Notes: Kenny Golladay taken 12th overall in PFF’s 2017 re-draft

Back in 2017, the Detroit Lions were patiently waiting in the third round of the NFL Draft. When their number was originally called with the 85th pick, the Lions decided to play it slow, trading down 11 spots to 96 while picking up the New England Patriots’ fourth-round pick. They would end up taking Jalen Reeves-Maybin with that extra fourth-round selection, but the more significant pick was made with the late third-round selection.

The Lions selected Northern Illinois receiver Kenny Golladay with that pick, and three years later, Golladay led the NFL in receiving touchdowns and made his first Pro Bowl this season.

One of Bob Quinn’s draft picks, Golladay was given another accolade this week with PFF’s 2017 redraft. In it, PFF analyst Ben Linsey had Golladay go 12th overall—an 84 pick jump—to the Cleveland Browns.

“His 43 contested catches since the start of the 2018 season are tied for the most in the NFL with Julio Jones,” Linsey explained. “There are few positions that impact the game at the same level as an elite wide receiver, and while Golladay isn’t in that elite tier quite yet, his 2,000-plus receiving yards and 16 touchdowns over the last two seasons have him knocking on the door.”

The original 12th overall pick was Deshaun Watson, whom the Texans traded up to get.

As for the Lions, instead of picking Jarrad Davis with the 21st overall pick, PFF slotted Rams safety John Johnson III to Detroit. Here’s Linsey’s explanation for skipping over Davis this time:

“He’s picked up PFF grades of 52.8, 51.0 and 40.4 in his first three seasons while playing a large role in the defense in all three years,” per PFF.

Davis did not make the first round in PFF’s redraft, which you can read in its entirety here.

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