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This year’s draft blew up in all of our faces immediately when the Oakland Raiders made their first selection and proved that no one really knows anything. Clelin Ferrell went way higher than anyone expected. Montez Sweat fell all the way to the 24th overall pick, and a lot of good players are still available heading into Day 2 of the draft for the Detroit Lions to consider. Let’s take a look at some of the players still available as the Lions wait for their turn.
Wide Receiver
1. D.K. Metcalf
2. Deebo Samuel
3. Hakeem Butler
4. A.J. Brown
5. Terry McLaurin
Metcalf falling this far is a bit interesting. It’s not surprising that he dropped a bit, but no one really expected him to still be here on Day 2. Still, this is good news for the Lions if they’re looking to add even more offensive weapons for Stafford. Metcalf is the type of receiver that Stafford loves and would be a nice fit here.
Deebo Samuel, one of my favorite fits for the Lions, is also out there and would be great value with the 43rd overall pick. Him and A.J. Brown would be great slot options for the Lions, and if they’re looking for speed, then maybe McLaurin, Parris Campbell or Andy Isabella could be an option for them as well.
Cornerback
1. Amani Oruwariye
2. Greedy Williams
3. Byron Murphy
4. Justin Layne
5. David Long
There are a lot of great options here even outside of the top-five listed above. Only one corner (Deandre Baker) was drafted on the first night and it took all the way up until the 30th overall pick to finally get there. Guys like Oruwariye, Williams, Layne, Long and even Rock Ya-Sin would be nice fits for Patricia’s heavy man-coverage scheme. Murphy might not be a perfect fit, but fits what Quinn is looking for in a defensive playmaker.
Offensive Line
1. Jawaan Taylor
2. Dalton Risner
3. Greg Little
4. Erik McCoy
5. Cody Ford
Some surprises here as even Tytus Howard from Alabama State went in the first round over Jawaan Taylor or Dalton Risner. Taylor has always been a bit of a project but is extremely tenacious and would be a nice addition for the Lions if he somehow makes it all the way to their second-round pick. The Lions could luck their way into one of the top O-linemen after skipping over the position in the first round.
Edge rusher
1. Anthony Nelson
2. Chase Winovich
3. Christian Miller
4. Zach Allen
5. Oshane Ximines
Though the Lions were unfortunate enough to see the likes of Josh Allen go directly ahead of them, there are still some talented edge rushers available. Nelson is a down DE candidate with great athleticism and impressive bend for his size. Winovich is a little smaller, but is a great technician and tested extremely well at the combine.
Zach Allen isn’t quite the athlete as the aforementioned prospects, but fits well with what Patricia is looking for and is dominant with his hands and at the point of attack. I could see at least one or two of these guys available when the Lions are on the clock in the second round, and they could really hit a home run with one of these players.
Safety
1. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
2. Nasir Adderley
3. Taylor Rapp
4. Juan Thornhill
5. Deionte Thompson
Safety may not be the top need for the Lions, but there are a ton of talented players left that would make for great value at the top of the second round or in the third if any of them slip even further. Gardner-Johnson is a very versatile player that can line up in man coverage if you’d like him to, or he can play deep and use his instincts to create turnovers and make plays. Adderley has great range as a deep safety, while Rapp is likely to stay closer to the line of scrimmage.
Thornhill is a hot name after testing elite at the combine, and although Thompson is a victim of others testing well and jumping him on most big boards, he’s still a very good prospect that will warrant consideration early in Day 2.
Best of the rest
DT Trysten Hill
DT Dre’Mont Jones
DT Renell Wren
DT Khalen Saunders