Following 2021 mock drafts for the Detroit Lions has been a roller coaster this offseason — and were only a month into the process.
After the 2021 National Championship, three players were routinely paired with the Lions and the No. 7 overall pick — DeVonta Smith (wide receiver, Alabama), Micah Parsons (linebacker, Penn State), and Jaylen Waddle (wide receiver, Alabama).
Then Matthew Stafford requested to be traded and the mock drafts that followed saw a shift to almost exclusively quarterbacks, including Justin Fields (Ohio State), Zack Wilson (BYU), and Trey Lance (North Dakota State).
Now that the Lions have traded Stafford to the L.A. Rams in exchange for draft picks and Jared Goff — the presumed starter for at least 2021 — things have opened back up in the mock draft market for the Lions.
Let’s take a look at what has happened over the past week, starting with some of the new names.
New names added this week
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU (6-1, 200)
Currently being mocked by Lance Zierlein (NFL.com)
Zierlein: “The Lions could go in a number of directions here, including cornerback or linebacker, but with almost an entire receiving corps set to hit free agency, Chase could serve as a splashy WR1 for their new QB.”
Penei Sewell, T, Oregon (6-5, 325)
Currently being mocked by Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports)
Trapasso: “New Lions GM Brad Holmes spent the past few years with the Rams when Andrew Whitworth’s impact at left tackle was gigantic. Holmes has that in mind when picking Sewell for Jared Goff.”
Rashawn Slater, T/G, Northwestern (6-3, 314)
Currently being mocked by Danny Kelly (Ringer)
Kelly: “The Lions just completed a blockbuster trade, sending longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams in exchange for a pair of future first-round picks, a 2021 third-rounder, and Jared Goff. The move gives Detroit the chance to hit the reset button and build a new foundation from the ground up. Bolstering the offensive line with Slater, a day-one starter at either tackle or guard, is a nice way to get things started as the team seeks to establish a new identity.”
Making a strong return
DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama (6-0, 175)
Currently being mocked by Joe Marino (The Draft Network), and Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports)
Marino: “It’s another new era in Detroit. Suddenly, Jared Goff is the starting quarterback, Dan Campbell is the head coach, and a host of ex-players are filling up his coaching staff. While there are plenty of questions about the roster, perhaps the most notable concern is what the plan is at wide receiver where Quintez Cephus, Victor Bolden, and Geronimo Allison are the only options under contract. DeVonta Smith is the most productive receiver in Crimson Tide history and is exceptional at getting open and catching the football—the two most important functions of playing receiver.”
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama, (5-10, 182)
Currently being mocked by Bucky Brooks (NFL.com), Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News), and Josh Edwards (CBS Sports)
Iyer: “Waddle, like his Crimson Tide teammate Smith, is a highly skilled all-around receiver the Lions could use to run all the routes and get open everywhere outside for Jared Goff. Waddle would be a great replacement for aging free agent Marvin Jones Jr., assuming the Lions bring back big field-stretching younger free agent Kenny Golladay. Golladay, Waddle and tight end T.J. Hockenson would be a good foundation for Anthony Lynn’s new-look passing offense.”
Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State (6-2, 245)
Currently being mocked by Dan Kadar (Akron Beacon Journal), Bryan Fischer (Anthon Sports), and the Tankathon Staff,
Kadar: “By acquiring Goff — a middling quarterback in the NFL — it’s hard to say the Lions are in a full rebuild. They’re just really close to one. Because of that, it’s no guarantee they won’t take a quarterback at No. 7. But with a cache of first-round picks in the next two years, they can wait a year on a quarterback. If that’s the case, the Lions should be in the mode of acquiring superstar players. Parsons is on the same level as recent top 10 linebackers Roquan Smith and Devin White. He’s a foundation piece for a team that desperately needs them.”
Still being projected to Detroit
Zach Wilson, QB, BYU (6-2.5, 210)
Currently being mocked by Luke Easterling (Draft Wire), Henry McKenna (For the Win), and Ryan Gosling (Pro Football Network)
Easterling: “Yes, the Lions just acquired Jared Goff from the Rams, absorbing the rest of his massive contract extension. But that shouldn’t keep the new decision-makers in Detroit from passing on a franchise passer with this pick. Wilson had a stellar 2020 campaign, showing off all the traits of a future Pro Bowler.”
Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State (6-3, 221)
Currently being mocked by Ben Linsey, (PFF), AJ Schutte (Pro Football Network), and Draft Tek (Doug Hyde made Lions selection)
Linsey: “The Lions took back Jared Goff as part of the Matthew Stafford trade, but it’s unlikely that he is the Lions’ preferred long-term answer at the quarterback position. At the very least, he isn’t a reason to avoid taking a quarterback like Lance here in the draft. There is legitimate concern surrounding Lance’s accuracy and experience, especially since he’s played just one season as a starter in the FCS, but he also has absurd arm talent and gives any team the option to lean on him in the running game. It’s a bet worth taking for Detroit as they look toward life without Stafford.”
Out of the mix this week
Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State (6-2.5, 223)
Not currently being mocked to the Lions
Fields was off the board by the time the Lions were on the clock in most scenarios this week, and with most analysts not incorporating trades, we saw an absence in connections to Detroit. As quarterback rankings start to clear up — assuming they do with a limited offseason — we will likely see a Fields to Detroit connections again.