The Latest Mock Drafts
- Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Justin Fields, Ohio State (QB). Jeremiah’s mock has picks one through four all being quarterbacks, Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance in that order. Fields going to Detroit as the fifth QB selected would feel anti-climatic to me, but many fans would go wild for this pick. If this scenario came to pass, expect calls for Jared Goff’s benching as soon as he throws his first incompletion.
- CBS Sports NFL analysts: The overall consensus from the CBS Sports crew is trending towards a receiver out of Alabama. They’re torn on which one though.
- Pete Prisco- DeVonta Smith, Alabama (WR)
- Josh Edwards- Jaylen Waddle, Alabama (WR). *Picking No. 9 after a trade with Denver.
- Chris Trapasso- Jaylen Waddle, Alabama (WR). Trapasso was possibly peeking over his colleague’s shoulder as they wrote these down, as he too liked the idea of a trade with Denver.
- Ryan Wilson- Breaking the trend, he gives Justin Fields a second tally.
- WalterFootball: Ja’Marr Chase, LSU (WR). Underrated analysis at Walter Football by the way. If I had to lean one way or another at the moment, I’d put my money on it being Chase, just for that reason.
- Jeremy Friedrichs, SideLion Report: Ja’Marr Chase. Maybe Jeremy is also an admirer of the mysterious Walter Football.
- Mike Tanier, Pro Football Network: DeVonta Smith.
But what about…?
Trey Lance, North Dakota State (QB) Not that long ago, I suggested that Lance could be the key to the entire draft for Detroit, either by selecting him themselves or by entertaining a juicy trade scenario from a QB desperate team picking lower. Shortly after, the 49ers trading for the 3rd pick and Carolina trading for Sam Darnold rendered that line of thought essentially useless.
In the mock drafts I looked at, Lance was selected as high as No. 3 and as low as No. 15 overall. The trade scenario to snag an extra pick or two from a team dying to get Lance doesn’t seem at all feasible at this point.
But what if the tantalizing prospect is indeed still available when Detroit is on the clock? None of the mock drafters are predicting Lance in Honolulu Blue, but Brad Holmes would have to at least think about it, wouldn’t he?