NFLSwell'S MOCK DRAFT
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Do Better Detroit Draft

  • NFLSwell DRAFTING FOR THE
    Lions
Draft Selections
Jared Verse Head Shot
PICK: 15 RND: 1 (DET)
Jared Verse
DE-EDGE Florida State
Edgerrin Cooper Head Shot
PICK: 61 RND: 2 (DET)
Edgerrin Cooper
LB Texas A&M
Zak Zinter Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (DET)
Zak Zinter
OG Michigan
Josh Newton Head Shot
PICK: 92 RND: 3 (DET)
Josh Newton
CB TCU
Jaylin Simpson Head Shot
PICK: 166 RND: 5 (DET)
Jaylin Simpson
CB Auburn
Demani Richardson Head Shot
PICK: 207 RND: 6 (DET)
Demani Richardson
S Texas A&M
Zakhari Franklin Head Shot
PICK: 247 RND: 7 (DET)
Zakhari Franklin
WR Mississippi
Draft Picks Received
Jared Verse Head Shot
PICK: 15 RND: 1 (IND)
Jared Verse
DE-EDGE Florida State
Jaylin Simpson Head Shot
PICK: 166 RND: 5 (MIN)
Jaylin Simpson
CB Auburn
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
Draft Picks Traded
J.J. McCarthy Head Shot
PICK: 29 RND: 1 (IND)
J.J. McCarthy
QB Michigan
Grayson Murphy Head Shot
PICK: 163 RND: 5 (MIN)
Grayson Murphy
DL-EDGE UCLA
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (MIA)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
Draft Grade — Lions
Overall B
ValueB- NeedA- TradesA FutureD+
The Lions did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B.

There was a run on nobody at that position, and the Lions started one anyway for Demani Richardson, 39 picks ahead of schedule. No fireworks, but a solid B.

On value alone, Franklin makes the weekend a net positive. A whole weekend of picks and quarterback is somehow still a want.

Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.

Pick Analysis
Pick15 Rnd1 Jared Verse
In the Round 1 slot they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick61 Rnd2 Edgerrin Cooper
They did well to land Edgerrin Cooper in the 61st pick, just ahead of his grade. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick73 Rnd3 Zak Zinter
Zak Zinter at No. 73 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick92 Rnd3 Josh Newton
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Josh Newton in Round 3, Pick 29. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick166 Rnd5 Jaylin Simpson
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Jaylin Simpson at pick No. 166. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick207 Rnd6 Demani Richardson
A big swing on Demani Richardson at the 207th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick247 Rnd7 Zakhari Franklin
They will replay Zakhari Franklin at the Round 7 slot for years; that is how good the value is. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.