Detroit Lions mock draft: Consolidating assets to target specific players

Moving into the second round, another trade up was on the radar. A recent mock draft from ESPN's Field Yates put a specific player on the radar to do it for. After trying for several picks beforehand to move up from No. 61, I finally landed a deal for pick No. 56.

Using the aforementioned draft value chart, I acquired 340 points in 2024 capital and gave up 236. The 2025 third-round pick surely tips the scales toward the Cowboys, with the lowest third-rounder this year valued at 100 points.

But, as with Mitchell, I wanted a player and did whatever was necessary to get him.

Second Round, Pick No. 56: Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington

In the previously mentioned mock draft from Yates, he had the Lions taking Polk at pick No. 61. Whatever fans want to think of him, the departure of Josh Reynolds leaves a void behind and the Lions had a level of need for a wide receiver before he was officially gone. After Amon-Ra St. Brown, there's hope (Jameson Williams) and optimism (Donovan Peoples-Jones) in the pecking order and nothing that feels concrete.

Polk has an NFL frame (6-foot-1, 203 pounds), with a good catch radius and contested catch ability. Of course a lack of top-end speed (4.52 40 at the combine) increased the need to make contest catches, but Polk tested well otherwise (37.5-inch vertical jump at the combine) and a 9.11 Relative Athletic Score is nothing to sneeze at.

Polk was effective lined up outside and in the slot last season at Washington, on his way to 69 catches for over 1,100 yards (16.8 yards a catch) and nine touchdowns. The knock on him about not being that dynamic after the catch seems to be dismissed by Pro Football Focus data (15 missed tackles forced last season).

The Polk-to-the-Lions bandwagon starts here, and I'll gladly drive it.