Detroit Lions trade back twice in 7-round 2020 mock draft
The Detroit Lions can trade back for a big haul in the 2020 NFL Draft and that’s what they do in this 7-round mock draft with the NFL Combine in full swing.
Sitting at the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, it feels safe to say that the Detroit Lions are sitting pretty. After what figures to be Joe Burrow and Chase Young with the first two selections, the Lions would then have their pick of the litter of any other prospect to help Matt Patricia’s team take a necessary leap to compete in the loaded NFC North.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn has been adamant that the Matthew Stafford trade rumors that have been circulating are completely untrue, which would seemingly mean that any buzz that they could take Tua Tagovailoa at No. 3 fit the same mold. Subsequently, you have to believe that when Quinn said the Lions were “open to any trades” with the third pick while speaking at the NFL Combine, he was telling the truth.
So what trades will the Detroit Lions make? What direction will they go in the 2020 NFL Draft if they do make a deal? Let’s take a look with a 7-round mock draft as the NFL Combine is in full swing. This mock was simulated using The Draft Network’s TDN Premium and mock draft machine.
Trade: Detroit Lions trade No. 3 to Dolphins for No. 5, 18, 155, 2021 third-round pick
The subtext of Quinn’s comments at the NFL Combine are simple: If you want to trade up for a quarterback, the Detroit Lions are more than willing to do business at the No. 3 pick and make that happen. And no team in the 2020 NFL Draft has the ammunition to move up to that spot than the Miami Dolphins, who also happen to be in need of a top quarterback prospect to build around.
Subsequently, the Lions get the best of a likely bidding war for the No. 3 pick and take the Dolphins for the No. 5 and 18 picks (two of three first-rounders Miami owns) while also adding a late fifth-round pick and a Day 2 pick next year. That’s huge for the Lions to keep building on their own terms.
Even better as they move to the fifth-overall pick, the Lions are still able to nab the guy they would likely select if they were to stay at No. 3, Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah. With the growing buzz that the Lions could trade Darius Slay this offseason, Detroit needs someone to pair with 2019 free-agent signing Justin Coleman in the secondary moving forward. Okudah can do that immediately.
Okudah projects as a possible star at cornerback. Adept in any form of man or zone coverage, showcasing elite athleticism and length that makes him a playmaker that can succeed both as a ballhawk or a physical player in press matchups. While his technique and reliance on his elite tools need to be polished up, Okudah can come in and be a bonafide CB1 with All-Pro upside.