Detroit Lions
23 Feb 2021, 00:25 GMT+10
Mike OHara
Trade winds are blowing at gale force in the NFL, and they are buffeting mock drafts from all directions.
Quarterbacks in particular are in high demand, and that is reflected in rumors and speculation over potential trades involving quarterbacks.
What seems certain one day is gone with the wind the next.
With the seventh pick in the first round, the Detroit Lions are in prime position to be players in the draft trade market. They can move up, down or stay put and draft a quality player at a position of need.
Mock 7 2.0: QB Impact is my second mock draft. Unlike Mock 7 1.0: First Selection, trades are allowed in the second mock draft.
Following are the Mock 7 2.0 picks and how they compare to the first mock picks.
As always, feel free to disagree.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
2.0 Pick: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson.
1.0 Pick: Lawrence. No change.
Bottom line: No surprise that the Jaguars liked what they saw in Lawrence's personal pro day workout. He could have thrown left handed and still been the No. 1 pick.
2. New York Jets (2-14)
2.0 Pick: QB Zach Wilson, Brigham Young.
1.0 Pick: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon.
Bottom line: The Jets enter the QB trade market as sellers. They can deal Sam Darnold, who has not panned out after being drafted third overall in 2018. Wilson had one big season at Brigham Young, throwing 33 TD passes against three picks in 2020 after a 23-12 ratio his first two seasons.
3. Houston Texans (4-12, predicted trade with Miami Dolphins)
2.0 Pick: WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU.
1.0 Pick: Chase -- by Dolphins.
Bottom line: The Texans have to trade QB Deshaun Watson. The situation is too toxic not to make a deal. They can get a bounty of draft picks and second-year QB Tua Tagovailoa from the Dolphins in return for Watson.
Watson makes Miami a threat to 2020 AFC East champ Buffalo, and the Texans start rebuilding.
Glenn wants Okudah to focus on being his best, not trying to live up to No. 3 pick Lions looking for even more out of Hockenson after Pro Bowl year One Pridecast Episode 107: Breaking down offseason news
4. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
2.0 Pick: Sewell.
1.0 Pick: Wilson.
Bottom line: Don't see it happening, but there is speculation that QB Matt Ryan could be on the block. The Falcons likely would have drafted Wilson had he not gone to the Jets with the second pick.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1)
2.0 Pick: OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern.
1.0 Pick: Slater. No change.
Bottom line: I'm waffling on this one, just like when I gave Slater to the Bengals in my first mock. The question is what helps QB Joe Burrow more, a wide receiver or an offensive lineman?
6. Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1)
2.0 Pick: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama.
1.0 Pick: Smith. No change.
Bottom line: Whoever plays quarterback for the Eagles -- and the reported trade of Carson Wentz to the Colts eliminates him -- needs offensive linemen for protection and playmakers. The Eagles are short on both. Smith gives them a playmaker. But don't assume that the Eagles wont take a QB here.
7. Detroit Lions (5-11)
They've already loaded up in the quarterback market in a reported deal that sends Matthew Stafford to the Rams and Jared Goff to Detroit, plus a package of draft picks.
The Lions now have options and flexibility with their first pick, as follows:
Trade up: Don't see this happening. The Lions' primary needs are on defense, and no defensive player is projected going off the board before the seventh pick.
Trade down: A more likely possibility, given the interest of teams below the Lions who would be in the market to draft a quarterback. Justin Fields of Ohio State, Trey Lance of North Dakota State and Mac Jones of Alabama are still on the board.
A team like Washington, with pick 19, might have to include a future first-round pick to swap places with the Lions in the first round.
Stay put: It's not a bad strategy, especially in the Lions' case when there's a player on the board who can help the defense.
For my second mock draft, my inclination by a slim margin is to stay put.
2.0 Pick: LB Micah Parsons, Penn State.
1.0 Pick: Same. No change.
Bottom line: Linebacker was the Lions' weakest position in 2020, and Parsons is a top 10 prospect with dynamic ability.
Get a daily dose of New York Statesman news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to New York Statesman.
More InformationThe February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an ...
Last week, the U.S. military bombed a site near al-Hurri, along the Iraqi border inside Syria, where Iranian-backed Iraqi militias ...
Movements that are able to enter the mainstream are likely to see their leaders thrust into the public eye. Rosa ...
This Oct. 30, 2019 photo shows an aerial view of eroding marsh near The Lodge in Fox Island, Virginia. The ...
Wendy Muher of Baltimore rallies in Annapolis on behalf of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future one year ago. State lawmakers ...
With the Winter Olympics set for next year, NPR's Scott Simon talks about the push by some human rights groups ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The U.S. Justice Department has announced it will appeal a court ruling that the federal prohibition on evictions ...
WASHINGTON, DC - Following accusations of sexual harassment against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, White House press secretary Jen Psaki ...
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Small earthquakes reaching magnitude 3.7 were felt along California's Central Coast after midnight on Sunday, according to ...
WASHINGTON DC: Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he would not hesitate to be inoculated with the ...
NEW YORK, New York: Following news reports that the National Football League (NFL) had signed a new agreement with Walt ...
WASHINGTON DC: Even as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring outbreaks of the Ebola virus in ...