We are just over a week away from the 2021 NFL draft, and analysts are publishing their latest preliminary simulations before the big event. ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay joined for a draft co-simulation, alternating selections and designing all 105 picks in the first three rounds.
Kiper was assigned the odd numbers, so that meant he was calling when the Detroit Lions were on the clock in 7th place overall.
“I needed a transaction for a quarterback – it happens every year – so I’ll do one with me, because I’m the general manager of odd-numbered teams,” Kiper said. “This deal makes the Patriots run out of eight places to get their type, while the Lions add the Patriots in the second round (No. 46), plus future picks, maybe even their first round in next year’s draft. . It’s a lot to give up, but Bill Belichick & Co. they need a long-term solution in the most important position of the game. ”
Giving up choice no. 15 for the number 46 overall this year and a high pick in 2023 is a solid deal, even if it is not a first round given in the transaction. Kiper beat the Alabama QB Mac Jones Patriots at number 7, and when the Lions were on the clock at number 15, he went into defense.
Kiper’s choice at Nr. 15: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State. “Detroit trades to raise additional assets and yet has an impactful defensive player. Parsons is a parts manufacturer who will run in the background and throw the role of passenger. ”
Parsons is the second defensive player on the board in this draft – CB Patrick Surtain II went to the Dallas Cowboys with selection no. 10 – and if his off-field questions check, this is a nice choice. For more on Parsons, be sure to check out Jeremy Reisman’s research report on him.
As the simulator moves to the second round, the lions keep option no. 41 (their original) and option no. 46 (which they purchased from the Patriots).
Kiper called there Nr. 41 and gave them to the Lions Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina: “Since the trade with Detroit put them out of competition for top-tier locations, let’s add Brown to a barren depth chart. He has averaged 20 yards per catch in each of the last two seasons. ”
Brown is a field threat reminiscent of Marvin Jones Jr., but has a greater separation capacity due to his above average athleticism. His ability to win the line of scrimmage in a variety of ways will help him find the field as a starter early in his career.
McShay receives the first shot to pair the lion with a player of his choice Nr. 46, and returned to the defensive side of the ball, giving him Detroit Joe Tryon EDGE, Washington: “I loved seeing Romeo Okwara return to the Lions, but I want to see a lot more from the sidelines. Tryon can play both defensively and 3-4 outside defenders. ”
Tryon played a hybrid EDGE role in Washington, and in Detroit he plans to play on the sidelines opposite Romeo Okwara and probably share rehearsals with Julian Okwara from round three last year. Tryon entered the scene as a second-year student, but after giving up his junior year (2020) is not a finished product. Another year in the Pac-12 would probably have made him his first lap in 2022, but his talent guarantees a selection of the top 50 in this year’s class.
At the top of the third round, McShay still calls the shots for lions and with choice Nr. 72, gives Detroit Jevon Holland, safety, Oregon: “The Lions defense has a” Help Wanted “sign on most positions, and Holland is a hawk with a ball that can even go down and line up across the slot.”
This is a fantastic choice and reflects my strategy in the simulated project of the POD community, aiming for an initial safety in this place. I selected Jamar Johnson, Indiana safety, with my selection – he was the choice no. 99 in this mockery – but I would be just as ecstatic to land the Netherlands in this place. Holland can play deep in the slot, has great ball skills and is an instant starter in Detroit.
Back to Kiper for the choice Nr. 101 near the end of the third round, and he selected Demetric Felton, RB / WR, UCLA: “The 5-meter and 8-meter felton played both in the back and in the receiver for the Bruins, and in 2020 he had an average of 165.8 yards for all purposes. Lions just need to add talent. He would probably play the slot machine in Detroit. ”
This is a goal for me. Felton was a great college weapon, but he lacks slot athletics (RAS = 1.06), and if lions want a slot receiver, why not take one of their plethora in this class instead of asking for a back that played in the full-time college slot to play in the full-time slot in the NFL? Can Felton finally play slot in the NFL? May be. I don’t rule it out, but at the end of the third round, I want one thing for sure, not a development question mark – give me D’Wayne Eskridge, WR slot, Western Michigan, which was still available.