One of the grizzled veterans of the NFL draft analysis world, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller released his latest 7-round mock draft this week. The mock doesn’t project trades and represents what Miller is hearing from his sources around the league about what the teams will do with their picks in the 2020 NFL Draft later this month.
Miller sticks with convention in the first round. Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah is the current projection at No. 3 overall in most mocks and is almost a universal choice for the Lions if his Buckeye teammate, Chase Young, is off the board. Okudah gets the nod here, too.
Jeff Okudah is a true shutdown prospect at cornerback who has the size (6’1″, 205 lbs), speed (4.48-second 40-yard dash), toughness and ball skills to be an elite NFL starter. Okudah fits the profile of a No. 1 cornerback and should be one of the best young corners in the league. He’s that talented.
The Lions have other needs, but cornerback is a huge need in a New England-style defense. Think of how Darrelle Revis, Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore were used; that’s who Okudah can be in this defense.
The rest of the 7-round projection:
2nd – Marlon Davidson, DT, Auburn
3rd – Cam Akers, RB, Florida State. The highest we’ve seen a major mock draft project any running back to Detroit lately.
3rd – Lloyd Cushenberry, G/C, LSU. The lowest projection I’ve seen for Cushenberry, who cracks the first round in many contemporary mocks.
4th – Brandon Jones, S, Texas
5th – Colton McKivitz, OT, West Virginia
5th – Broderick Washington, EDGE, Texas Tech
6th – Cameron Clark, G/C, Charlotte
7th – Jauan Jennings, WR, Tennessee