Who will the Detroit Lions select with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft? (Note: Hopefully they trade down and don’t pick at No. 7 at all)
That is a question that we all want an answer to but another question to think about is, who should the Lions avoid selecting with the No. 7 overall pick?
In my humble opinion, Lions GM Brad Holmes absolutely must attack the NFL Draft with the goal of maximizing VALUE with each and every pick.
One person who must not agree with that is NFL draft guru Todd McShay of ESPN.
McShay has dropped his most recent 2021 NFL Mock Draft and he has the Lions selecting WR Ja’Marr Chase with the No. 7 overall pick.
Here is what McShay (and his colleague and Lions beat writer Michael Rothstein) have to say about Chase.
It’s tough to favor either Chase or Alabama’s DeVonta Smith over the other, but the former might have an edge thanks to better physical traits. Perhaps his opt-out season has some forgetting that Chase posted 20 touchdowns and close to 1,800 receiving yards in 2019. The Lions’ wide receiver corps is expected to see major turnover over the next few weeks, and new Detroit GM Brad Holmes needs to find some playmakers for the recently acquired Jared Goff.
Michael Rothstein on his fit with the Lions: Wide receivers Marvin Jones Jr., Danny Amendola and Jamal Agnew are set to be free agents, and questions loom about whether Detroit will tag Kenny Golladay or let him walk. Detroit signed veteran Tyrell Williams this week, but the Lions are obviously seeking playmaking cornerstones for their rebuild. Chase fits in that mold perfectly.
In my opinion, selecting a wide receiver (unless that wide receiver is an absolute freak of nature like Calvin Johnson) with the No. 7 overall pick would be a huge mistake for the Lions.
To read more about why I am not a fan of taking a wide receiver so high in the draft, please click here or on the link below. You may be quite surprised at what the stats say.
https://detroitsportsnation.com/3-players-the-detroit-lions-should-absolutely-avoid-picking-at-no-7/ddrysdale/detroit-lions-news/02/13/2021/244823/