2020 NFL Draft: Detroit Lions outlook and first round prospects

Lions Draft Scenario

Without getting too deep into draft philosophy, the Detroit Lions will want to take the top player on their draft board when they go on the clock during Round One of the 2020 NFL Draft. Twenty-one underclassmen have already declared themselves as eligible to be drafted and more have the opportunity to do so through January 20th.

Often this group of players comprises much of the First Round, especially at the skilled positions, faster players and or who touch the football more often; these are positions like running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, cornerbacks, and quarterbacks.

Last year the Detroit Lions selected T.J. Hockenson, the Iowa tight end, in what many saw as a luxury pick even though the Lions needed tight ends too. “Hock” was the number eight overall pick and had a good campaign but was hurt a couple of times and is now on the Reserve-injured list.

Looking at the college football landscape right now, a list of players is super-hot and likely to be on everyone’s mind still in the Spring, Joe Burrow, Chase Young, Justin Herbert, Derrick Brown, Jerry Jeudy, Jeffrey Okudah, and Andrew Thomas. Per the usual, many Detroit Lions fans want a player that will surely go prior to our pick, Chase Young, the defensive end from Ohio State.

There’s a solid chance that Young goes number one to the closest team to his school, the Bengals. If he falls to number two, which is also very plausible, it’s hard to imagine the Giants, Dolphins, or Redskins passing on him. With the premium on quarterback play, many people foresee Joe Burrow getting taken first, after all, he is from Ohio, and the Bengals seem to be in the market for a new signal-caller.

Should those two picks shake out like that, Burrow and then Young, the Redskins and Dolphins both have the need for playmakers and better line play, while the Dolphins could also use a quarterback. What don’t they need, really?

Let’s assume for laughs and giggles that Andrew Thomas and Justin Herbert go third and fourth, respectively. The actual worst-case scenario is for no one to take a quarterback (won’t happen) ahead of the Detroit Lions; if two get selected it virtually gives them the number three pick.

The Bengals and Dolphins don’t hurt our pick, although they obviously could trade out of their slot. The Redskins and Giants both have rookie quarterbacks and would be very unlikely to select another that high, so those are the teams we should worry about taking players that we could be interested in.