2022 NFL Draft: Detroit Lions 7-Round Mock Draft
Fifth Round
177. 50. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. S . Cincinnati. Bryan Cook. player
The Lions need an upgrade at safety to pair with Tracy Walker, and if Walker leaves in free agency the need at the position would likely be lined up to be even greater.
Cook has 87 total tackles this season (54 solo), with a high of 14 against Tulsa on Nov. 6. He also has nine pass breakups, as the Bearcats now head to the College Football Playoff.
Cook has good size (6-foot-1, 205), while being lauded for intangibles that help him overcome a lack of blazing speed. He’s a late-round prospect, but the Lions would gladly grab him here in the fifth.
Sixth Round
North Carolina State. Emeka Emezie. player. 50. Scouting Report. WR. 180. Pick Analysis
Emezie has had some big games this season (see Clemson, Wake Forest and North Carolina). He is big receiver (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), but a lack of high-end athletic traits will push into into Day 3 of the 2022 draft.
With the benefit of an extra year due to COVID, Emezie is N.C. State’s all-time receptions leader (229). He may not become an NFL star, but there is a place from him in the league and he’s a worthwhile flier for the Lions.
Jalen Green. player. Mississippi State. CB/S. 217. 50. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Green transferred to Mississippi State this year after playing three seasons at Texas. He moved to safety for the Bulldogs, showcasing his versatility at all levels of the field while playing some slot corner as well.
The Lions have a couple cornerbacks who look like keepers (Jerry Jacobs, Amani Oruwariye). But covering the slot has been an issue at times, and in today’s NFL there’s no such thing as too much secondary depth. Green’s versatility increases his value as a late-rounder.