Until the Detroit Lions hire their new general manager and coach, it will be challenging to project what their roster will look like but that won’t slow down the Mock Draft machines from projecting what the team may do.
In their latest Mock Draft, 2020 Week 13 edition, Draft Wire had the Lions using the ninth overall pick to select athletic Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.
“It’s always hard to peg what a new coach will do, especially when you don’t yet know who it will be,” Luke Easterling said. “No matter who takes over for Matt Patricia in Detroit, that coach will need as much top talent as humanly possible, regardless of position. That means taking the best available player on the board, and in this scenario, that’s a three-down playmaker for the heart of the defense in Parsons.”
While we really have no idea what the Lions defensive scheme will look like, Parsons is scheme versatile and has the athletic upside to anchor the middle of any defense. No matter what the Lions and up doing, Parsons would fit.
Parsons is big (6-3, 245) fast, (estimated to run in the 4.4-4.5 range), agile and while he can play at the MIKE, he has the range to shift all the way outside to the EDGE — think Jamie Collins like range, with more power.
Outside of Penei Sewell, Penn State LB Micah Parsons (6-3, 244, Jr.) is the best non-QB prospect that I’ve seen so far this summer. Size, speed, instincts, blitz value, and coverage ability. He has it all. pic.twitter.com/bPXMFAdwC6
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) June 6, 2020
Easterling is not alone in projecting the Lions and Parsons, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ($) also did this week, while CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards made the connection last week when the Lions were picking at 11.
Other notable Mock Draft pairings with the Lions this week include WR Jalen Waddle of Alabama (CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson), EDGE Kwity Paye of Michigan (Pro Football Network’s Matthew Valdovinos), and EDGE Gregory Rousseau of Miami (Tankathon).