Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah is the current flavor of the Lions mock draft selection choices at No. 3 overall. Presuming that current popular projection becomes reality, what happens next for the Lions?
Specifically, where would GM Bob Quinn and the team look with the team’s second selection, No. 35 overall in the second round?
There are quite a few paths the Lions can go down with Okudah in the fold in the first round. Without traveling down the “trade up” pathway, here are a few of my preferred routes…
A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa
During the college season, Epenesa was often projected — often to the Lions — as a top-12 overall pick. The luster faded after his mediocre athletic testing, but that shouldn’t concern teams like Detroit picking in the 26-35 overall range. Here’s why.
Epenesa is a master technician with his hands, shoulders, feet and hips. Being an average athlete didn’t stop him from being wildly productive in college; he’s not dependent upon being a better athlete than the tackle trying to block him, which is not true of several other EDGE prospects in this range and is by far the biggest reason why top-50 pass rushers fail and bust.
Another thing to like about Epenesa is his frame. He played at 275 but has the body structure to get up to the 290 range in the mold of J.J. Watt, capable of playing DE in a 3 or 4-man front. He’s not that dynamic of an athlete (few humans are) but the way Epenesa won in college echoes how Watt thrived at Wisconsin.