Detroit Lions 3-round mock draft: Detroit fills voids across the board

There’s a lot of buzz suggesting Thibodeaux’s stock is falling, perhaps even out of the top-10 overall. But that stuff has nothing to do with his talent, in an effort to find flaws with effort level, makeup, love for football, etc. He has done mostly all he can to quell those concerns, though pivoting away from doing a full workout at the NFL Combine after he said he would do so didn’t do him any favors.

For what it’s worth, the Lions seemed to have had the largest contingent of any team at Oregon’s Pro Day late last week. The contingent in Eugene notably included Chris Spielman, who will have influence on the team’s draft plans, particularly as defensive players are evaluated.

If the Lions like what they’ve seen and heard from Thibodeaux, and they may have him in for a top-30 visit too, all the smoke screens fueled by teams who want him to fall won’t matter. With Aidan Hutchinson gone No. 1 to Jacksonville here, the Lions take a former Duck in the first round for the second straight year.

The Lions missed on one Michigan alum early in the first round, but get one here to wrap up Day 1.

Hill is a safety/cornerback hybrid, with coverage ability, speed (4.38 40-yard dash at the combine) and ability (and willingness) to play run support (69 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss last season).

Detroit needs someone just like Hill to pair with Tracy Walker, and be a general ballhawk in the secondary. Hill is in the first round conversation, and it’s not a reach to say the Lions would be hoping he lasts to them here.