Detroit Lions: 2020 7-round mock draft with two trades
*Trade: MIA sends 5th, 39th, and 56th overall picks to DET for 3rd overall pick.
The Detroit Lions have a massive hole opposite star cornerback Darius Slay. They have tried filling the spot with cheap free agent lottery tickets, but none have yet to work out for the full duration of a season. While the Lions did draft a cornerback in the fifth round last year, Amani Oruwariye didn’t see the field a lot as a rookie and had mixed results when he did.
Now, going into the 2020 season, the Lions front office and coaching staff are feeling the heat to make the playoffs or potentially be booted out of Detroit. With that in mind, you would think that their attention would most likely turn to the defense and figuring out how to improve a bottom three unit from 2019.
One of the biggest problems was at cornerback where the Lions could not get steady, positive play from anyone outside of Slay. For the Lions, however, having a top-five pick is perfect for their needs as there is a cornerback prospect who fits what the Lions need almost perfectly.
Okudah was the best cornerback in college football this past year, and it wasn’t really close. Okudah has everything you want from a cornerback prospect. He has speed, technique, agility, instincts, and size.
Okudah fits in perfectly with the Lions’ scheme on defense, which predominantly features man-coverage with the corners needing to be able to hold their own in one-on-one situations. Okudah has the ability to excel in that defense and has the tape and statistics to back it up.
On film, Okudah is able to man-up just about every kind of receiver there is, from big-bodied possession guys to speed demons to jump-ball specialists. Okudah can do it all and uses his size, speed, and athleticism to win almost every battle he goes into. If you’re looking for a guy who can shut down a whole side of the field or a guy who can travel with number one receivers, then Okudah will give you that at a high level every game.
Pro Football Focus, a site that watches every game and grades every player, ranks Okudah as the best cornerback prospect in this class, citing many impressive stats, such as he did not commit a penalty all year and did not allow 50+ yards in any game this year either.
At the end of the day, Okudah would be a great pick at number three overall, much less number five overall. If the Lions can trade down from third overall, pick up a couple of extra second round picks, and still get their guy at fifth overall, it will be a very successful day one for Lions general manager Bob Quinn.