Detroit Lions 7-round mock draft: Going (mostly) on the defensive

Second Round

The Lions have signed an interesting young safety in DeShon Elliott, but the position is still a need.

Cine was one of the key cogs in a Georgia Bulldogs defense that led the team to the national title last year. He’s an all-around force, with ability in coverage as well as be a tone-setter against the run. If there are nits to pick, he’s a little small (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and he doesn’t look fluid in deeper coverage when agility comes into play. But he did show he has better straight-line speed than might have been expected, with a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com’s comp for Cine is Anthony Harris.

Third Round

Waiting this long for an edge rusher would draw plenty of ire from Lions fans. And it seems Jackson, based some recent buzz, may not last to this pick at the top of the third round.

Jackson’s fans would say he’s scheme-versatile. His detractors might say, at 254 pounds, he’s a tweener who should have kept weight on and didn’t have elite production in college (12.5 sacks in 27 games at USC, though with 25 tackles for loss).

His college teammate and fellow former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth is a likely first-round pick. But Goodrich should not be dismissed as a talent on his own, with 42 total tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defensed last season. He earned first team All-ACC honors, and a high coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.

An immediate and future pairing of Goodrich and Amani Oruwariye at corner for the Lions looks pretty good.