17. Detroit Lions: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
The Detroit Lions obviously made a somewhat surprising move this offseason, letting go of veteran left tackle Taylor Decker. It’s likely that they felt comfortable enough not only with Penei Sewell moving over from the right side to take his place, but with the outstanding depth of this year’s class at the right tackle position.
There are a number of players who could really make a lot of sense in the Lions’ context, but Spencer Fano is a really good value here considering he’s usually off the board long before this. If the Lions are worried about his length and evaluate him more as an interior player, they could go with Clemson’s Blake Miller here.
18. Minnesota Vikings: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, SAF, Toledo
Although the consensus at this point seems to be the Vikings taking Dillon Thieneman to replace Harrison Smith, I’m not so sure Thieneman is a better fit for Brian Flores than Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at that position.
Considering how often the Vikings play in the two-high shell, a safety in the 1st-round makes a lot of sense if Smith isn’t playing this season. Also considering how often the Vikings blitz defensive backs, a 1st-round safety makes even more sense.
McNeil-Warren might have the best skill set to immediately work well in Flores’s defensive scheme. He plays with outstanding closing speed and attacking mentality.