It's, finally, draft week for 2024. This year's proceedings are of course taking place in Detroit, as the NFL will descend on the Motor City for its marquee offseason event.
Draft week also means mock draft season is winding down for this year, thankfully so for some people. Everyone who does one all along during the pre-draft process will put out their final mock drafts for the year this week. We will too.
The Detroit Lions are in an enviable position, and a position they are not accustomed to. They can take the proverbial "best player available", as is Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell's general draft philosophy anyway, with a late first-round pick (No. 29 overall). A trade up is possible, as is a trade down and out of the first round.
Using Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator, here's our final Lions' mock draft for 2024.
First Round, Pick No. 19 (via Los Angeles Rams): Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
In a recent mock draft, trading up for coveted players was the plan going in. Not so much this time, I was ready to just stand pat all the way through.
But as Mitchell, arguably the No. 1 cornerback in this year's class, fell, a trade up became more and more palatable. Pick No. 19 came with him still available, so I tapped into Brad Holmes' Rams roots and offered a deal that couldn't be refused.
Over his last three seasons at Toledo, Mitchell had 45 pass breakups (37 over the last two seasons) and advanced himself as an NFL prospect each year. More interceptions might have been nice to see last year (just one), but they can be random and he had five interceptions in 2022 (with two pick-sixes).
Mitchell was Pro Football Focus' No. 1-graded college cornerback in 2022 and 2023, with high-end marks as a cover man and solid marks beyond that. Over those two seasons, he allowed just 56 receptions on 140 total targets in his coverage with 36 forced incompletions (per PFF). He has ideal size (6-foot, 195 pounds) and plenty of athleticism (9.80 Relative Athletic Score).
There is a narrow group of players the Lions should consider trading up significantly for. Mitchell is for sure one, and he might be atop the list.
Holmes dismissed the idea of being in any kind of win-now, "Super Bowl window" mode as a driver for the draft plan. But Mitchell's tumble in this mock sim made a trade up to get him irresistible, so I went all-in.
It's a great time to be a Lions fan right now and you can make it even better today with instant bonuses available at DraftKings! You'll win $200 in guaranteed bonus bets plus a daily no-sweat same-game parlay. All you have to do is sign up, deposit $10 or more and then bet $5 or more on any wager this week. Click this link to claim your instant bonuses from DraftKings today!