Random Hat Mock Draft: Lions Land Ohio State’s Carnell Tate
It’s mock draft season, which means it’s time for one of our favorite traditions. For 13 years running, we’ve been doing a completely randomized mock draft that puts names in a hat and lets chaos decide who goes where.
Why would anyone do this? Well, it started as a way to see if picking names out of a hat could draft better for the Lions than Matt Millen. And yes, I know what you’re thinking. The bar was not exactly set high.
These days we keep doing it because it’s silly, fun, and just about as useful as any other mock draft you’ll find. Plus it gives us something extra to root for on draft night beyond the Lions not completely screwing things up.
This Year’s Random Results
The process is simple. Take the top 32 players from Wide Left’s Consensus Big Board, throw them in a hat, and match them up with teams in draft order. What could go wrong?
Well, last year we struck out completely. But that’s never stopped us before.
This year’s random chaos gave us some interesting results. The Lions landed Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at pick 17, which is about as likely as finding a decent coney dog outside of Michigan.
Lions Get Tate (But Won’t)
Let’s be real about this Lions pick. There’s absolutely no chance Carnell Tate falls to 17. Most projections have him going in the top 10 as the first receiver off the board.
Even if he somehow did fall, it would be a strange pick for Detroit. They’ve already invested heavily in their top three receivers, so taking another one in the first round would be peak old Lions decision-making.
The cruel irony? Blake Miller, the Clemson offensive tackle who actually makes sense for Detroit, went one pick earlier to the Jets at 16. Of course he did.
The Picks That Might Actually Hit
Some of these random pairings aren’t completely insane. Jeremiah Love to the Titans at fourth overall looks solid. He’s the most commonly mocked player to Tennessee in ESPN’s draft simulator.
The Cowboys getting a cornerback makes sense, though Colton Hood at 12 might be a reach. Same with the Bills and Jordyn Tyson at 26. Right position, wrong player and spot.
Caleb Downs landing with the Browns has potential, just not at pick 24. He’d more likely go at their sixth overall selection if Cleveland goes that route.
Denzel Boston to Miami at 30 might be the best match. He’s projected around that range and the Dolphins could use receiver help after moving on from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Look, this exercise proves what we already know. Draft prediction is mostly educated guessing mixed with wishful thinking. At least our random hat method is honest about the chaos involved.
Think any of these random pairings will actually hit, or are we destined for another year of complete misses? Drop your boldest draft predictions below.
