Ifeatu Melifonwu for reps behind Oruwariye, Jacobs, and Okudah.

If the Detroit Lions successfully address all three levels of their defense with four of their first five draft choices in 2022, plus use the offensive pick on a receiver, I will be beyond ecstatic.

Change from version 1.0: Jahleel Billingsley