Detroit Lions: 5 NFL draft prospects worth tanking for

The Detroit Lions have nothing left to win this season, but much to lose. Here are five possible franchise-changing college prospects worth tanking for.

Having lost nine of their last 10 games and currently riding a six-game losing streak following their defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Detroit Lions are in the running to obtain a possible top-five selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Finishing last season with a disappointing 6-10 record under first-year head coach Matt Patricia, the best record the 2019 Lions can finish with is 6-9-1 this year, as they have just three games left on their remaining schedule.

Those upcoming matchups are against the 6-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 5-8 Denver Broncos, and the 10-3 Green Bay Packers. Coincidentally, all three of these teams won their respective games over the weekend.

But not the Lions, who lost to their divisional rivals, the now 9-4 Vikings in U.S. Bank Stadium, 20-7. But the game was nearly a blowout by the Vikes, as the Lions’ first and only score came with just over two minutes left in the contest.

At the end of the day, losing might have been the best thing for Detroit in the long run. The Lions were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention before the game in Minnesota and the loss cements the Pride in the basement of the NFC North for the second consecutive season.

Winning in the month of December will do nothing to improve Motown’s roster next season. While losing out will give the Lions their best possible draft positioning throughout next year’s draft and when claiming free agents off the waiver wire during next season.

With that in mind, here are five college prospects we believe make tanking the final three games of the season worthwhile for the 2020 version of the Detroit Lions …