Detroit Lions: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft, version 3.0
By Zac Snyder
At this point in the mock draft, I was definitely feeling a deficiency in adding to the pass rush, so Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby became an easy pick. He’s a guy who has made somewhat of a name for himself during the pre-draft process thanks to his impressive athletic testing. That has turned him from a guy not many Lions fans knew about (despite playing college ball in the southeast Michigan area) to a mid- to late-round prospect on the radar of a lot of fans.
The sixth round makes Crosby a no-brainer but he could find himself going higher on the basis of his athleticism and potential. Potential is the key here as Crosby likely needs some time to add strength and develop his game to be able to have an impact as a defensive regular at the next level.
The Lions’ wide receiver situation may not be as settled as some might think it to be. Kenny Golladay looks like the only fixture at the position. Even though Marvin Jones is signed through 2020, I don’t think anyone would be shocked if he didn’t play that out as a Lion. Add in that Danny Amendola was signed to just a one-year deal as a stopgap and the Lions would be wise to be looking to the future now.
Given that the need is a little more on the horizon they can take a chance with someone like Keelan Doss from UC-Davis and use the year to see if they have really found something. NFL teams get a limited number of formal meetings with players at the NFL Combine and Doss met with only the Lions.
Doss was one of the small school prospects Pride of Detroit’s Alex Reno highlighted as potential sleepers the Lions could consider in the 2019 NFL Draft. Take that as suggested reading on Doss and others.