Detroit Lions: Final first impressions from the 2020 NFL Draft
Sorting out the selections of Jeff Okudah, D’Andre Swift, and the rest of the highs and lows from the Detroit Lions in the first ever virtual NFL draft.
They say that you only have one chance to make a first impression. While that may hold true in most cases, I’d argue that the NFL is slightly different. The draft gives that strange in-between state of reacting in the moment, but then having the rest of the weekend to actually think it over.
We won’t be hearing much more about most of these guys until July at the soonest, so here are what I’ll consider my final first impressions from the Detroit Lions‘ 2020 draft class.
Day One: Good pick… Day Two: Great picks…. Day Three: Highly questionable. I’ll spend the rest of this post explaining these extended first impressions, noting areas where I feel the Lions have noticeably improved, as well as a few important spots that still feel unnecessarily thin.
Day One- First Round
Final first impression: Not perfect, but it was pretty good. The Lions have one of the top players in the class in Jeff Okudah. They did exactly what they were ‘supposed’ to do based on months of analysis, mocks, and all the talk about ‘best fit’ that comes up at this point of the NFL calendar each year.
Even those who were against getting Okudah to Detroit (favoring Isaiah Simmons, Derrick Brown, or Tua), none of the reasoning was because anyone feels Okudah isn’t going to be a good player. It was more based on draft positioning and the risk/reward possibilities of a few of the other guys.
The dream scenario was that the Lions would be able to trade down a few spots, still get their guy, and maybe sneak an extra first or second round pick out of the exchange. Miami, with three first rounders and in need of a QB, was thought to be the team most likely to take that. If this were a blackjack game, you can say they chose to stay, got Tagovailoa anyway, and are hoping that their new No. 13 doesn’t go bust.
As always, there’s no sure thing, and defensive backs don’t typically get picked this high in the draft. I wanted the Lions to get Prince Amukamara in 2011 and Dee Milliner in 2013, so just because I agree with this one doesn’t mean he’s a lock to be a star. I get it if people don’t absolutely love picking Okudah at number three overall, but there’s every reason to at least like it.