With an already talented roster that is ready to compete for a Super Bowl, the Detroit Lions have a slew of directions they could go in during the 2024 NFL draft. One option for the Lions is to be aggressive with the No. 29 overall pick.
During a conference call with media members from around the NFL, draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah suggested the team could do just that with its first-round pick thanks to the Lions being in a win-now situation.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t rule that out,” Jeremiah said. “They’ve got some age on the offensive line, so if there’s a guy they feel like they love to go up there and get one, that wouldn’t shock me at all. Corner position is one they can continue to look at. They’ve done a lot of homework on the corner class and talking to some agents over the last week.
“So, yeah, I think if one of those top corners start to drift a little bit, they could go up there and do that as well… They’re knocking on the door. They are right on the cusp of being a championship team. So, if there’s a time to be aggressive, this would be it.”
Backing up Jeremiah’s intel on Detroit doing its homework on cornerbacks ahead of the draft is the fact that the Lions have met with several prospects at the position, via top-30 visits.
Another position the Lions could look to add to is wide receiver, where the team needs more depth after the departure of Josh Reynolds. On top of that, Jameson Williams remains a relative unknown.
Jeremiah suggested a few players the Lions could target in the middle rounds who could be a viable replacement for Reynolds on the outside.
“Ja’Lynn Polk can be one from Washington,” Jeremiah said. “Can give you physicality and toughness. Brenden Rice from USC would be another one I could see filling that position. Those are two that come right to the top of my head. I also — I’m intrigued to see where Luke McCaffrey is going to go. I think he’s a fascinating one who hasn’t been at the position very long, who just makes a lot of plays and is still developing and growing. Obviously, the gene pool is outstanding. I thought he got better as the season went along and I thought he was excellent in the Senior Bowl, culminating in a good Senior Bowl game. That would be one I think would be a really interesting fit there.”
As Jeremiah mentioned before, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the Lions to start looking to the future on the offensive line. The team is set at all five starting spots upfront going into 2024, but it would make sense to add depth in the short term and a potential starter for the long haul. Jeremiah named three offensive line prospects for the Lions with their first pick, and ranked them. But he feels one in particular, West Virginia’s Zach Frazier, would be the best fit.
“I would have Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson and then Zach Frazier,” Jeremiah said. “If you asked me who’s the Lion in that group, I would say the third one, Frazier. The four-time state champ wrestler. A guy who’s got a tenacity and a physicality to and through the whistle. He kind of fits their style — as you know — there. I think he’s worthy of being taken there in the bottom of the first round. I have no problem with that at all.”
