NFL mock draft: SB Nation’s best, worst case scenarios for Lions

T-minus nine days until the NFL Draft kicks off in Philadelphia and one thing is still clear: Nothing is a consensus.

Brave SB Nation writer Christian D’Andrea undertook a task even more daunting than your simple, straight forward mock draft. D’Andrea went team by team through the National Football League, detailing not only an ideal draft scenario for a team’s first two selections, but also one that would earn contempt.

You can check out the entire mock draft over here, but let’s check out the dichotomy between the two scenarios he conjured up for the Lions:

Detroit Lions

A Draft:

1(21): Takkarist McKinley, DE, UCLA

2(53): Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina

F Draft:

1(21): Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida

2(53): Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland

Detroit has many needs: an explosive pass rusher to play alongside Ziggy Ansah, a reliable wide receiver, and a versatile linebacker foremost among them. McKinley looks like a boom-or-bust prospect, but No. 21 isn’t a bad landing spot for a player with All-Pro talent. Adding Jones to play alongside Marvin Jones and Golden Tate would be a major benefit for Matthew Stafford, who put himself in the MVP discussion midway through last season.

D’Andrea certainly isn’t wrong about where the Lions need to upgrade. Of the three positions he mentioned, the Lions could—and most likely will—address all three of these needs at some point in the draft.

Keep in mind, though, the two scenarios outlined above are supposed to represent both the highest mark and a failing grade, but that line isn’t as clear as it’s purported to be here, which led me to ask the masses:

At the time of publishing, this poll was nearly split down the middle with 51 percent favoring the one-two combo of McKinley and Jones, but 49 percent in favor of what D’Andrea deemed to be a failure. It confirms just about everything the collective agrees about when it comes to the draft: Nothing.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah noted in his latest mock draft that “a lot of chatter around the league” when it comes to Detroit is centered around their desire to add another tight end. And while many—including Lions Wire’s Ty Schalter—think adding a prospect like David Njoku in the first round is a bit redundant with Eric Ebron on the roster, drafting a tight end in the second round is much more palatable, especially if it’s an intriguing prospect like Adam Shaheen.

Jarrad Davis is a linebacker whose stock is somewhere between the late-first and early-second rounds, but could be a legitimate option for Detroit should top prospects like Reuben Foster and Haason Reddick are off the board. Takkarist McKinley lacks the ideal size of an edge setting base end, the position he’d play opposite of Ezekiel Ansah in Detroit. As a linebacker, McKinley’s skill set better translates to a 3-4 defense where he could play outside to take advantage of his pass rushing talent.

Leave your best (realistic) scenario for the Lions first two rounds in the comments and someone from the staff will grade your selections.