For the final time in 2023, here is a full 7-round mock draft for the Detroit Lions.
We are now, as they like to say “one sleep away” from the 2023 NFL Draft. Life will change for 31 players on Thursday night, and for 259 players by the end of the proceedings on Saturday. The trajectory of the teams that draft those 31 first-rounders stands to be altered too.
As is well-known by now, the Detroit Lions have two first-round picks, No. 6 and No. 18 overall. There is some speculation they are looking to trade down from that latter pick, and that’s among a plethora of options for general manager Brad Holmes. If the first five picks fall a certain way, calls could be coming rapidly from other teams looking to trade up to that No. 6 pick.
The Lions have nine picks in this draft, adding a second fifth-round pick from the Atlanta Falcons via the Jeff Okudah trade.
The boring route was the route for this final Lions 2023 mock, staying put at all nine picks and turning down trade offers that came left and right for those two first-round picks in particular.
Using Pro Football Network’s simulator, here is the last seven-round 2023 mock draft for the Detroit Lions.
The final Detroit Lions 7-round 2023 mock draft
First Round
The Lions have done plenty of due diligence on Carter, who’s stock has done nothing but fall during the pre-draft process due to an off-the-field incident followed by a bad Pro Day showing. That said, he is still a likely top-10 pick and the Lions culture might be a perfect environment for him to get on a good track to start his NFL career.
There are conflicting accounts about Carter’s work ethic and “taking snaps off” during games while at Georgia. Others set aside off the field concerns as simply a “good kid who has made some mistakes.” Based on sheer talent and the idea they are the ideal spot for him, I made Carter the pick here.
If I had written out a list of “my guys” in this year’s draft, Porter Jr. is on it. There are concerns about his playing style drawing an abundance of flags as he heads to the next level, but he has the size, skillset and swagger befitting a No. 1 corner in the NFL.
Aside from Devon Witherspoon, who I passed on at No. 6 and was gone here, Porter looks like just the kind of cornerback the Lions would target among a deep class at the position in this year’s draft. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn can be a first-hand mentor for the former NFL player’s son right out of the gate.
Second Round
The Lions were likely somewhere in the market for a wide receiver in this draft before Jameson Williams was suspended for six games. They way the board fell here, the plunge came with the first second-round pick.
Tillman’s final season at Tennessee was limited to six games by a left ankle injury, which eventually required surgery. But he had 37 receptions for 417 yards and three touchdowns in the games he played. In 2021 he had a nice season (64 catches for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns), highlighted by big games against Alabama (seven catches for 152 yards and a touchdown) and Georgia (10 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown).
Tillman has the size (6-foot-3, 213 pounds), competitive demeanor and overall skill set to be a very good NFL starter. The comp for him from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com is an easy one to like–Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman.
Any list of “my guys” in this year’s draft has Henley high on it, and I’m not the only one.
Henley had an interesting college career. Over four seasons at Nevada, he played wide receiver, kick returner, both safety spots and as a slot defender. He became a linebacker in 2020, and in 2021 he emerged with 94 tackles and four interceptions for the Wolfpack. Then he moved on to Washington State in 2022, and finished with 106 tackles (12 tackles for loss), four sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception last season.
Henley gets very high marks for his coverage ability (82.6 PFF coverage grade over the last two seasons), the energy he plays with and his sideline-to-sideline range. And based on numbers he posted over his last two college seasons, he’s not exactly a liability against the run. Knocks on him start with being on the small side (6-foot-1, 225 pounds), and continue to a lack of instincts or diagnosis ability–which feel rooted in a pure lack of experience playing linebacker. So there’s inherent upside in adding him.
Henley was an easy pick here in the second round.
Third Round
Carter is in line to be the highest-drafted Army football player in decades. His best season in college was in 2021, when had 14.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He is a little undersized, in terms of mass (256 pounds). But there is the expectation he will easily add weight upon joining an NFL team, and a transition from looking like a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level to more of a 4-3 end/edge guy.
Carter is very…”traitsy”, at 6-foot-6 and-a-half with 33 and 3/8-inch arms.
To be frank, the board of available options in terms of good value was not great here with the way this simulation fell. So a reach for Carter came, in a bet on upside over plenty of less-exciting options to make an addition to the Lions’ edge rusher mix.
Fourth Round
The Lions do not have a fourth-round pick.
Fifth Round
Back to the well of recent previous mocks here, with Thompson-Robinson as the later-round quarterback of choice for the Lions.
A highly touted recruit. Thompson-Robinson steadily improved over his time playing under Chip Kelly at UCLA with 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions over his final two seasons. Last season, his 69.6 percent completion rate was sixth in the FBS among quarterbacks with at least 250 pass attempts. He was also one of two FBS signal callers with at least 27 touchdown passes and 12 rushing scores last season. Raw production on the ground with his legs is obviously nice, but he is also able to make plays throwing on the run.
Thompson-Robinson would be able to sit behind Jared Goff, then potentially take over as the Lions starting quarterback in 2024 or 2025. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and/or quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell could be very strong advocates “in the room” for the quarterback affectionately called “DTR.”
The Lions’ tight end room needs an injection of talent and upside. Mallory’s production at Miami doesn’t leap off the page. But he did average 13.4 yards per catch over the course of his career, and he led ACC tight ends with 42 receptions for 538 yards last season.
Mallory is definitely more of a pass catcher than a run blocker at this point. But there are some intriguing tools here, and that’s more than any Lions tight end this side of James Mitchell can say.
Sixth Round
The Lions have a sneaky future need at guard, at at least one spot (right guard ) if not both if Jonah Jackson isn’t signed to an extension or he simply leaves in 2024 free agency. Coming out of this draft with a guard almost feels mandatory.
Sow started his career at Eastern Michigan playing left tackle, before moving to left guard and becoming a standout there. At 6-foot-5 and 323 pounds, he posted the second-best Next Gen Stats Athleticism Score among guards at the NFL Combine.
Sow has physical traits to build from as he heads to the next level. He was an easy flier in the sixth round.
The list of “my guys” in this draft, at least for this mock, ends with Ibrahim.
Ibrahim capped a nice career at Minnesota by leading the Big Ten with 1,665 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He did both of those things in 2020 too, with 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns in that truncated, COVID-impacted season. If he hadn’t suffered a torn Achilles in the 2021 season opener against Ohio State when he had 30 carries for 163 yards and two touchdowns against one of the best teams in the country, he may have made it a trifecta of seasons as the Big Ten’s best rusher. Over his last 20 games as a Gopher, he scored 37 touchdowns.
Ibrahim’s physical or athletic traits do not stand out (5-foot-8, 203 pounds). But the whole is greater than the sum of the parts here, and the tape doesn’t lie. He just finds a way to gain yards, with instincts, a low center of gravity, sneaky power and a flat-out nose for the end zone. He certainly has untapped potential as a pass receiver as well.
Ibrahim feels like the kind of back who will be drafted on Day 3, then go on to play a solid decade in the NFL–probably for a few teams. The Lions easily add to their running back pipeline here.
Seventh Round
The Lions also don’t have a seventh-round pick right now.