Trading Up When You Don’t Have To
The Lions have six picks to work with on day three of the draft, and apparently that’s not enough. Because this is Detroit, where we overthink everything and trade picks like we’re playing fantasy football with house money.
The mock has the Lions shipping their fourth-rounder and seventh-rounder to Buffalo for the 101st overall pick. Moving up 17 spots for a seventh? That’s either brilliant or the kind of move that makes you wonder if Brad Holmes has been spending too much time around Dan Campbell’s aggressive tendencies.
Kyle Louis: The Undersized Linebacker Detroit Loves
With that shiny new 101st pick, the Lions grab Kyle Louis from Pittsburgh. He’s undersized for linebacker, which means he’s perfect for a Lions team that apparently crossed out height and weight requirements during the draft.
Louis can cover, stop the run, and pass rush. He’s a guy who can make plays regardless of size, and NFL teams keep overthinking the measurables when the tape shows production.
The Lions have built their identity around finding guys who produce regardless of what the measurables say. Louis fits that mold perfectly.
Caden Curry: James Houston Part Two
At pick 157, Detroit takes Ohio State edge rusher Caden Curry. The comp to James Houston is right there in the source material, but this time the Lions can “get it right” by just letting Curry rush the passer on third downs.
Sometimes the simplest plan is the best plan. Curry can get to the quarterback, so put him in position to get to the quarterback. Revolutionary stuff.
Late Round Depth and Development
The Lions round out their mock draft with some interesting pieces. Andre Fuller from Toledo brings versatility at corner and can stop the run, which matters more than people think. He can play slot or outside, giving the Lions options.
Dallen Bentley from Utah gets picked in the sixth as an athletic tight end who can catch and block. The mock suggests he could go anywhere from the fourth to sixth round, so getting him at 205 feels like value.
Finally, Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson gets the developmental pick treatment at 213. He needs time to develop, but the Lions have plenty of former quarterbacks on staff to work with him.
Is this the kind of draft that moves the needle, or are we just collecting bodies at this point? Let me know what you think about this mock in the comments below.
