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With the much-anticipated release of his draft guide known as The Beast recently, Dane Brugler from The Athletic tackles a complete 7-round mock draft from Trevor Lawerence all the way to Mr. Irrelvant.
Taking on a complete 7-round mock is no easy feat, and Brugler tries slot players according to their team needs, scheme, and culture fit to the best of his abilities. Without further ado, below is his haul for the Lions.
1st round (7)- Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
2nd round (41)- Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU
3rd round (72)- Divine Deablo, DS, Virginia Tech
3rd round (101)- Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina
4th round (112)- Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan
5th round (153)- Daelin Hayes, Edge, Notre Dame
Even with Justin Fields and both Alabama receivers on the board, Brugler elected to build within the trenches and gave Detroit a young can’t miss prospect in Sewell. With the possibility of four quarterbacks selected to start the draft, Sewell has gained some popularity as a viable option for Detroit. At only 19 years old, Sewell will shore up the right side of the line opposite of Taylor Decker, possibly creating one of the top offensive lines in the league.
With Detroit seeing their receiver corps decimated over the off-season and filling the room with mostly one-year deal options, Detroit desperately needs fresh blood. Brugler gives them some help in the form of Terrence Marshall Jr. If any fan was missing Kenny Golladay, Marshall will essentially alleviate those feelings being an almost copy clone as the big-bodied receiver who thrives in contested catches.
Detroit’s cupboard at safety is looking bare, with only four players rounding out the depth chart. Fortunately, Brugler slots Divine Deablo as potential reinforcement in the secondary. Deablo was recently tagged as a potential option by own Jeff Risdon, highlighting his run-defending, blitz ability, and special teams ability. He is one of those linebacker/safety tweeners that you can play best on best against your opponent.
With the Lions linebacking corps going through a remodel of sorts, the new regime will be looking to inject some athleticism in the mix, and Brugler helps that out with the selection of Chaz Surratt. Also tagged as a fantasy option by Jeff Risdon, the former quarterback brings strong intelligence that gives him a leg up reading the opponent’s offense. With his athleticism, he will fit in perfectly as the Lions weakside linebacker.
With the recent signings for Quinton Dunbar and Corn Elder, the Lions have filled in some gaps in the cornerback corps that needed some addressing. Even though the Lions are not on the prowl for cornerbacks, they couldn’t go wrong with taking an upside corner who could start later down the road, and that is what Brugler does with the selection of Ambry Thomas. Even though his technique is questionable, he has the tools and mentality to compete for snaps in the future.
In the later parts of the drafts, you are taking a gamble on a player’s upside and see if you can get the most out of their potential. With Brugler’s selection of Daelin Hayes, that will be exactly what the Lions will be hoping for. Hayes could be drafted much earlier with his versatile nature as a hand in the dirt or stand-up rusher if it wasn’t for his history of shoulder issues. If the coaching staff can build up his strength and pass rush repertoire, he could find a spot as a rotational SAM linebacker.