Let’s face it, the Detroit Lions have plenty of needs and nobody (not even Bob Quinn) knows exactly who they will select with the 20th pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Heck, for all we know, Quinn will trade the pick to obtain more picks in the draft as the Lions only have six as it stands.
But that does not mean we cannot make our best guess as to what will take place on Thursday night when the Lions are officially on the clock.
So, some of the writers and editors (at least the ones who were not scared) submitted who they think the Lions will select along with a little rationale for the pick. Who do you agree with?
Ladies and gentleman, with the 2oth pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select…
Don Drysdale – News Director
If everything plays out perfectly, the Detroit Lions will select defensive end Harold Landry out of Boston College. That being said, I am starting to think Landry is too good to last until the 20th pick and the Lions will be forced to go in a different direction, which scares the hell out of me because I do not trust Bob Quinn when it comes to the draft. If Landry is off the board, the Lions should shift gears and take OG Will Hernandez (will be a perennial Pro-Bowl selection) or DT Maurice Hurst but when it comes down to it, I think take DT Da’Ron Payne out of Alabama.
Pick: Da’Ron Payne (DT – Alabama)
Matt Bassin – Editor
With the 20th pick, the Lions select: CB Jaire Alexander out of Louisville. 4.38 40-yd dash, aggressive, and plays with an attitude. Reasons for picking him: Both Quinn and Patricia come from New England and the Pats value defense in their early draft picks. I’m thinking that tendency follows to Detroit with those two. While there are plenty of areas the Lions need help in, having shutdown corners are a bit of a staple in New England, and I believe the Lions will replicate that staple in Detroit.
Pick: Jaire Alexander (CB – Louisville)
Josh Taylor – Writer
Da’Ron Payne DL from Alabama. With a huge need to upgrade the defensive line, the Lions are likely to go with the best available defensive lineman. Da’Ron Payne will be the best option at that stage in the draft if he is still available.
Pick: Da’Ron Payne (DL – Alabama)
Bear McBride – Writer
At some point in this draft Bob Quinn will trade down to get a few more picks, but there is too much talent for it to be in Round 1. It would be nice for Quinn to pick Derrius Guice at 20, but from what he said during his pre-draft presser, the running back position is so deep, I don’t think he will pull the trigger on Guice. I have the Detroit Lions taking DT Taven Bryan out of Florida with the 20th overall pick in the draft. Bryan is a phenomenal athlete who will both help the run defense and the pass rush. His size and athleticism also make him versatile enough to bump outside to DE of a 4-3 look on certain occasions. His first step rivals anyone coming out of the draft in recent memory. He is always the first player off the ball and his explosion has been compared to that of Aaron Donald’s. He needs to learn how to use his hands to shed blocks better but that is a very coachable weakness. Quinn has shown that he likes players out of Florida, and if coached right, Bryan could be a menace on the defensive line.
Pick: Taven Bryan (DT – Florida)
Bastien Taylor – Writer
With the 20th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select… Derrius Guice. As many Lions fans know, the ground game has struggled for a very long time, and it’s time for a new shake-up in the backfield. Although the Lions signed LeGarrette Blount this off-season, they still need a bit more help in the run game. Guice could come in and make an instant impact on an offense that hasn’t had a 100-yard rusher since the Thanksgiving Day game of 2013. Throughout his time at LSU, Guice showed flashes of greatness, even when he was overshadowed by the hype of Leonard Fournette. Guice dealt with injuries last year, but prior to that, he was one of the most effective backs in the nation in terms of runs over 20+ yards, which is something the Lions desperately need. Overall, I think it’s time for Bob Quinn to make a splash in the draft, and Derrius Guice fits the biggest need for the Lions.
Pick: Derrius Guice (RB – LSU)
AJ Reilly – Editor
Da’Ron Payne – DT Alabama. The Lions need all the help they can get on the interior of both sides of their line. Payne is projected as the 17th best player in the draft and if the cards fall the correct way, he could be in Honolulu Blue. If the Lions go interior defensive line, it would be nice to see them go interior offensive line in the second round (here’s looking at you Billy Price).
Pick: Da’Ron Payne (DT – Alabama)
Paul Rochon – Editorial Director
Unless Vita Vea or Marcus Davenport falls to 20, it’s in Detroit’s best interest to trade down – preferably to get an extra second round pick if possible. Late day one and early day two will be stocked with line prospects at major positions of need for the Lions and it would be beneficial to grab multiple. Imagine a draft where their first three picks were James Daniels, Billy Price, and Maurice Hurst. It’d be the best draft work I’ve seen from the Lions in my lifetime.
So why am I projecting Taven Bryan to Detroit at 20? Trades are next to impossible to predict and not always on the table. I think Vea and Davenport will be long off the board before Bob Quinn is on the clock. It’s too early to reach for an interior lineman or a linebacker like Leighton Vander Esch and as much as I would love a curve ball like Jaire Alexander or Josh Jackson, I don’t see Quinn pulling the trigger.
Enter Bryan, another middle of the road pick out of Florida with high upside. I don’t like the fit with Detroit and Matt Patricia as much as I like the other top-four defensive tackles in the draft (Vita Vea, Da’Ron Payne, Maurice Hurst) but he’s a raw athlete with plus size and burst at the position. He wouldn’t be my pick but I won’t be surprised at all if he’s a Lion at 20.
Pick: Taven Bryan (DT – Florida)
